Monica asks:

Ours is a very special site: a zoological park. Right now, the most important project is our new lab for amphibians. What kinds of materials should we use in this type of facility? I’m going to be purchasing things like flooring, shelves, walls, lighting, etc.

James Elledge replies ...

Personally, I’m more familiar with facilities for humans, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t resources you could tap. And one of the best ways to get information is to network with others who have dealt with similar situations.

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has a council which specializes in museums, zoos, etc. The Web site for this group is www.ifma.org/hosts/mcic/.

Other resources include:

Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice (www.wildlifeinformation.org/Subdirectories_for_Search2/sampleel/standards_of_zoo_practice/Appendix8.htm), and

Sedgwick County Zoo (www.scz.org/amphibian_alert/amphibianalert.pdf).

Thanks for your question.

Jim Elledge