Forum: Natural History Collections

The IMA Forum Natural History was held on Friday 2 October 2015 at The Zoological Museum, Trinity College Dublin.

Of interest to curators, archivists and researchers, the purpose of the IMA collections forums are to provide an opportunity to present work and engage with colleagues working with collections in museums, galleries and cultural institutions. They are aimed at providing an informal yet structured platform where discussion and debate can take place, key issues and concerns to the sector can be identified, knowledge can be shared and partnerships can be facilitated.

This forum is scheduled as a series of 15-minute presentations, selected through an open call for papers, with a generous amount of time for Q&A. The Forum will look at the acquisition, management and care of natural history collections. Many museums hold collections or some material of this type that can be a challenge to curate or conserve due to their specialist nature and the papers will cover a range of topics such as Custodianship, Preservation, Museum Development, and the history of some of the collections. There will be an opportunity to bring up further issues or comments as part of the schedule, along with presenting an opportunity to learn and exhchange knowledge with those involved in Natural History collections.

Speakers are Dr Martyn Linnie, The Zoological Museum and Department of Zoology, Trinity College Dublin; Nigel Monaghan, National Museum of Ireland - Natural History Division; Siobhan Ward, Anatomy Department, Trinity College Dublin; Kate Aughrey, Conservation Letterfrack; Dr Emmanuel G. Reynaud, School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin; and Sylvanie Vaucheret, Registration Department, National Museum of Ireland