Stephen Davis Algae Press Collection

Contact florybeth.lavalle@pepperdine.edu and specialcollections@pepperdine.edu for permission to use the collection. See below for guidelines for destructive sampling of specimens in the Stephen Davis Algae Press Collection.

Guidelines for Destructive Sampling of Specimens in the Stephen Davis Algae Press Collection (Guidelines adapted from University of California, Berkeley - University and Jepson Herbaria)

Two important missions of Pepperdine University Libraries - Special Collections and University Archives are:

1) to preserve botanical specimens entrusted to their keeping; and

2) to make the specimens available for study by researchers.

By and large, the primary uses of herbarium specimens, such as examining morphology or recording distributional data, are non-destructive. Destructive uses of herbarium specimens (such as anatomical preparations or removal of pieces for DNA extraction) are generally strongly discouraged.

Pepperdine University Special Collections and University Archives nevertheless acknowledges that there are instances in which the removal of a limited amount of material for destructive sampling does not seriously compromise the value of the specimen for other purposes; if done properly, the value of the specimen may even be enhanced in that it has acquired additional status as a voucher.

Our policy on destructive sampling is therefore as follows:

1) Herbarium specimens should not be the source of first choice if there are other available sources for the desired material (e.g., field collections). Collaboration with local collectors, for example, can be a mutually satisfactory arrangement.

2) Destructive sampling will continue to be considered the exception to the rule, not the normal procedure. As such, permission to remove material must be requested in writing in advance and is subject to specimen by specimen approval by Pepperdine University Natural Science Division administration or faculty. Contact florybeth.lavalle@pepperdine.edu for permission.

3) Material may be removed only from specimens that have an abundance of the kind of material being removed, such that the value of the specimen for non-destructive research is retained.

4) Destructive sampling of type specimens or similarly valuable historical specimens is not permitted unless: (a) the information to be obtained is of critical significance; (b) there is absolutely no other way to obtain the desired information; (c) sufficient material exists; and (d) a special exemption is granted.

5) Specimens from which material has been removed are to be annotated to indicate what was removed, when, where, and by whom. In light of the status of the specimen as a voucher, a reference to where the results are published and/or material is deposited is highly desirable. Example: Leaf material removed for cp-DNA sequencing at Pepperdine University by J. Doe on 25 March 1996, in conjunction with doctoral studies on the phylogeny of Rosidae. GENBANK #1234; results published in Amer. J. Bot. 12:222-254,1999.

6) DNA sequences generated from the sampling must be deposited in GenBank or EMBL or their equivalent.

7) Pepperdine University Special Collections and University Archives must be acknowledged in any publications resulting from the data generated from the sampling. A reprint of the paper(s), or a link to publications, should be provided to Pepperdine University Special Collections.

8) Material sampled from our specimens may not be transferred to third parties without the express permission of Pepperdine University Natural Science Division administration or faculty. Contact florybeth.lavalle@pepperdine.edu for permission.

9) Specimens are provided with no warranty of any kind.

10) Pepperdine University Natural Science Division and Special Collections reserve the right to refuse to provide samples from the specimens in its care for any reason, including decisions based on our judgment about the scientific validity or importance of a requested use.

Thank you for your cooperation with this policy. Please do not proceed with any destructive sampling that has not been approved in writing.