Wonder if Hillary will text about me tonight?

Mr. Flower Power!

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History celebrated 300 years of Linnaean taxonomy with a symposium and exhibition. The Swedish ambassador (Jonas Hafström at podium) gave remarks at the evening reception.

The exhibition, "A Tribute to Carl Linnaeus, 1707-1778" (November 13-14) features the author's own copy of Systema Naturae (courtesy of the Swedish Embassy), with illustrations by Georg Dionysius Ehret. At the evening reception, the Biodiversity Heritage Library displayed the online version of the 1758 edition of Systema (from the Missouri Botanical Garden Library) and there was also an appearance by Linnaeus [as envisioned by Hans Odöö].

BHL @ OCA video

Tom Garnett, Director of the Biodiversity Heritage Library, gave an update on the BHL at the 3rd Annual Open Content Alliance meeting in San Francisco.

The Greens

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Before the Open Content Alliance meeting in San Francisco, Chris, Suzanne and I did some pre-meeting meeting. Here we are having dinner at The Greens.

The Biodiversity Heritage Library: An Overview Hosted by Smithsonian Institution Libraries

Join Smithsonian Libraries’ staff and others for an overview of the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) project. The BHL is a cooperative mass-scanning project done in collaboration with the Internet Archive. The BHL plans to digitize a significant portion of the legacy taxonomic literature (pre-1923 and selected titles after) and provide open access for all users.

In addition to an overview of the BHL project by two member librarians, Robert Miller of the Internet Archive will discuss the Internet Archive scanning project. There will also be time of a visit to the Smithsonian Libraries’ Internet Archive Scribe Scanning station located down the hall from the meeting room.

Program:
Welcoming Remarks. Nancy E. Gwinn, Director, Smithsonian Institution Libraries

“The Biodiversity Heritage Library: A Cornerstone of the Encyclopedia of Life”. Martin R. Kalfatovic, Smithsonian Institution Libraries

“An Overview of the New York Botanical Garden Digitizing Program”. John Mignault, Systems Librarian, The LuEsther T. Mertz Library, The New York Botanical Garden

“Universal Access to Human Knowledge: Book Scanning at the Internet Archive.” Robert Miller, Director of Books, Internet Archive

Logistics:
When: June 25, 2007, 10 am to 11:30 am
Where: Smithsonian Libraries, National Museum of Natural History, Cathy Kerby Seminar Room, East Court, CE340
Contact: Please RSVP to Martin Kalfatovic (kalfatovicm@si.edu ; tel: 202.633.1705). Staff will be on hand to escort visitors to the Kerby Seminar Room
Details: visit the BHL blog for additional information on this event: http://biodiversitylibrary.blogspot.com/

Links:
BHL Blog: http://biodiversitylibrary.blogspot.com/
BHL portal: http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Internet Archive: http://www.archive.org

BHL Member Institutions:
American Museum of Natural History (New York, NY)
The Field Museum (Chicago, IL)
Harvard University Botany Libraries (Cambridge, MA)
Harvard University, Ernst Mayr Library of the Museum of Comparative Zoology (Cambridge, MA)
Marine Biological Laboratory / Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Woods Hole, MA)
Missouri Botanical Garden (St. Louis, MO)
Natural History Museum (London, UK)
The New York Botanical Garden (New York, NY)
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Richmond, UK)
Smithsonian Institution Libraries (Washington, DC)

Encyclopedia of Life Launch

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic.

Reception held at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington to celebrate the launch of the Encyclopedia of Life and the Biodiversity Heritage Library