Collections Improvement at BRIT: Part I - Acquisition of Additional Storage Cabinets to Alleviate Overcrowding and House Processed Backlog

Botanical Research Institute Of Texas, Fort Worth TX

Investigators

Abstract

The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) is charged with the care of two large and very important orphaned herbaria: the Lloyd H. Shinners Collection in Systematic Botany, formerly housed at Southern Methodist University, and the Vanderbilt University Collection. Although a young institution, BRIT has grown significantly, and a new facility to house it will be constructed by 2007. This facility will allow for expanding programs in education, allow for increase of library holdings, enhance the conduction of taxonomic research, and expand space for editorial offices for BRIT's scholarly publications. Currently an additional 4000 square feet of space are being leased to house the Vanderbilt collection and ease crowding for the other collections. The current project will allow for the purchase of 400 additional herbarium cases for this space for the Vanderbilt collection, which will eventually be housed in the new facility.