This publication enables to realize the full potential of herbaria as archives of scientific information. The book focuses on the most important aspects of the collection’s condition which is crucial for planning further research using its resources. The issues described in the volume include both past and present techniques for making and preserving herbaria, placing particular emphasis on the impact of these procedures on their condition, and impact on the genetic material. These topics have not previously been discussed in such detail in relation to herbaria.  Also, individual chapters cover IPM, use of biocides and their impact on collections and staff, technological analysis performed on herbaria, among others. The book also addresses ethical issues derived from both biological disciplines and the field of heritage conservation. The work provides a basis for responsible documentation of the biological information around us, which future generations will appreciate as heritage. 

This publication is intended for all who are involved in the care, study, and preservation of botanical collections. Its interdisciplinary approach also makes it a valuable resource to biological sciences, heritage conservation, and related academic fields of research.

Dr Magdalena Grenda-Kurmanow holds a PhD in conservation and restoration of heritage. She is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Poland. For more than 10 years she has been conducting conservation projects and research on the preservation and conservation of herbaria.