Yale University (Peabody Museum of Natural History)

The Peabody Museum of Natural History will improve storage conditions and access to 13,650 sets of eggs and 2,000 nests in its ornithology collection. The purchase of new cabinets will allow the museum to upgrade old cabinets, alleviate overcrowding, and generate growth space. Eggs will be properly immobilized with new padding, while damaged or particularly dirty specimens will undergo appropriate conservation treatment. Orphan collections will be integrated into the main collection and organized taxonomically to improve browsability and retrieval. All specimens will be inventoried and photographed, minimizing the need for future handling. The associated data slips and handwritten ledger entries will be scanned and the data transcribed into the collections database along with photographs of specimens, all of which will be linked to specimen records. In addition to ensuring the long term preservation of these collections, the project will facilitate their use in research, exhibition, and teaching.