Herpetology Collection Policies

Loans are made to a specific institution on behalf of a permanent staff member of that institution and will only be sent to an institutional address. Requests for loans must be submitted either as a formal letter on institutional letterhead or a completed Loan Request Form for Extant Collections. Requests from students and postdoctoral fellows must be countersigned by the corresponding major professor or postdoctoral advisor, who assumes legal responsibility for the specimens. Requests may be sent as a PDF file attached to an email message sent to Stevie Kennedy-Gold, Herpetology Collection Manager.

Loan Requests

Loan requests for alcoholic and skeletal specimens should include the following:

• Requestor’s full name, institutional title, postal address, email address and phone number.
• When applicable: student’s or postdoctoral fellow’s full name, title, institutional affiliation, postal address, email address and phone number.
• Research proposal, including a description of the specific techniques to be applied to the specimens and their justification.
• If destructive sampling is involved (see “Destructive Sampling” below), please summarize previous work that demonstrates proficiency with the proposed techniques.
• Itemized list of specimens and/or specimen parts being requested, each identified by MCZ catalog number and scientific name as found in MCZbase, the museum’s specimen database.

Loan Policies

Specimen Eligibility

Requests for the loan of type specimens (holotypes, paratypes, etc.) or fragile specimens, or for permission to dissect or otherwise alter specimens (see “Destructive Sampling” above) will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

No more than one-half of the total specimens of a species held at the MCZ will be loaned at one time. The remainder may be requested after return of the first loan.

Loan Details

Upon the loan’s arrival, the borrower should review the enclosed loan form for both inventory and specimen condition. Amend as necessary, sign and return a copy of the loan form to MCZ. Failure to return the form will jeopardize publication copyright and future loan requests.

Specimens are loaned for a period of six months. If the specimens are needed for longer than six months, the borrower must request an extension of the loan period. Request for an extension must be made before the current loan period expires.

Care and Handling

• Specimens are not to be used by any other person(s) or for any purpose other than what is outlined in the approved research proposal.
• Do not remove any tags attached to a specimen.
• Maintain alcoholic specimens in 70% ethanol. They should not be transferred to any other ethanol concentration or to any other liquid. Keep specimens moist during examination with 70% ethanol.
• Do not force limbs, jaws, etc., into positions that tear muscles or break bones.

Shipping

The MCZ ships loans via Federal Express or an equivalent domestic or international shipper, paying postage and insurance for outbound shipments. Borrowers should return loans via Federal Express, paying postage and insurance at their expense. Loans will only be sent to an institutional address.

Specimens should be packed carefully and securely for return with the same packing materials with which they were received unless those materials are damaged or otherwise deemed inappropriate to use.

The Herpetology Department welcomes approved visitors to explore and use the collection, but due to the delicate nature of the specimens and to ensure visitor safety, we require adherence to the following policies.

• Access to the Department is open to qualified visitors, researchers, and students.
• The Department adheres to the MCZ collections policies and procedures.
• All those accessing the collection spaces will be given a basic safety orientation.
• Normal business hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Harvard University and MCZ Herpetology Department Affiliates (e.g., undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows)

 Any individuals working in the laboratory of the Herpetology faculty-curator or interning with the Department will be granted key card access to the curatorial lab space (MCZ G038) and Herpetology Library (MCZ G022). Physical keys to collection spaces will not be provided. Upon being granted card access, collection users will be asked to complete a five-minute safety orientation. Access is limited to normal business hours.
 

Visiting Researchers (non-Harvard University)

The Department is open to visitors by appointment during normal business hours*, excluding university holidays. To arrange a visit, please email the Curatorial Associate of Herpetology, Stevie Kennedy-Gold, with the following information at least two weeks ahead of your proposed visit for short-term visitors and at least one month ahead of your proposed visit for long-term visitors to allow staff time to pull all specimens before the visit:

• Your name and title
• Institutional affiliation
• Contact information, including phone number and email address
• Advisor name, title, affiliation, and contact information (if applicable)
• Date(s) you would like to visit
• A brief description of your project
• A description of the techniques you plan to use
• A list of specimens you wish to examine (please use MCZbase to identify)
• Any special equipment requested (e.g., camera stand)

Short-term (≤ 2 days) visiting researchers will be provided access to the collection by departmental staff; key card access will not be granted.

