33. Darwin: “If this were true adios theory” ! Lyell: “The entire variation from the original type... may usually be effected in a brief period of time, after which no further deviation can be obtained by continuing to alter the circumstances, though ever so gradually; indefinite divergence, either in the way of improvement or deterioration, being prevented..." Context is significant
38. Opportunities and Challenges + partnerships + best practices and learning + new thinking about collections and how we work with researchers + how our collections fit with others - Sustainable funding - spaces – digitising so don’t need collection now - range of equipment - COPYRIGHT
Example of BHL scanning of local level, single scribe site. Importance/context of BHL for the NHM London, what our specific contribution has been so far and how that will continue. Newer initiative of BHL Europe Darwin’s Library Project – an example of a cross-cutting project, non-BHL funded, including BHL and non-BHL partners, output of the project via BHL portal.
During the talk representing the hard work, creativity and dedication many colleagues. Thanks to team past and present at NHM Thanks to Henning Sholtz – Programme lead for BHL-E Chris Freeland and Mike Lichtenberg at Mobot, Grant Young (Cambridge University Library)
Very brief background about NHM and what it does
Where the library fits in. Large and historical collections and range of services supporting the scientific activities of the Museum and wider UK and international science community. Also growing demand from arts , humanities and social science researchers for special collections. Largely paper-based, therefore increasing need and demand to deliver access in digital form.
Primary focus on post graduate science research support. Growing citizen scientists users.
Mass scanning through the BHL partnerships Additional route for rare more difficult to scan material via specialist (boutique) scanning unit. Variety of funding sources to support scanning
Specialist scanning on left through to Internet Archive (mass scanning) scribe (middle and right) Unique contribution of NHM – deliver images of rarer more difficult to access material and unique special collections
Initially, because of the age of the material and subject, came across many foldouts. Rather than not scan, BHL found work around solution with internet archive to scan separately and paste in at processing stage. Achieve more complete runs and reduce need to go back to scan gaps.
Unit for artwork, example shows items for World Collections Programme for joint UK/Indian project
Moving on to BHL-Europe
EU does not fund scanning, funding at local state level. Germany/Austria already scanning all literature (not just Biodiversity) in the german language. Netherlands doing the same. Focus on funding infrastructure, the connective tissue enabling institutions across Europe to contribute to the same agreed standards, share good practice, build in long term sustainability, multilingual etc
Target audiences beyond researchers
BHL-E and BHL share similar goals
Preservation is key, ensure access in the long term and keeping pace with technological developments.
The Partners, crossing boundaries, languages, linking to other initiatives
Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, DE The partners; 13 Countries so far, 28 partners and growing, Link to other initiatives
Joined up thinking, linking to other related initiatives eg, European Distributed Institute of Technology (EDIT-- aiming to support the move from an artisan approach to taxonomy to the Industrialization of taxonomic research)
The work programme to deliver the objectives for BHL-Europe. NHM leading on Work packages 3 and 4
BHL-Europe has just started the second year of it’s three year funding. The goals for the next period
Thank you
Example of a cross-institutional project involving BHL, NHM London, American Museum of Natural History, Cambridge University Library fundded by JISC in UK and NEH in US to digitise Darwin’s Library and the annotation in those items. Illustration shows some of the books Darwin carried with him on the Beagle voyage
One of the key sources of ‘data’ for Darwin was his library, which he heavily annotated. Out of a library of 1400 volumes, 700 have significant annotations. Apart from a handful of exceptions, all the annotated books are held at Cambridge University Library, with the remainder at Down House His annotations were transcribed and published in print in the late eighties, but their full utility requires access to the books they annotate – and some of the books on Darwin’s shelves were quite obscure It would be very costly to digitise every page of every book in Darwin’s library
We propose to link the transcriptions with digitised versions of books We will fully digitise the most heavily annotated original books; and just target the annotations in lightly annotated books and link in with digital surrogates Storage and delivery will be provided by the Biodiversity Heritage Library, which will ensure wide resource discovery and provide good sustainability Via BHL also linked to other iniatiitives including Europeana Challenges such as IPR/Copyright, long term sustainability etc already being address by BHl, Europeana etc and so benefits from linking Darwin Library Project to those
This illustrates an annotated page from one of Darwin’s books (Charles Lyell's Principles of Geology, 5th edition, 1837). Darwin’s comment was “if this were true adios theory’! Obviously useful to know the context of such a comment
Cambridge University Library (CUL) scan Darwin’s Library books and pages Natural History Museum (NHM) provide suitable surrogates via two workflows (high-end and mass digitisation programme) Darwin Manuscript Project at the American Natural History Museum (AMNH) provide metadata, transcriptions, and indexes Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) provide delivery and preservation – technical development support from MOBOT
This illustrated the other significant context. The collection will be placed within the BHL – here’s a mock-up of how it might look, but the technical details are still being worked through.
We’re still working on the numbers, but we should be able to do 300-400 books within this project. We will fundraise to do the remainder The project will also seek to extend beyond Darwin’s Library to Darwin’s Reading, but including (where available) copies of books he read and made notes about.
Partenerships and collaborations achieving far more with BHL and BhL-E partners than we could ever possibly achieve alone. We can focus our efforts on those parts of the collection it would be difficult to scanFunding for all of us difficult New funding source, Resource commitment Sharing experience - JISC, Strategic Content Alliance Space –appropriate space and range of equipment Working with current partners, working with new partners Opportunities for us to think about collections in ways - thematic, physical collection organisation, off-site storage, - How we see our collections in relation to uk, international collections working with our users to dvelop/extend our research support for them.
![Talk this morning ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)