As we enter an age of human-dominated landscapes, it would be a crime to restrict the cataloging and study of biodiversity and consign natural history museums, our most diverse archives of nonhuman life, to selling themselves only as educators and entertainers. The research, growth and maintenance of scientific collections must be strongly and publicly supported.-excerpt from Library of Life
Drs. Nathan K. Lujan and iDigBio's own Larry Page recently published an op-ed piece, Libraries of Life, on why we need biological collections.
They begin by explaining the many uses of museum specimens, how those uses evolve and increase constantly, and why specimen collections cannot conceivably be replaced by other data collection methods like tissues samples or photography.
The article then summarizes a few of the threats facing collections in both funding and general misconception. Visit the original piece and read their plea for why science and society need biological collections now more than ever.
