Geological Collections and the Law
1. Legal Foundations
Overview of laws governing geological collections at national and international levels.
- NatSCA – Collections and the Law (covers CITES, Wildlife & Countryside Act, poisons regulations, licensing)
- UK Government – Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999
- Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) & Nagoya Protocol – UK implementation guidance
- UNESCO – 1970 Convention on Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property
- House of Commons (2023) – Written Evidence: Museum repatriation & legal frameworks
2. Case Studies: Ethical Collecting & Ownership
Illustrating legal and ethical dilemmas in collecting, repatriation, and fieldwork.
- Scottish Natural Heritage – Scottish Fossil Code
- Manchester Museum – Case study on fossil repatriation
- Reedman, L. et al. (2022) – Decolonising Earth Science Collections (EarthArXiv preprint)
- Gelsthorpe, S. et al. (2024) – Towards ethical international collaboration in geoscience
- Geological Society – Code of Conduct for fieldwork and fossil collecting
3. Hazards & Safety in Geological Collections
Dealing with hazardous specimens, legislation, and safe practices.
- NatSCA – Hazards in Natural Science Collections
- ICON – Guidance on hazardous materials in geological collections
- GCG – Radioactive Specimens Guide
- HSE (UK) – Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
- Museums + Heritage – Managing Natural Science Collections: A Practical Guide
- UCL Collections – Hazard identification in mineral and palaeo specimens
4. Collections Management: Policy & Compliance
Best practice in acquisition, documentation, loans, and institutional responsibilities.
- NatSCA – Collections Policy Templates & Guidance
- GCG – Good Practice Guidelines for Geological Curation
- Museum Association – Code of Ethics for Museums
- British Museum Act 1963 / Museums and Galleries Act 1992
- Arts Council England – Accreditation Scheme for Museums
- Natural History Museum – Due diligence on acquisitions
5. Open Discussion & Resources
Broader reflections, practical tools, and community guidance.
- “Museum Detox” & Inclusive Collections Network – equity in science collections
- DiSSCo UK – Natural Science Digitisation Programme
- GBIF – Biodiversity Data Licensing and FAIR Principles
- Geological Curators’ Group – Resource Hub
- NatSCA – Ethical principles and position papers
- Earth Sciences Decolonisation Resources – University of Bristol blog