----------------------------Original message---------------------------- For Museum Curators and others, As a followup to recent debates on natural history and systematics museum policies on loans and voucher deposition policies for molecular systematic research (see Mol. Phyl. Evol. 3: 268-272 and the newest issue of Trends Ecol. Evol.), I will be presenting a talk at the Entomology Collections Network Meetings in December in Dallas on this subject. A number of museums are beginning to formulate policies on a) how and under what circumstances material will be loaned for desctructive sampling for molecular research, and b) what should the museum require back of borrowers- the DNA samples themselves, info on where the DNA samples are kept, any leftover parts of specimens along with labels?, etc. Some museums have had policies on this for some time, but many users are unaware of them. I would like to compile a set of policies from various museums for this meeting, to serve as examples of how museums at different levels of funding and molecular expertise can deal and have dealt with the problem. If there is enough interest, I can post the compilation on the TAXACOM list as well. If you or your institution have such a policy regarding specimen use for molecular research, please send it to me at: J. B. Whitfield Department of Entomology University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72701 FAX (501) 575-2452 tel (501) 575-2482 e-mail [log in to unmask] THANKS!