"Open Scientific Digital Libraries: The Biodiversity Heritage Library." Martin R. Kalfatovic. Digital Libraies for the Maghreb. Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology. Washington, DC. 24 January 2010.

1. Open Scientific Digital
Libraries Martin R. Kalfatovic
Smithsonian Libraries
The Biodiversity Digital Libraries for North Africa / Maghreb
Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology
Heritage Library Washington, DC
24-25 January 2011

2. Taxonomic Impediment
Specimen collections
Databases
Publications
Observations
‘Gray’ literature
Index cards
Field notebooks

5. Biodiversity Heritage Library
2005-2009

American Museum of 
Smithsonian Institution
Natural History Libraries

Field Museum 
Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew

California Academy of
Sciences 
Missouri Botanical
Garden

Museum of Comparative
Zoology (Harvard) 
Academy of Natural
Sciences (Philadelphia)

New York Botanical
Garden 
Marine Biological
Laboratory/WHOI

Natural History Museum
(London) 
Harvard Botany Libraries

7. Goals
> Digitization of biodiversity
literature
> Creation of a global partnership
> Engagement of the research
community

8. 33+ million pages of
Taxonomic literature

9. 1.5+ million users

10. Six Continents

11. Global BHL
Based on open access
Open content
Collaboration
Shared development

13. Services
Names Service
Return all occurrences of a name throughout BHL digitized corpus
Documentation: http://bit.ly/2e6sg9
Access to 51million name strings using TaxonFinder
1.4million unique names
Working out a strategy for obscure species
Algorithm improvements to detect nomenclatural & taxonomic acts
OpenURL
Facilitate links to citations: protologues, articles, references
Documentation: http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/openurlhelp.aspx
Useful to Nomenclators, Reference Systems
IPNI
Tropicos

17. Global data sharing requires
a social infrastructure

19. What Users Say
Dear Sir / /Madam Can I Ijust congratulate
Dear Sir Madam Can just congratulate
you on an absolutely brilliant online
you on an absolutely brilliant online
resource. I Iam compiling aareport on an
resource. am compiling report on an
invasive hydromedusae and could not
invasive hydromedusae and could not
believe the ease and efficiency of this
believe the ease and efficiency of this
web page which genuinely saved me
web page which genuinely saved me
weeks of my life
weeks of my life
Just aaquick line to thank
Just quick line to thank Dear Biodiversity Heritage Library: I I
Dear Biodiversity Heritage Library:
you and your organisation am in awe of your work. Thank you
am in awe of your work. Thank you
you and your organisation
for the foresight and so much. As an illustrator who scans
so much. As an illustrator who scans
for the foresight and aalot of my work, I Iknow how very
generosity in allowing these
generosity in allowing these lot of my work, know how very
works to be dowloaded. onerous the task is. Many thanks!
onerous the task is. Many thanks!
works to be dowloaded.

20. The Biodiversity Heritage Library
Extensive. Open. Global.

21. Thank You
Thanks to:
Chris Freeland & Team BHL Global

22. Open Scientific Digital
Libraries Martin R. Kalfatovic
Smithsonian Libraries
The Biodiversity Digital Libraries for North Africa / Maghreb
Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology
Heritage Library Washington, DC
24-25 January 2011