Small is beautiful? Progress and collections of the Geology Museum, University of the West Indies, Mona

Geology has been taught at the University of the West Indies, Mona, since 1961. The associated Geology Museum (UWIGM) opened to the public in 1969/1970, although the idea for such a museum was over 100 years old at that time. The collections of the UWIGM share many hazards with those in museums in other parts of the world, such as dust, insect pests and indifferent specimen records, and some that are less common, such as earthquakes and hurricanes. The curatorship is not tenured. Since the mid 1980s the UWIGM has become a more dynamic visitor attraction in many ways, shaking off its ‘old-fashioned’ appearance and expanding the displays to include, for example, its first mounted vertebrate skeleton. An aggressive collections policy involves establishing a type and figured collection, supplemented by rearranged historical collections, such as that of the 19th century geologist Lucas Barrett (1837-1862), and improving holdings of significant Antillean groups such as Cretaceous rudist bivalves, which includes part of the collection of Lawrence J. Chubb (1887-1971).