Societal Mineralogy
Mineralogy and Museums
Co-Conveners
Mike Rumsey, IMA-CM
Melanie Kaliwoda, IMA-CM
Mineralogical collections preserved in museums and academic institutions worldwide underpin and preserve many facets of current scientific research across a surprising number of disciplines. Collections allow us to revisit, re-analyse and re-interpret our knowledge of the mineral kingdom using ever-improving technological equipment and new scientific hypotheses.
This session looks to bring together all academic aspects of collections-based mineralogy including active research and collections history, alongside new processes, and developments relevant to the creation, growth, management, or exhibition of all mineralogical collections - minerals, rocks, ores, gems or meteorites.
Specialised topics might include: Type specimens, studies only possible due to the historic preservation of collections, general studies performed on museum specimens, studies that have initiated the growth or creation of new collections, new collections, new museums and institutions, new and novel exhibitions, exhibition development, collections storage, collections organisation, general collections management, sampling policies, access and research policies, collections databasing, new methods and developments in collections accessibility, new methods and developments for interpreting mineral collections, history of specific collections, general history of mineralogical collections, crystal models, ‘fake’ mineral specimens, general historical mineralogy, new collections facilities and equipment, hazard management in collections, collections salvage, the conservation, preservation and preparation of mineralogical specimens, ethical considerations within mineralogical collections, iconic specimens, legal and cultural considerations relevant to the management of mineral collections, curatorship, digitisation, collections management systems (databases), data portals and data aggregators, public outreach and the private collector-public museum interface.
