Acquisition & Deletion Policy

Policies for acquisition and deletion of specimens in the Snow Entomological Museum collections are consonant with those of the Natural History Museum, and the overall roles and missions of the museum within the University of Kansas, the world-wide entomological community and its public. The general features of these policies are as follows:

•  Within the Entomology Museum's areas of focus, species and specimens are accepted with no geographic or taxonomic restrictions.

•  Priorities for acquisition are: first, to strengthen collection areas in which the museum has current specialization and/or recognized historical strength; second, to broaden the comparative base of existing collections; third, to obtain collections of a general nature within the broad interests of the Snow Entomological Museum and the University of Kansas.

•  Specimens will remain in the collections as long as they retain their physical integrity, authenticity and relevance for the purposes of the museum and the University of Kansas.

•  Deaccessioning may take place through: a) gifts and exchanges (small exchanges are routine in entomology); and, b) removal to the teaching collection or disposal of poorly documented or irreparably damaged specimens.