STHC-L: The Science, Technology and Health Care Archives Forum

Re: Disposal of Pathology Blocks and Slides

• Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2000 07:07:40 -0600
• To: sthc-l@library.ucla.edu
• From: John Zwicky <JZwicky@aap.org>
• Subject: Re: Disposal of Pathology Blocks and Slides
• Message-ID: s8d1d9de.056@aap.org

I have a box of broken glass slides in the Archives at the American 
Society of Clinical Pathologists.  Eventually, I plan to turn them 
over to our histology staff for disposal.  As far as I can tell, 
there are no special precautions to follow, though you could check 
with the laboratory staff at your hospital.  

As to saving them, it depends on what they would be used for.  At 
the ASCP, we have had visiting pathologists drop by to look at 
slides.  I also heard of at least one Chicago hospital that now 
has a collection of slides and workshop materials from the collection 
of a now deceased pathologist.  I understand that the curator, whose 
name escapes me, has verified the accuracy of the scientific 
information and has put everything into a computer database so 
that any pathologist can come over and look at it. 
Why not check with your pathology lab to see if they want them.

John Zwicky, PhD
Archivist
American Society of Clinical Pathologists