Loan requests must be made in writing, and should include a
statement explaining the scope of the project and specific use of
the material. This statement needs to address any invasive procedures
proposed. Any planned destructive methodology (e.g., removing specimen
parts, making additional cuts, clearing and staining, or dissection),
must be approved in writing in advance of the loan. If permission
is granted the borrower for any destructive sampling, any part or
parts removed must be labeled with the UAZ catalog number and returned
with the specimen. Written requests can be sent via e-mail or letter.
Type specimens,
or specimens deemed too rare or fragile for travel, are not available
for loan. These specimens, however, can ordinarily be examined on
a visit to this facility. Loans are only granted to qualified personnel
at recognized institutions that maintain collections, and possess
facilities to properly house and care for the loan material. Students
should request a loan in care of their faculty advisor or appropriate
collections staff. Individuals not affiliated with such an institution
are required to make prior arrangements with the appropriate person
and institution to receive and care for the specimens.
Loans are generally of six months duration. Requests
for loan extensions can be made, but must be received in writing
before delinquency on the original due date. A range of factors
may come into play regarding a given extension request, therefore,
requests are granted at the discretion of the University of Arizona.
To acknowledge safe receipt of the loan, the borrower must sign,
date, and return a copy of the loan invoice. If the specimens have
been damaged during shipment, the borrower must report this damage
immediately. The borrower is accountable for damages occurring during
specimen handling. Smaller loans of more common species may be completed
in full with a single installment. Larger loans, or loans of species
with limited representation in the collection are typically processed
in tandem, with installments of 1/2, 1/3, or even 1/4 the number
originally requested. Each installment is mailed out in succession
as the previous set of specimens is returned by the borrower. Researchers
requesting very large loans or large, unwieldy specimens may be
asked to visit the collection facilities.
Loans may not be transferred to other individuals
or institutions without prior written permission. All loans must
be housed in a secure environment and protected from extremes of
temperature and light. All specimens should be kept in the dark,
except when in actual use. Unless otherwise indicated, adult amphibians
should be covered in 33% isopropyl alcohol. Many larval amphibians
are housed in 5% buffered forma lin. Reptiles should be covered
in 55% isopropyl alcohol.
Except for loan duration and condition issues, all
requests for grants of tissue must follow the outlines for traditional
specimens given above. Unlike traditional specimens, however, tissue
stocks, by their very nature are eventually depleted with use. Thus,
more stringent guidelines have been adopted to help insure that
these limited resources are not rapidly exhausted. A proposal outlining
the need for specific tissues must be submitted with the grant request.
In this proposal, the grantee should state what other means have
been employed to acquire the needed tissues, beg, other institutions
and / or fieldwork. Requests will be evaluated using criteria such
as demonstrated need, quantity of requested tissue in the collection,
and relative availability for replacement of like tissues in the
collection.
If loaned specimens have been taxonomically re-evaluated,
any new nomenclature should be provided to the University of Arizona
on the return of the specimens. Any changes should be associated
with specific UAZ catalog numbers.
The University of Arizona Collection of Amphibians
and Reptiles should be acknowledged in any publications, reports,
articles, or theses resulting from use of its specimens or tissues.
We also request that two reprints from any publication based, at
least in part, on UAZ material be sent to the collection for our
library.