Long-term (> 2 days) visiting researchers will be asked to complete a short Lab Safety Checklist, and may, depending on need, be loaned the department’s visiting key card, which permits access to the curatorial lab space (MCZ G038) and Herpetology Library (MCZ G022).

MCZ Herpetology Associates 

MCZ Associates in Herpetology will be granted key card access to the curatorial lab space (MCZ G038) and Herpetology Library (MCZ G022). Physical keys to collection spaces will not be provided. Herpetology Associates will be asked to complete a five-minute safety orientation. Access is limited to normal business hours.

*Any visitor requesting access outside of normal business hours must acquire this permission from both the Curatorial Associate and Curator of Herpetology before visitation. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis; however, the department rarely makes exceptions out of respect for staff time and to ensure visitor safety. Any visitor that has received permission to enter the department earlier than 9:00 am or leave later than 5:00 pm must email the designated departmental staff to inform them that they have safely left the collection space, and all doors are secure.

26 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

From Oxford Street:

• locate the main entrance to Harvard's Natural History Museum (HNHM). There is a small circular driveway leading from Oxford Street to the door of HNHM. 
• When you see that entrance, do not enter, and instead turn to your left to find a staircase - this is the entrance to the MCZ. 
• Take the stairs up, continue to the elevator on the right at the end of the hall, and take the elevator down to the ground floor. 
• Exit the elevator and enter the first set of double doors to your left. The doors have a small "Herpetology Collection" sign to the right. Continue through the next set of double doors to a small room with a blue couch. The collection is through the single door at the other end. If the doors are closed, please knock.

If you need a path without stairs:

• again locate the main entrance to Harvard's Natural History Museum (HNMH). Again, do not enter and turn left instead. 
• Continue walking the paths parallel the MCZ building until you come across a downward sloping path which leads to the North Side entrance of the MCZ building (for reference, the glass Northwest Building should be to your left, and the MCZ should be to your right). 
• Enter the first set of doors you come across on your right. Follow the hall to the very end, where you will find the department’s double doors on your right. Continue through the next set of double doors to a small room with a blue couch. The collection is through the single door at the other end. If the doors are closed, please knock.

We recommend that all visitors take public transit or ride-share to the museum, since parking around the MCZ and on Harvard's campus is difficult and expensive.

Public Transportation

Take the subway (Red Line) or one of several buses to Harvard Station. Walk through Harvard Yard to Oxford Street. The museum is located at 26 Oxford Street.

Parking

Visitors can purchase a one-day parking pass in advance. The 52 Oxford St. garage is the closest to the MCZ.

Campus Information

Before your visit, explore the Visit Harvard website for more information about Harvard's campus, Cambridge, etc. Also, take a look at the Harvard Museum of Natural History Virtual Tour to familiarize yourself with the space.

Destructive sampling refers to a variety of possible treatments that damage or otherwise permanently alter the state of a specimen. Examples include the removal of one or more parts of a specimen, such as a tissue sample, and internal dissection to determine gender.

If tissue samples are being requested, please complete the MCZ Loan Request form and email to Stevie Kennedy-Gold, Herpetology Collection Manager. If the request is approved, the tissue samples will be taken at MCZ by museum staff. The loan will then be processed by the museum’s Cryogenic Collection.

To request the loan of herpetological tissue held by MCZ’s Cryogenic Collection, complete the MCZ Loan Request form and email to Stevie Kennedy-Gold, Herpetology Collection Manager.

Genetic samples are identified in MCZbase as “tissue” or “DNA” in the Part Name field.

Credit for use of MCZ material should be declared in resulting publications, preferably with a table that lists MCZ voucher numbers. Please send reprints to the Herpetology Department, which helps us track specimen use.

Permission to photograph, micro-CT, X-ray, or otherwise image loaned specimens must be included in the loan request. Please review the Permissions & Copyright Policy for more information. Copies of all images should be emailed to Stevie Kennedy-Gold, Herpetology Collection Manager; for additional information, please consult the guidelines for submitting digital media.