A handbook for schools' scientific collections

Th e italian scientifi c heritage of museum and university collections is also enriched by the high-school scientifi c collections. Th is relevant patrimony, historically used to support the teaching of Science, is widespread on all Italian territory and is aff ected by consistent problems of conservation due to the diffi culties of schools to respect the current criteria for management and conservation of cultural heritage. After some recovery and study projects on Apulian school collections, the Meridiana ONLUS Association, with the collaboration and funding of the Museum System of the University of Bari Aldo Moro (SiMA), has elaborated a handbook of “good practices” for the preservation and the management in loco of scientifi c collections dedicated especially to schools but even to all public and private institutions owning these objects. In order to prevent the risk of damage and losses of this heritage, the handbook will be tested in the schools of the Province of Bari involved into a SiMA “School-Job” project, as a didactic support tool for training courses and workshops on the maintenance and management of school scientifi c collections directed to students, Science teachers and schools’ staff .