Re: support the amateurs

[(Dave Lewis) <dnl@xxxxxxxxx>]

It can be argued that, without input to our science by amateurs of all 
levels, our progress in Museums collections at the least would be much 
slower. We rely on amateurs for many things, not the least of which is the 
generous donation of their valuable finds to our respective local and 
National Collections.

Amateurs may well be in the fortunate position too, of having more free 
time to spend in the field than do professionals. They can make discoveries,
which may otherwise go unnoticed, because they happened to be there at the 
right time.

For our part as professionals, it is up to us to give to give advice, 
information, identifications, etc., - and encouragement - to the amateurs 
of all levels.

At the Natural History Museum in London, we have many visitors who are 
amateur palaeontologists. They are frequently very knowledgeable 
specialists in their fields and can assist us in our work. In these days of 
financial constraints, museums can no longer afford to employ all the 
specialists they need to fulfil their obligations. Amateurs and 
professionals complement (and compliment) each other to do so. 

Of course, annuitants, ex-members of museum staff who continue working 
because of their life-long interest, are also amateurs!

D.


On Mon, 23 Jan 95 15:08:05 +0100,
  Heinz Hilbrecht writes:

>Yes I was surprised to realize that. I am glad to see the amateurs among us.
>
>my subjective definition (to avoid misunderstanding):
>amateurs are simply non-professionals. The expression does not judge on the
>quality of what they are doing as amateurs. Some of them may be even more
>skilled in their special fields than professionals.
>
>I am an amateur astronomer and received a lot of help from professional
>astrophysics for our work on an advanced amateur level. The professional's
>motivation was partly scientific but was motivated more by the amateur's
>roots in the broad public, the ability to distribute knowledge on the field
>much broader than professionals could do. In the amateur astronomy scene we
>discriminate between "serious" amateurs (semiprofessional style, reads
>professional literature, attends meetings), the "fun" amateur (admires
>cosmic features, asks for advice and knowledge on a popular level), and
>those (as we say among us) who are making a religion out of astronomy. The
>first two types of amateurs want advice by professionals, the second may be
>better adviced by "serious" amateurs because often they can translate
>technical terms easier to a popular language. I have never learned to deal
>with the third type of amateurs on a scientific level. It was often better
>to talk about religion directly.
>
>In paleontology I have met similar types of amateurs. "Serious" amateur
>paleontologists often asked for criteria of how to collect, describe, and
>curate their fossils in a way that fits scientific standards. Can we help
>those people via Paleonet? May I ask the amateurs: what kind of support do
>you expect from professional paleontologists? What is your motivation for
>amateur paleontology?
>
>An example: My late Cretaceous ammonites go to an amateur for taxonomic
>identification. He is "professional" in this specialised field and
>publishes together with famous ammonitologists. His  collection work became
>scientifically valuable when we demonstrated how to collect in a
>stratigraphic framework (lithologic column, biozonation, marker horizons),
>introduced him to basic marine facies, etc. (and next summer he will guide
>the professionals in his sections, I will learn a lot).
>
>Please, curators  do you have contact with amateurs and how does it work? I
>guess curators at museums are those among us who are most frequently
>exposed to amateurs because amateurs request for their taxonomic advice. 
>
>Heinz Hilbrecht


 ==========================================================================
 David N. Lewis, Collections Manager, Fossil Invertebrates and Plants,
 Department of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road,
 London, SW7 5BD, England. Tel. +44 (0)71 938 8833; Fax +44 (0)71 938 9277;
 e-mail: internet  dnl@nhm.ac.uk  janet  dnl@uk.ac.nhm

 ***************** "Veni, Vidi, Collegi, Curavi" *****************
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