7871

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7871
• Author: Snyder, D. E.
• Title: Preserved Larval and Small-Fish Collections of the Upper Colorado River Basin
• USFW Year: 1996.
• USFW - Doc Type: Maintenance and Cataloging of a Valuable Historical Database - Final Report.
• Copyright Material: NO

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TABLE 3.-Time to catalog and handle five sets of collections (create locality and
primary records, find subject lots, resolve discrepancies, upgrade lot containers and
preservative if necessary, print, cut, and insert catalog labels, and reorganize lots on storage
shelving).

Set (Yr.) No. of Co!. No. of Lots Lots/Co!. Total Hours Minutes/Col Minutes/Lot
1 (1987) 108 504 4.7 71.0 39.4 8.5
2 (1988) 243 862 3.5 86.3 21.3 6.0
3 (1989) 230 1064 4.6 87.4 22.8 4.9
4 (1990) 297 1536 5.2 92.3 18.6 3.6
5 (1992) 289 1605 5.6 184.0 38.2 6.9
Mean 233 1114 4.7 104.2 28.1 6.0

Conclusions

This project has successfully improved the maintenance and accessibility of nearly
half the 58,200 preserved lots of VCRB larval and small fish collections now held by LFL
on behalf of RIP participants. These collections, consisting of an estimated 2.8 million
specimens, serve as voucher for nearly two decades of monitoring and research in the basin
and as a valuable historical resource for future investigations.
We have adopted the NSF-supported MUSE program for collection cataloging and
management. MUSE was originally designed for ichthyological collections and is now
licensed for use by over 80 museum or institutional collections world-wide. Much of the
data in our collection catalog (database) is now available on-line from any computer
connected to the Internet. A policies and procedures manual for the management,
maintenance, and use of the LFL Collection has been drafted and is under review.
As of the end of 1995, nearly 43% (24,840 lots, 1.2 million specimens) of LFL's
UCRB holdings have been cataloged, upgraded as necessary (containers and preservative),
and reorganized on collection shelving. About 84% (20,896 lots) of those lots were
cataloged under this project and the remainder, all 1994 and 1995 collections, as part of
collection processing for RIP participants. Approximately 33,360 lots collected since 1976
remain to be cataloged, upgraded, and reorganized. Time and labor costs for finishing the
task begun by this project are estimated at 2 full man-years and $65,052; materials costs at
$2,000. Additional shelving, for which LFL will allocate space, will also be required to
accommodate yet-to-be processed 1994, 1995, and future collections.
We have had only limited success in our efforts to secure the permanency of these
UCRB collections beyond LFL, but completion of the cataloging task should facilitate
future efforts in this regard. The proposed formal link with the repository for preserved
collections of larger fishes from the VCRB, currently the NBS Western Biological Surveys
Collections housed by MSB in Albuquerque, does not appear to be practical or beneficial at
this time. However, we have established membership in the fledgling Colorado Alliance of
Biodiversity Collections, one purpose of which is to help ensure adequate care and a home
for orphaned or troubled collections in Colorado. We have also initiated a proposal for
formal recognition and support of this and other on-campus natural history collections
within Colorado State University.

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