Natural History Caucus

Broadly defined, natural history is the scientific study of the natural world. It includes the specific disciplines of anthropology and archaeology, botany, zoology, paleontology, geology, meteorology, and astronomy. It therefore crosses many disciplines. Our mission is to serve as a forum for the cooperative development of library collections, the delivery of information services, and the interpretation of natural science information resources.

The Natural History Caucus works closely with several divisions of SLA that have similar or overlapping interests, particularly the Museums, Arts & Humanities Division, the Environment and Resource Management Division, and the Biological and Life Sciences Division to organize programs at the SLA Annual Conference. It also publishes news of interests to its members in Biofeedback.

Current Conference Program - 2020 - To be Announced

Past Conference Programs

Monday, June 17, 2019
Natural History Caucus Business Meeting and Roundtable

Saturday, June 15, 2019
Natural History Caucus Guided Tour of the Cleveland Natural History Museum
Join the Natural History Caucus and DBIO Division for a guided tour of the Cleveland Natural History Museum! Tour attendees will "delve deep into the past in our dinosaur hall, discover the outer reaches of the Universe in Shafran Planetarium and experience natural wonders in outdoor galleries."
Convener: Ruth Gustafson
Presented by: DBIO Natural History Caucus

Monday, June 11, 2018
The Science of Estuaries
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. Home to at least 2,700 species of plants and animals, alongside 17 million people, the Chesapeake is a complex and highly productive ecosystem. Join a panel of three Chesapeake Bay experts who will present on the importance of the estuary, threats, and collecting and organizing data for one of the most important waterways in the United States.
Convener: Ruth Gustafson
Presented by: FAER (lead), DST, DBIO, Natural History Caucus
Presenters:
Ward Slacum, Director of Program Operations, Oyster Recovery Partnership
Matt Johnston, Chesapeake Bay Agricultural Programs
Walter Boynton, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland

Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Biomedical & Life Sciences Division Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Baltimore's National Aquarium
Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the National Aquarium. Expert guides will help you experience life at the Aquarium from an insider's perspective where you'll discover a fascinating world behind the glass. Your guide will share fascinating stories about Aquarium animals and their habitats lead you to exclusive staff-only areas, take you up-close with one of our animal residents and much more. Day's admission is included with the tour fee — attendees will be free to explore the Aquarium during regular hours before or after the tour.
Presented by: DBIO, Natural History Caucus
Location: Baltimore's National Aquarium

Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Biodiversity in the 21st century
An October 2016 report notes that the number of vertebrate species has dropped prematurely, yet again, in what is now termed the anthropocene era. Biodiversity and museum informatics have become essential to producing reports like this and to assessing the tipping point for a species becoming reproductively non-viable. Phrases and terms such as the 6th mass extinction, defaunation, and extirpation are becoming commonplace in biological and ecological literature. Dr. Bryan Heidorn, Director of the University of Arizona School of Information Resources and Library Science (SIRLS), will explain the state of biodiversity informatics. A biodiversity non-profit researcher will discuss how trends in the collection, publication, or open access sharing of biodiversity information and data influence the current work of non-profit biodiversity organizations.
Speaker: Dr. Bryan Heidorn, Director of the University of Arizona School of Information Resources and Library Science (SIRLS)

June 12, 2016
What Good Is a Museum Library in the 21st Century?
Speakers:
• Marleene Boyd, Librarian at the Bill Laxon Maritime Library, New Zealand Maritime Museum
• Dorothy Barr, Reference librarian, at the Ernst Mayr Library, Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology and Natural History Caucus Convener
Presented by: Biomedical & Life Sciences Division (Lead) with the Natural History Caucus (Planning), and Museums, Arts & Humanities Division

June 13, 2016
Natural History Caucus Business Meeting

June 15, 2016
Tour of the Academy of Natural Sciences
Co-Sponsored by: Biomedical & Life Sciences Division (Lead) and the Natural History Caucus (Planning)

June 14, 2015
Biomedical & Life Sciences Division Vendor Relations Networking Lunch
Co-Sponsored by: Biomedical & Life Sciences Division (Lead) and Maryland Chapter

And

Genetic Mutations: How Do They Arise and What Do They Do? Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Co-Sponsored by: Biomedical & Life Sciences Division (Lead) and DBIO Medical Section

June 15, 2015
Learning and Libations: The Annual DBIO Medical Section Reception and Business Meeting
Co-sponsored with DBIO Medical Section (Lead) and Biomedical & Life Sciences Division

June 8, 2014
The Science and Politics of Sustainable Seafood
Co-sponsored with Biomedical & Life Sciences Division, Social Science Division - International Relations Section, Social Science Division, Science & Technology Division, Food, Agriculture & Nutrition Division, Environment & Resource Management Division

June 10, 2013
Biodiversity Heritage Library and Medical Heritage Library
Co-sponsored with DBIO

July 18, 2012
SPOTLIGHT SESSION: Museums, Libraries and 21st Century Skills - Preparing Now for the Future
Co-sponsored with Museums, Arts, & Humanities Division

June 12, 2011
DBIO Division Vendor Relations Networking Lunch
Co-sponsored with DBIO and Medical Section

June 15, 2011
Specify 6: Museums Specimen Database
Co-sponsored with Museums, Arts & Humanities Division and the Taxonomy Division

June 16, 2010
Measuring Large-Scale Environmental Change: Tools and Data
Co-sponsored with DBIO

June 16, 2009
Ethnobotany, pharmacognosy, and tools of the research field
Co-sponsored with DBIO

June 18, 2008
Biomonitoring: A New Data Tool for Risk Analysis?
Co-sponsored with DBIO and the Environment & Resource Management Division.

June 5, 2007
Coexisting with Wildlife: What’s that coyote doing with my cat?
Co-sponsored with DBIO and the Environment & Resource Management Division

Natural History Caucus Convener

Ruth Gustafson ('17 -'20)
Shields Library
University of California, Davis
100 North West Quad
Davis, CA 95616-5292
Tel: (530) 752-1883
Email: ragustafson@ucdavis.edu

Past Officers

Dorothy Barr ('12 - '16)
Dean Walton ('09 -'11)
Ruth Gustafson ('05-'08)
Steven Johnson ('02-'04)
Sharon Levy ('01-'02)
Janet Dombrowski ('00-'01)

Rev. August 2020