The Field Museum's ethnological and archeological collections formed the original core of the Museum's holdings at the time of its founding. They have grown in size since then to about one million objects in total. The collections storage areas are currently being renovated to facilitate conservation and research, with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Access to the collections is recognized by the department for 1) research, 2) preservation of community heritage, 3) tours, and 4) access to storage areas for other purposes and under exceptional circumstances. Permission to access the collection is granted by the relevant curator, or in their absence, the Department Chair. Applications will be evaluated according to an assessment of the intrinsic merits of the request, the qualifications of the applicant, and a review of existing and pending Departmental priorities and obligations. Potential applicants should contact the appropriate curator to inquire as to feasibility. The head of collections can provide more information on access including visiting researcher forms and assistance with identifying the appropriate curator. • Go to the Anthropology Collections web site. Anthropology Collections: Africa | Asia | Australia | Europe | Middle and South America | North America | Pacific | Textiles-Asia and Africa