The Department of Paleobiology Collections Management objectives are:
LEGAL AND ETHICAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Requiring all registration activities including acquisitions, loans, borrows, disposals, shipments, permits, and repository agreements to meet the highest ethical and legal standards for documentation
PHYSICAL CARE
Ensuring the collections are physically preserved, housed, and arranged to ensure long-term preservation and accessibility
DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY
Making the collections holdings and associated data digitally discoverable and accessible through Smithsonian data-management systems and global data-sharing utilities
Establishing and implementing best-practice systems for managing research-quality specimen data and data-lifecycle management
Implementing sustainable workflows for mass-digitization specimen databasing, 2D and 3D imaging, georeferencing, and transcription of relevant collections labels and analog records
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Leveraging our professional expertise in collections management to train students and avocational collectors in the building and care of fossil collections
To collaborate actively with paleontologists and other stakeholders to advance the discipline of paleobiology and collections-based research
