The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has directed all federal agencies to plan for the management of their scientific collections. A memo issued by OSTP Director John Holdren on October 6 outlines the implementation of several recommendations made by the Interagency Working Group on Scientific Collections in their 2009 report. Within 12 months, agencies are directed to assess and realistically project budgets for collections care and maintenance. Additionally, agencies “are urged to share their scientific collections policies and procedures to help [other] agencies develop best practices.” Lastly, agencies are directed to collaborate to document their collections holdings and to make this information available online to the public within 36 months.
To read the memo, click here.