8/ Reaching beyond traditional connections with intention to grow community will increase the value of collections and the relevance of museums. More people using and contributing specimens, data, and diverse knowledge will help support and keep these incredible institutions relevant and thriving.

7/ Researchers should expand the network of contributors to museum collections.
Ex: Bell Museum created a network of people and organizations to salvage and contribute specimens for diverse scientific uses. This has sparked excitement in public engagement.
www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/salvage-wild...

6/ Researchers can building value-added resources to benefit community.
Ex: Research on Madagascar bird diversification led to the creation a database of DNA barcodes for endemic species that can be used for multiple types of eDNA and iDNA studies like leech blood surveys. doi.org/10.1111/1755...

5b/ Ex: A mutual interest in bill shape lead to a collaboration with a behavioral ecologist. We microCT-scanning barbets to examine multiple aspects of bird bills and the biomechanics of bill shape and material properties in resisting stress while excavating wood.
doi.org/10.1098/rspb...

4b/ Ex: building collaborations to combine museum specimens and recent surveys has lead to novel insights into the diversification of birds in the Indian Subcontinent.

3/ Most of bird biodiversity occurs in the Global South but most natural history museums are located in the Global North. The scientific community needs to address this disparity.
How can researchers increase inclusion and access to these collections resources?

2/ A collections acknowledgment recognizes the colonial history in the taking of specimens and building collections. @bellmuseum.bsky.social we use this statement as a commitment to advance knowledge in diverse ways and promote inclusive practices.

1/ 🧵 I'm at #BOUasm25 A day at the museum to talk about using natural history collections to build inclusive community.
Natural history #museums are undergoing a renaissance of novel research.
However -who has access to collections? -who is being left out of biodiversity research?
#ornithology