Links

Professional Organizations

•    The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, a large society of vertebrate paleontologists publishes the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
•    The Geological Society of America includes many paleontologists and publications include the journal Geology.
•    The Paleontological Society is a North American society of paleontologists that publishes the journals Paleobiology and Journal of Paleontology. Although geared towards professionals, The Paleontological Society also includes amateur members.
•    The Paleontological Association is Britain’s paleontological society and publishes the journal Palaeontology and the Palaeontology Newsletter.
•    The Geological Curators Group (GCG) is a UK-based organization that aims to improve the state and status of geological collections and their curation.
•    The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections
•    American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works
•    Natural Science Collections Alliance
•    Taxonomic Databases Working Group
•    Tree of Life Web Project
•    Global Biodiversity Information Facility

Paleontology resources

•    U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
•    USDA Forest Service Minerals and Geology Management
•    U.S. Geological Survey
•    National Park Service Museum Handbook
•    National Park Service Paleontology Program
•    The Vertebrate Paleontology Department of The Florida Museum Of Natural History maintains a website with a focus on Florida but also broad enough to touch on every aspect of paleontology, from field collection techniques, to preparation and mounting of the fossils, to casting and moldmaking. There are also references to books and professional papers dealing with paleontology, as well as addresses of vendors who sell supplies, equipment, and chemicals used in collecting and preparing fossils. The site also contains information on local fossil clubs and acquiring a fossil collecting permit to collect on state lands and rivers in Florida.
•    The Stony Brook University Vertebrate Fossil Preparation Laboratory  website outlines basic preparation techniques.
•    The website of the Vertebrate Paleontology Preparation Laboratory at the Yale Peabody Museum gives information on the preparation of some important collections in their collection.  
•    The University of California Museum of Paleontology FAQs page has some basic information on how to legally, appropriately and safely collect fossils fossil including tips on equipment and supplies
•    An in depth glossary of useful terms is available on the The University of California Museum of Paleontology website
•    “Preserving Vertebrate Fossils: Notes From The Laboratory” by Gregory Brown.  University of Nebraska State Museum Museum Notes Number 87. February 1994. A good exploration of some basic issues for amateurs such as collecting, documentation, geology, and preparation with some answers to common questions.
•    For a good site for school children to learn about fossil preparation go with Flat Stanley on a visit to the University of California Museum of Paleontology and their Paleo Lab.

Online journals & databases

•    The journal, The Geological Curator from Britain’s Geological Curators Group is fully archived and available on-line: it is a mine of useful information on the preparation and conservation of fossils.
•    JAIC online (Journal of the American Institute for Conservation)
•    MFA Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. CAMEO: Conservation & art Materials Online
•    The Getty, Abstracts of International Conservation Literature
•    BCIN, the Bibliographic Database of the Conservation Information Network
•    The Natural History Collections Listserv (NHCOLL-L)
, a general purpose electronic forum for those with an interest in the care, management, computerization, conservation and use of natural history collections.

Preservation resources

•    Conservation Online
•    Conserve-O-Gram
•    Canadian Conservation Institute Notes
•    Museum SOS
•    Museum Pests