The word “herbarium” can refer to a single page, a hand-made book or an institution’s entire collection of preserved scientific specimens. Mount Holyoke College stores its collection of herbariums in Clapp Laboratory and in the Archives and Special Collections. In both form and function, herbariums represent a characteristic that has made Mount Holyoke College a unique institution of the liberal arts: a dedication to providing students with opportunities for experiential learning.
But, the art and science of making herbariums has fallen out of use over time.
Learning about the role of herbariums at Mount Holyoke provides a new lens through which to understand the College’s history. Do herbariums still hold value in the modern educational system?
The Herbarium sections were curated by Asya Anna Begovic ‘24 (Herbariums Over Time) and Tara Castellano FP ‘24 (C.A.S. Herbarium)