The Biodiversity Heritage Library: A Vast Library of Life. Martin R. Kalfatovic. BHL: Awesome, California Digital Library. Oakland, CA. 24 April 2012.

1. The Biodiversity Heritage Library
Martin R. Kalfatovic | Biodiversity Heritage Library | Smithsonian Libraries
California Digital Library | Oakland, CA | 24 April 2012

2. A Well-Appointed Library
In any well-appointed Natural
History Library there should be
found every book and every
edition of every book dealing in
the remotest way with the
subjects concerned.
Charles Davies Sherborn, Epilogue to Index Animalium,
March 1922

3. A large library
Yet another physical difficulty is the
task of assembling the library and
indexes which will enable the
student to work under proper
conditions…. the beginner must
now be prepared to spend liberally,
or else must establish himself in an
institution where a large library
exists; if he work by himself with
only a few books, he will have to
confine himself to a very narrow
specialty indeed.
'The Limitations of Taxonomy' by J.M. Aldrich, Science, April 22, 1927,
vol. LXV, no. 1686, p.381

5. WebWise 2004
Chicago, Illinois

6. Missouri Botanical Garden & BHL Pre-history
Illustrated Gardens, 1997

7. Smithsonian Libraries & BHL Pre-history
Biologia Centrali-American, 2004

8. Libraries & Laboratories
2005, London

9. Biodiversity Heritage Library

American Museum of 
Smithsonian Libraries
Natural History 
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Field Museum 
Missouri Botanical Garden

California Academy of
Academy of Natural

Sciences
Sciences (Philadelphia)

Cornell University Library 
Marine Biological

Museum of Comparative Laboratory/WHOI
Zoology (Harvard) 
Harvard Botany Libraries

New York Botanical 
US Geological Survey
Garden
Library

Natural History Museum
(London)

10. Biodiversity Heritage Library: 2006

11. Biodiversity Heritage Library: 2012

12. BHL Governance & Staffing
Executive Committee
- Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary
- Project Director, Deputy Project Director
- Technical Director
Steering Committee
- Contribute funds to the Secretariat
- 9 institutional members (Smithsonian,
MOBOT, NMH, Kew, NYBG, Cal Academy,
MBL/WHOI, Harvard/MCZ,
Harvard Botany)

13. BHL Governance & Staffing
Institutional Council
- Interested institutions who sign participation agreement
Non-Technical Pan-BHL Staff
- Program Director, Program Manager, Global Coordinator,
Collections Librarian

14. BHL US Partners

15. BHL Global Partners

16. BHL | BHL Europe | BHL Australia | BHL China |
BHL SciELO (Brasil) | Bib Alex

17. Current Content (as of 23 April 2012)
 > 55,243 titles
 > 104,942 volumes
 > 38,604,757 pages

18. 29 June 2009: CDL signs
MOU to share content
3rd largest provider of items
after Smithsonian and MBL
9,796 titles, largest number

19. Recent BHL Usage
from California

20. Increased emphasis on outreach

21. “Endless thanks to
@BioDivLibrary ... your
archives are helping
me a lot with my book
and master thesis!!!”

24. “I’d like to take the opportunity to let you
know how much the Biodiversity Heritage
“
T
Library initiative is highly appreciated among
h
people like me who try to learn from those
a
n
who delivered valuable information in the
k
past. Your website is a real treasure!
y
Congratulations.”o
u
m
u
c
h
“I wanted to comment on what a great resource this
f
library is. I was so happy to discover an archived issue
o
of a journal that I wouldn’t otherwise have been able to
r
y
access easily. Your service made it simple and stress-free.
o
u
r
Thank you.”
h
e

25. Looking Forward
The cultivation of
natural science cannot
be efficiently carried
on without reference
to an extensive library
Charles Darwin, et al
(1847)
Darwin, C. R. et al. 1847. Copy of Memorial to
the First Lord of the Treasury [Lord John
Russell], respecting the Management of the
British Museum. Parliamentary Papers,
Accounts and Papers 1847, paper number
(268), volume XXXIV.253 (13 April): 1-3.
[Complete Works of Charles Darwin Online]

29. UDCMRK@Twitter Thanks!
BioDivLibrary@Twitter
Martin R. Kalfatovic | Biodiversity Heritage Library | Smithsonian Libraries
California Digital Library | Oakland, CA | 24 April 2012