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Policy for Specimens on loan to OKL The handling of specimens loaned to OKL from other institutions impacts the reputation of the Bebb Herbarium. Receiving a loan is a privilege with special responsibilities. Borrowers at OKL must observe all rules and regulations provided by the lending herbaria. Additionally, they must follow the guidelines summarized below for care and maintenance of loaned specimens at OKL. Eligibility - Individuals responsible for loaned material must be involved in a bona fide research project and must be approved by the Curator. Requests for loans - Loan requests must be submitted to the herbarium management proxy for the Curator. Please consult herbarium staff about preparation of the loan request letter, which may be submitted by hard copy or electronically by the herbarium management. The following information must be supplied: Title and nature of the project Time for completion of study Complete list of taxa and synonyms List of type specimens by collector, collection number, and locality Destructive sampling requests Loan Receipt - All incoming specimens must be frozen in the ultra-low freezer for one week before entering the OKL cabinets. Herbarium staff will unpack the loan, count the specimens, and note any special packing or handling conditions. Herbarium staff also will sign and return all paperwork. Once the loan is cleared by herbarium staff for observation, then the specimens are free to be examined by the investigator. Any damage to shipped materials or evidence of insects not observed in the initial screening should be reported to herbarium staff, who will note it on loan paperwork and contact the lending institution. It is a common practice to mark all sheets lightly in pencil (to be erased later) with a number and herbarium acronym to prevent confusion when returning the loan. Storage & Handling - Specimens must be stored and handled properly. It is best not to mix collections from different herbaria in a folder. Follow the guidelines for the Use of Collections. Sheets with loose material should be brought to the attention of the herbarium staff. Please report any observation of insect damage or infestation. Destructive Sampling - Permission of the Curator of the lending institution is required to remove permanently any material from loaned specimens for destructive analyses such as SEM, DNA sampling, and palynological or anatomical investigations. Duration and Extensions - Note the duration of the loan period. Most institutions will grant extensions for only one year at a time. Requests for loan extension must include the following information: institution, loan number or date of loan, description of specimens, project title, and length of extension requested. Annotation - In exchange for lending specimens, institutions expect the specimens to be annotated. Researchers must annotate all borrowed specimens before returning the loan. Please refer to the guidelines on annotation (see Loan Policy) for further information on the methods and materials of preparing annotation labels. Type Specimens require special annotation. A type annotation generally requires designation of the kind of type (e.g., holotype, syntype, etc.) and place of publication. Before you affix your annotation labels, please consult the rules of the lending institution and check with the herbarium management. Packing Loans for Return - Investigators should work closely with herbarium staff when preparing loans for return. Prior to packing, all loaned specimens should be sorted by institution and counted. Herbarium staff must inspect the material to certify its condition. Herbarium staff also must oversee packing activities and will take care of shipping invoices, shipping labels, and customs forms. Partial returns of loaned specimens should be avoided. Publications - The Index Herbariorum acronym for the Bebb Herbarium is OKL, which is used to cite specimens in publications. A complimentary copy of all theses, dissertations, and published papers citing specimens from OKL should be donated to the Bebb Herbarium. A copy of published papers pertaining to borrowed specimens should be sent to the lending institution (c/o the Curator or official correspondent) in appreciation for the use of their specimens. This
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