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**by Ashley Aberg and Nicole Font **Reference Archivist and Shelby White and Leon Levy Processing Archivist, The New York Botanical Garden

In most Library and Information Science programs, students are typically required to take at least one conservation course. These classes cover topics such as causes of deterioration, safe handling of materials, disaster planning, and proper environmental conditions. Discussions often address mold, insects, rodents, and other organic materials that may be present in collections — how to identify them, mitigate their effects, and prevent damage to surrounding materials. What these courses rarely cover, however, is a question that many archivists, especially those working with STEM-related collections, frequently encounter: What do you do with organic matter that is supposed to be there?

Working in a special collections archive within a STEM field, we often encounter materials that, in any other archival context, would be concerning. These materials are known as biological insertions — pieces of organic material found inside another item, typically within a book or bound volume. One of the most common examples people may come across is pressed plants within a book, but biological insertions can also include fungi, mosses, feathers, algae, hair, seeds, insects, and occasionally even bodily fluids.

These materials present several preservation challenges due to their potential for attracting pests, which can in turn damage the archival materials to which they are attached. While these inserts may seem like a conservation nightmare, they are often important to preserve because they can offer valuable research insights into the work or lives of their original owners.

One of the major collecting areas of the New York Botanical Garden Archives is the papers of scientists who worked at NYBG or who were significant figures in the field of botany. As a result, many of our collections contain bits of organic matter throughout, which has presented us with the challenge of determining the best way to preserve them without negatively affecting the rest of the materials.

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Moss specimen in a letter from Cora Clarke to Elizabeth Britton.

The first example of this issue was found in the records of Elizabeth Britton — a bryologist, educator, and one of the founders of the New York Botanical Garden. In her correspondence with botanist and entomologist Cora Clarke, there are several letters with moss and seaweed affixed to the pages. While the specimens for the most part did not appear to be detaching, there was some staining of the surrounding paper, as well as bits of moss that had collected at the bottom of the folder.

To address this issue, we enclosed these documents in Mylar so the specimens could be preserved in situ without harming the other materials within the folder. We also added a file-level note in the finding aid to indicate the presence of these specimens, both to alert staff and researchers who may have allergies to these materials and to help us identify folders containing organic matter in case further conservation measures are needed.

These letters fall under the special collections heading “exsiccatae.” Exsiccatae, unlike herbaria, are not pressed for scientific study, but purely for keepsakes, commercial sale, or enjoyment. Think albums of pressed plants from far-flung locales, or flowers pressed into a person’s diary or family bible, those would all fall under exsiccatae.

Haleakalā silversword seeds.

In addition to plant specimens, seeds are also a common find when processing archival collections at NYBG. While working with the Otto and Isa Degener records, we found an envelope from 1980 containing seeds and a note instructing the recipient to send them to the Horticulture Department immediately. The seeds in the envelope were identified as Haleakalā silversword. This plant is endemic to east Maui, meaning it is native to and found only within this specific geographic area. Otto Degener is credited with helping save the species from extinction, but it is categorized as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The discovery of these seeds prompted us to consult our colleagues since we determined they do not belong in the archives. Although the likelihood of successfully cultivating the seeds is low, we decided to send them to the person who runs our Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) program — a global agreement that regulates international trade in endangered plants and animals to protect their survival. This case study reinforced the importance of understanding the range of programs and expertise available at NYBG.

Biological insertions are an important part of many collections, and the mere presence of them in your space should not concern you so long as you are taking care to evaluate and steward them appropriately. So that begs the question, when should you be worried about a biological insertion in your collection? We believe the largest issue comes in the form of inappropriate or broken storage containers.

Sometimes, sadly, the material in question is too far gone to be useful to a researcher and too difficult to attempt to conserve. When materials are no longer useful for research or safe to handle, they are deaccessioned with a note made to reflect the now-incompleteness of those series. Sometimes the materials are just fine but need different or more robust housing. Often simply encapsulating materials in Mylar will be enough to safeguard the rest of the collection.

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Whiplash Beetles taped to a page in a scrapbook.

It is also important to keep a close eye on collections that contain biological insertions. While all collections will be susceptible to pests, ones that contain biological material may be especially at risk of infestation by pests that eat or use those materials for nests. Freezing materials before adding them to the collection and encapsulating any biological materials present with Mylar has ensured our collections remain pest-free. Spot checking these collections on a regular basis will also help ensure that any issues are caught and mitigated early, and the rest of your collection materials are kept safe.

However, that is not to say that an uninfested insertion is safe. While the lack of pests will always be a positive, there is a high chance that any materials that have remained pest-free for a long period of time, especially plant materials pressed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, are impregnated with hazardous materials, arsenic and mercury dichloride being two of the most popular.

Caring for collections materials that contain biological insertions may require more involvement and intervention, but that should not keep you from accessioning them into your collection. Included below is a workflow for how you might handle stewarding these materials in your own collections.

Biological Insertions Workflow

Assessment

• Identify and describe the organic material.
• Note its condition, including any evidence of pests, mold, or decay.
• Observe whether it is affecting surrounding materials.
• Evaluate its significance — is the insertion important enough to warrant preservation?

Risk Evaluation

• Determine whether the biological insertion is stable or actively decomposing.
• Check for mold growth, odors, or pest activity.
• Consider the potential for future deterioration, particularly if storage conditions are not environmentally controlled.

Ethical Considerations (if applicable)

• For Indigenous or ethnobotanical materials, consult appropriate community stakeholders before any intervention.

Decide on Intervention

• If stable: Document and potentially encapsulate.
• If unstable but significant: Stabilize and isolate the material (e.g., encapsulate in Mylar).
• If unstable and not significant: Consider removal and separate storage, maintaining clear documentation of provenance.
• If unstable, without value, and/or in a state that can no longer be used: Evaluate whether deaccessioning is appropriate.

Documentation

• Add a note in the finding aid describing the biological insertion and its condition.
• If a major intervention occurs (e.g., removal or separation), record the rationale and details in a processing note.