The OSU Insect Collection Loan Policy

January 9, 2009

Download a PDF version of the loan policy:

1. ELIGIBILITY.
   1. Loans are only granted to faculty and research staff members of a recognized educational or research institution with facilities to properly store and care for the loaned specimens.
   2. All loans are considered to be the direct responsibility of the institution employing or sponsoring borrowers until material is returned in full.
   3. Graduate students, non-permanent personnel, and individual researchers without institutional affiliation are welcome to borrow specimens with the condition that they have a faculty or researcher with an institutional affiliation who agrees to take full responsibility for the care and safe return of the specimens. Loans will be shipped to the sponsor’s institution and should be housed/studied in that facility only.
   4. Under no circumstances will a loan be sent to a home address.
   5. Borrowers holding large numbers of specimens on loan should return all or part of that material before new loans can be granted.
   6. Additional loans may be granted during the period of an existing loan if they are an extension of the same project.
   7. Individuals who have previously damaged, lost or failed to return loaned specimens will not be eligible for new loans, nor will their associates and students.
   8. Loan recipients who fail to abide by the policies and conditions will not be granted new loans.
2. LOAN REQUESTS.
   1. All requests should be submitted in writing, either by letter or e-mail. Requests should include: (1) borrower’s full name, (2) institutional affiliation, (3) institutional mailing address, fax and phone numbers, (4) detailed taxonomic information about the taxon of interest, (5) brief description of the nature and scope of the research involving the requested material, (6) any specific requests for destructive research methods (e.g., dissections, DNA extractions, SEM work.)
   2. Primary types are loaned for a period of 3 (three) months only, non-renewable. Loans of primary types or type series are limited to a maximum of five (5) species and no more than 10 specimens. Additional type specimens will only be loaned after the return of previously loaned types.
   3. Loan requests for primary types should include: Order, Family, Subfamily and Tribe (when available), Taxon Name and Author.
3. UPON RECEIVING LOAN.
   1. The loan agreement form should be signed by the person responsible for the loan and returned to the OSUC immediately after specimens are received. Any damage caused to the specimens during shipping should be reported accurately.
   2. By signing the loan agreement form, the borrower commits to abide by the loan policies described herein and by any special conditions described in the loan agreement form.
   3. Each loan is given a unique number which should be used in any correspondence referring to that transaction.
4. STORAGE & CARE OF LOANED SPECIMENS.
   1. The OSUC should be notified of any substantive changes of location for all materials on loan to the borrower. Any storage off-premises should first be approved in writing by the Curator or the Director of the OSUC. The borrower should be able to locate the material from a specific loan upon request.
   2. No destructive research methods (dissections, DNA extractions, etc.) should be used on borrowed material without prior written approval of the Curator or the Director of the OSUC.
   3. None of the labels associated with loaned specimens, including old determination labels, should be removed or altered by the borrower.
   4. All loan material should be kept in unit trays, inside drawers safely maintained in properly sealed insect cabinets.
5. CHANGE OF ADDRESS & LOAN TRANSFER.
   1. It is the borrower’s responsibility to keep the OSUC informed of any update or change of address.
   2. Loaned material should not be moved to a new institution or location without prior written authorization from the Curator or the Director of the OSUC. In case the borrower moves to another institution, the loan will need to be closed, and a new one issued with the current institution information.
   3. Loan transfers to third parties require prior written authorization from the Curator or the Director of the OSUC.
6. LOAN DURATION & EXTENSIONS.
   1. Loans are valid for a period of 1 (one) year, or for the period specified on the invoice of specimens. The borrower may apply for an extension by submitting a written request. The Curator or the Director of the OSUC will respond in writing granting approval or asking for the return of the material.
   2. The OSUC reserves the right to recall loaned material at any time.
7. RETURN & RETENTION OF LOAN MATERIAL.
   1. The borrower is expected to return all specimens received on loan at the borrower’s expense no later than the date specified on the invoice.
   2. All types designated from loan material should be returned to the OSUC.
   3. The retention of representative specimens requires prior written authorization of the Curator or the Director of the OSUC.
   4. Specimens should be returned in the original specimen boxes and packed in a manner comparable to that in which the loan was received. A copy of the original loan agreement form should be included with the returned specimens.
   5. When returning a loan, the borrower is expected to send correspondence containing full details regarding the loan material, including taxonomic changes and information on type designation.
   6. A determination label, containing determiner's name and date of determination, should be added to each unique specimen and at least to the first specimen in a series for all taxa recognized during the study of the loaned material.
   7. Primary types should be placed in individual specimen boxes, with all genitalia vials, loose body parts, and specimen labels carefully braced with insect pins.
   8. Primary types should be shipped by trackable means, such as USPS First Class Registered Mail, UPS, DHL, or FEDEX.
   9. Specimens should not be shipped between November 15 and January 10.
8. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS & REPRINTS.
   1. The borrower should acknowledge the loan in any paper based, in whole or in part, on study of the borrowed material and is expected to send a copy of such publication to the OSUC.
   2. In case specimen data is recorded in electronic format, we would appreciate receiving a copy, either in text format or in an Excel spreadsheet.