REDUCE, REUSE, RESCICOLL: HOW TO CREATE A SCIENTIFIC LEGACY THROUGH PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT OF SCIENTIFIC WORKING COLLECTIONS

In the 1960s, scientists discovered a new mineral called braitschite in the Cane Creek Potash Mine in Grand County, UT. Braitschite is an uncommon rare-earth calcium borate mineral; the only known samples come from the Cane Creek Potash Mine. Following a devastating explosion in the mine tunnels, the mine was converted to solution mining, which entailed flooding the mine, eliminating access to the tunnels where the mineral was found, and dissolving the deposit. Before the mine was flooded, USGS scientists collected samples of braitschite. These irreplaceable samples are now housed at the Geological Materials Repository, where they are available for researchers to study. This illustrates the value in maintaining scientific collections as well as the importance of national databases, such as the USGS Registry of Scientific Collections (ReSciColl), to facilitate the discovery and reuse of these often-irreplaceable research assets.

The USGS supports stewardship of valuable federal resources, like the braitschite samples, with the 2019 Scientific Working Collections Management policy, accompanying guidance, and tools such as ReSciColl. The guidance outlines the lifecycle of samples collected for research from initiation of a Project Work Plan to the options for proper documentation and disposition following research. It also provides a workflow for evaluating previously collected materials to determine the best disposition option. It is our goal to assist with the implementation of this policy and to illustrate the benefits of these tools. Benefits include: reuse and reanalysis of materials, especially as new technologies emerge; increased accessibility of physical samples and materials for underrepresented groups; reduced or eliminated investment in new sample collection (i.e., field work), storage, and maintenance; increased opportunities for education and outreach; added value to USGS science through the promotion of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) practices for scientific collections; and increased collaboration, citation, and continuation of scientific progress. The utilization of the policy allows USGS scientists to be good stewards of their scientific collections and solidifies their legacy within the USGS as it prioritizes science for a changing world.