De publieke schelpencollecties in Nederland. Enkele opmerkingen over verleden, heden en toekomst

After a very short history of public shell collections in the Netherlands, which originate from private collections formed in the 17th and 18th century, the author reports his recent experiences in contacting potential museums and other organizations for obtaining information about their shells collections to be published in Spirula. lt appears, that when comparing lists of Dutch public shell collections from 70 and from 30 years ago with the present situation, changes have taken place more or less continuously. And for the future, with the new Centre for Biodiversity to be established at Leiden, the malacological biodiversity within this centre will grow, at the expense of the diversity of Dutch public (and scientific) shell collections.