The greatly heterogeneous situation of the Italian university zoological museums is analysed. In particular, the different administrative organization of the university museums, the richness and specialization of their scientific collections, the degree of conservation and their research or didactic targets are reviewed. In the last century some relevant universities transferred to museums of local administrations the task of managing their historical zoological collections, the academic institutions maintaining only teaching material, while others also relevant scientific collections. The university technicians and curators usually hold skills aimed at preserving and enriching collections, while professors (but curators as well) perform their taxonomic and phylogenetic studies by using this preserved zoological material. Actually, results from these taxonomic studies are rarely published on university Journals: this because the present Italian system of research evaluation discourages publication on this kind of journals, although, in the past, they had relevant international positions. The richness of collections and the heterogeneity of their management suggest assigning a distinct role to these resources. In general, university museums may support the regular teaching activities in biological and related courses, whereas the rich collections of some universities together with those of local museums could contribute to build a national network aimed at managing and preserving the natural history collections. This network could support the basic systematic and biogeographic researches, offer technical facilities to other smaller museum – particularly in the management of types and photograph services – implement databases and support conservation strategies.

Bologna, M.A. (2015). Le collezioni zoologiche universitarie: dall’analisi della situazione a proposte per l’inserimento in un network museologico nazionale. RENDICONTI - ACCADEMIA NAZIONALE DELLE SCIENZE DETTA DEI XL. MEMORIE DI SCIENZE FISICHE E NATURALI, 38(2), 155-166.

Le collezioni zoologiche universitarie: dall’analisi della situazione a proposte per l’inserimento in un network museologico nazionale.

BOLOGNA, Marco Alberto
2015-01-01

Abstract

The greatly heterogeneous situation of the Italian university zoological museums is analysed. In particular, the different administrative organization of the university museums, the richness and specialization of their scientific collections, the degree of conservation and their research or didactic targets are reviewed. In the last century some relevant universities transferred to museums of local administrations the task of managing their historical zoological collections, the academic institutions maintaining only teaching material, while others also relevant scientific collections. The university technicians and curators usually hold skills aimed at preserving and enriching collections, while professors (but curators as well) perform their taxonomic and phylogenetic studies by using this preserved zoological material. Actually, results from these taxonomic studies are rarely published on university Journals: this because the present Italian system of research evaluation discourages publication on this kind of journals, although, in the past, they had relevant international positions. The richness of collections and the heterogeneity of their management suggest assigning a distinct role to these resources. In general, university museums may support the regular teaching activities in biological and related courses, whereas the rich collections of some universities together with those of local museums could contribute to build a national network aimed at managing and preserving the natural history collections. This network could support the basic systematic and biogeographic researches, offer technical facilities to other smaller museum – particularly in the management of types and photograph services – implement databases and support conservation strategies.
2015
Bologna, M.A. (2015). Le collezioni zoologiche universitarie: dall’analisi della situazione a proposte per l’inserimento in un network museologico nazionale. RENDICONTI - ACCADEMIA NAZIONALE DELLE SCIENZE DETTA DEI XL. MEMORIE DI SCIENZE FISICHE E NATURALI, 38(2), 155-166.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11590/134934
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