Policies & Procedures
Access Policy
The Herbarium is available to anyone with an interest in botany. Users incude faculty and students, visiting scholars, private consultants, local naturalists, and botanists from a variety of public and private agencies.
University of Colorado Museum Herbarium is located in the basement of the Clare Small Building on the campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder (). During the academic year, the Herbarium is open Tuesday through Friday (9 am – 4 pm). Visitors are strongly encouraged to schedule visits with the Collection's Manager.
Loan Policy
The University of Colorado Herbarium (COLO) loans specimens to established institutions for use in conducting botanical research by scientists and students. Loan requests should be submitted in writing or via email (herbcolo@colorado.edu) and addressed to the Herbarium. The loan request should include the nature of the research and must be approved by the curator. Students must request loans through their faculty supervisor.
Loans are made for one year. Extension of the loan period may be granted upon written request to the curator. No portion of the specimens on herbarium sheets may be removed ("destructive sampling") without prior approval of the curator. Annotations and publications associated with the loan are appreciated.
Borrowing institutions must meet minimum standards for security, storage environment, and handling of specimens. Returned loans should be packed carefully and sent via insured and tracked mail service.
Destructive Sampling Policy
The policy detailed below is intended to help The University of Colorado Herbarium (COLO) balance the preservation and integrity of herbarium specimens with their utilization for scientific research. Decisions concerning destructive sampling of collections will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The investigator requesting destructive sampling should have experience with laboratory techniques to ensure a reasonable probability of research success. We expect the investigator to have made diligent efforts to sample material from non-herbarium resources prior to making this request. Requests for removal of samples from herbarium specimens should be addressed to the Curator, University of Colorado Herbarium, 350 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0350, U.S.A. Please read this policy statement, complete the agreement outlined below, and attach it to your specimen request list.
As a rule, no material may be removed from specimens without prior consent of the Curator of the Herbarium or a designated member of the Herbarium staff. Permission for removal of material, when given, is contingent upon adherence to the following guidelines: