The National Geological Repository (NGR) holds the UK’s largest collection of geological materials. This includes 600km of geological core and over 16 million specimens, including 3 million fossils.
Responsible management of the collection, to ensure it continues to be a resource for public, industry and academia is our priority. New materials of scientific and commercial importance are added to the collection on a regular basis, and maintaining capacity within the repository for the national good is an ongoing consideration.
The rationalisation of our existing collections is an important part of this process and at times it is necessary to deaccession materials and formally remove it from the national collection.
In situations where materials are identified for deaccessioning, efforts will be made to relocate material. Preference in such re-distribution lies with organisations where academic, scientific or educational benefit is clearly identifiable, before the materials are offered more widely. This is in line with existing legal and ethical guidelines, such as the Museums Association toolkit for ethical transfer, reuse and disposal.
BGS is currently examining deaccessioning for cases where there is a surplus of materials from a particular formation or location, or where condition limits scientific value.
Materials currently available
Materials will be advertised here when made available through deaccessioning.
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