The Smithsonian Institution's exhibit fossil preparation lab Volunteer Training Programme. Part I: Design and recruitment

The Smithsonian Institution, through a grant from the Smithsonian Women's Committee, implemented a programme during the fall and winter of 2008 to teach the basics of mechanical fossil preparation, moulding and casting to individuals seeking to work as volunteer preparators in the National Museum of Natural History's exhibit preparation lab, called FossiLab. Four outside preparators were contracted to conduct the instruction; two instructors taught two five-day sessions on molding and casting and two other instructors taught two six-day sessions on preparation. The Department of Paleobiology's (Paleobiology) curatorial staff instructed the groups in paleobotanical preparation and microfossil processing and picking. All instruction took place in FossiLab during public hours. Registration for the programme was conducted via the department's web page where a detailed description of the work and the lab familiarized prospective students with the type of work they would be performing. They were also asked a series of selfevaluative questions in an attempt to filter out those who might not have the innate motor skills or temperament needed for the job. Those who were confident in their decision to volunteer were interviewed in FossiLab, and the majority of those then registered for the programme. Twenty nine people, some new and some experienced, were trained. FossiLab is now staffed each day by as many as six volunteer preparators who perform a variety of tasks for Paleobiology. The number of weekly person-hours has tripled since the training. Continued, focused training on individual projects is carried on by the Vertebrate Paleontology Preparation Laboratory staff. Eighteen hours of videotape was recorded during the training and will be edited and made available via DVD and the internet.