"To my mind, there is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known." — Carl Sagan
Headquartered at the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (SLA) in Washington, D.C, the BHL Secretariat commissioned the writing of this Wikimedia white paper for BHL’s consortium partners, its core users, and members of the open knowledge movement. Research into the Wikimedia information ecosystem began in September 2021.
This white paper provides concrete use cases and recommendations to help BHL navigate Wikimedia project investments strategically (Appendix 1: Summary of Recommendations). Given the BHL Consortium’s current capacities, strategic investment decisions will need to be made. With additional resources, BHL could expand its efforts to meet pressing global challenges.
The introductory material provides a thorough examination of BHL’s evolution from a content provider to a biodiversity data knowledge base so that BHL’s primary audiences may more fully understand:
the unique contributions BHL has to make to the global biodiversity data infrastructure through the lens of climate change, species loss, and knowledge representation,
evolving linked open data standards, principles, and protocols, and
BHL’s three big data challenges:
1. correcting and transcribing OCR text,
2. improving BHL search precision and retrieval, and
3. linking and depositing BHL data with global knowledge bases.
Because BHL is a digital library focused on improving its data management strategies, special focus has been paid to Wikimedia’s core projects and global volunteer community whose mission is to
“empower and engage people around the world to collect and develop educational content under a free license or in the public domain, and to disseminate it effectively and globally”[1].
Aligned in spirit, the Biodiversity Heritage Library embraces this mission.
Chapters
After a careful review of BHL’s past involvement in Wikimedia projects [2], the BHL Secretariat recognizes that there are more opportunities for improving BHL’s data flow downstream through informal and formal GLAM-Wiki partnerships ("galleries, libraries, archives, and museums" with Wikimedia).
A subset of Wikimedia projects and tools were explored for their potential to further BHL’s current strategic plan and maximize contributions to the global biodiversity infrastructure. Use cases were identified through a review of the scholarly literature, stakeholder interviews, and virtual attendance at relevant workshops, committee meetings, and conferences.
These identified use cases are only the starting point. The hope is that members of this community are inspired to experiment, share, and find new use cases in the Wikimedia information ecosystem.
The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) is the world’s largest open access digital library for biodiversity literature and archival materials. BHL is revolutionizing global research by providing free, worldwide access to knowledge about life on Earth. BHL's digital collection provides free access to over 60 million pages from the 15th-21st centuries. Since its launch in 2006, BHL has served millions of people in over 240 countries and territories around the world.
Through ongoing collaboration, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to open access, the Biodiversity Heritage Library continues to transform research on a global scale and provide researchers with the information and tools they need to study, explore, and conserve life on Earth. BHL operates as a worldwide consortium of natural history, botanical, research, and national libraries. Major support and hosting for BHL is provided by the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (SLA). To learn more about us, visit https://about.biodiversitylibrary.org
Acknowledgements
I’m honored and indebted to the many people who took the time to read, contribute, and refine the ideas for this white paper. It was a learning journey! Thank you.
(Names listed in alphabetical order)
BHL Secretariat
Bianca Crowley, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Colleen Funkhouser, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Martin Kalfatovic, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Mentors
Joseph DeVeer, Harvard University, Ernst Mayr Library of the Museum of Comparative Zoology
Mike Lichtenberg, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Susan Lynch, formerly New York Botanical Garden, LuEsther T Mertz Library
Suzanne Pilsk, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Joel Richard, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Constance Rinaldo, formerly Harvard University, Ernst Mayr Library
Curt Savoie, Citizen Data
Sienna Svob, Blue State Digital
Mike Trizna, Smithsonian Institution, Office of the Chief Information Officer
Keri Thompson, Smithsonian Institution, Office of the Chief Information Officer
Judy Warnement, formerly Harvard University Herbaria, Botany Libraries
Interviews
Grace Costantino, Independent Business Owner, former Communications Manager, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Diana Duncan, formerly Chicago Field Museum, Marie Louise Rosenthal Library
James Hare, Internet Archive, Independent Wikimedian
Siobhan Leachman, Independent Wikimedian
Andy Mabbett, Independent Wikimedian
Katie Mika, Harvard University, Institute for Quantitative Social Science
Dr. Rod Page, University of Glasgow, School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Carolyn Sheffield, The Nature Conservancy, former Program Manager, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Alex Stinson, Wikimedia Foundation
Andra Waagmeester, Micelio, Independent Wikimedian
Editors
Jacqueline Chapman, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
Bianca Crowley, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Sandra Fauconnier, Independent Wikimedian
Giovanna Fontenelle, Culture and Heritage, Wikimedia Foundation
Colleen Funkhouser, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Satdeep Gill, Culture and Heritage, Wikimedia Foundation
Nicole Kearney, Museums Victoria, BHL Australia
Martin Kalfatovic, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Siobhan Leachman, Independent Wikimedian
Mike Lichtenberg, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Susan Lynch, formerly New York Botanical Garden, LuEsther T. Mertz Library
Bess Missell, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Richard Naples, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
Jake Orlowitz, WikiBlueprint and Independent Wikimedian
Dr. Rod Page, University of Glasgow, School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Suzanne Pilsk, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Dr. Thomas Orrell, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Connie Rinaldo, formerly Harvard University, Ernst Mayr Library of the Museum of Comparative Zoology
Fiona Romeo, Culture and Heritage, Wikimedia Foundation
Jackie Shieh, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Biodiversity Heritage Library
And all BHL staff past and present, in particular, the dedicated members of BHL’s committees and working groups who are the reason BHL’s vision to inspire discovery through free access to biodiversity knowledge is not just a dream, but a reality. Thank you.
The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of his or her rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.
