REGIONAL TECHNICIANS GROUP
Storage Ideas
Preserved specimen labelling
| One problem in organising preserved specimens is the need to constantly label and re-label the bottles to suit the specific use. Common name, phylum and class may be required for upper school purposes, or common name only for lower school lessons. Then, for classification exercises, specimens might be required without labels! One solution is to code the bottle and provide a separate label. |  |
| The bottle is permanently labelled with a code. A separate label is provided with details required. The code used here was adapted from the 'Southern Biological' preserved collection of specimens - the letters PCS, followed by a number. The code number was fixed to the bottle using a glue stick, then covered with clear 'Contact'. The label was printed on light card and also covered with clear contact. Different coloured labels can be produced with the details required for the different purposes. |
 |
| The labels can also serve as shelf labels. Envelope pockets provide a suitable means of storage for the labels and if trimmed to the correct size, with the code and common name visible, double as shelf labels. Always print one label more than the number of specimens so that the shelf is still labelled when all of the specimens are in use. The envelopes here are secured to the back of the shelf using Velcro. A strip of Velcro 'loops' is stuck to the cupboard, and small pieces of Velcro 'hooks' onto the envelopes. This way, re-organising the specimens is easy. |
 |
The labels are available free of charge on floppy disk in 'Microsoft Works 3' or 'Microsoft Excel' format if anyone is interested in adopting this method of labelling (or label files may be downloaded directly by clicking here.) The code on the labels can be changed easily, if required, by using the 'find and replace' option in the spreadsheet. Photocopies of the bottle code labels are also available if required.
Storage solutions used for specimens can be formalin based (5% formalin in distilled water is sufficient), or an alternative is 2-phenoxyethanol (also known as Phenoxytol) - see 'Solutions' page for recipe.
Contact Eric Payne at Belmont City College for any of the above materials.