Database, Specimens, and Access

To request a loan of specimens, please use our loan request form, and our collection manager will respond to you within 2 business days.

A snapshot of our collections database (~June 2023), representing label data for approximately 35% of the collection holdings, is accessible via the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) portal. More detailed data is available upon request from the collection manager via the loan request form.

Specimen loans are available to qualified researchers. Loans are generally made for a period of two years, renewable upon request. Primary types are generally loaned for a period of three months from the date received by the borrower and are non-renewable. Holotypes, allotypes, and a major portion of the type series of each species described based on INHS specimens must be returned. Details of the collection policy areĀ here.

The collection is open to the general public, but only by requested appointment only. Tours are generally done on the 15th or 1st of the month, or whatever the closest business day available is to those dates. Email the collection manager or head curator to arrange a tour.