Assessing the Value of Natural History Collections and Addressing Issues Regarding Long-Term Growth and Care

Abstract

Natural history collections serve as important sources of biological data for scientists, educators, and the general public. These collections are a crucial cornerstone for systematics, natural history, ecology, and many other specialized disciplines, whose research depends on either the specimen or the associated data. Recent studies have provided baseline information pertaining to the monetary costs associated with collecting scientific specimens and curating and caring for those specimens after they have been accessioned into a natural history collection. Here, we provide a synopsis of the primary benefits that natural history collections provide to science and society. Furthermore, given that financial support is crucial for long-term growth and care, we present several ideas that should be considered by curators and users of systematic collections.