Digitized public domain

booksChris Freeland

Technical Director, Biodiversity Heritage Library

Director, Center for Biodiversity Informatics,Missouri Botanical Garden

Vieillot. La galerie des oiseaux. 1834.http://biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/48613

“I arrived back at work from holidays today to be greeted by Michael, an [sic] colleague researching wasps. He was excited that he had discovered in the Biodiversity Heritage Library a copy of an obscure 1860s book:

Saussure, H. de & Sichel, J. (1864). Catalogue des espèces de l'ancien genre Scolia, contenant les diagnoses, les descriptions et la synonymie des espèces, avec des remarques explicatives er critiques. Genève & Paris : Henri Georg & V. Masson et Fils pp. 1–350

This book was not in our library, probably not in Australia, and almost impossible to get hold of without travelling to the northern hemisphere. Thanks to the BHL for their work in providing access to works of importance. Michael is now able to use detailed content of this book in his work.”

-John Tann, Australian Museumhttp://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/9323

Digitizing public domain books

is

NONCONTROVERSIAL

But, it is expen$ive.

Scanning is the easy part.

Prioritizing

SelectingLocating

Pulling Updating

TrackingChecking

Reshelving

Libraries, librarians & staff

NEED OUR SUPPORT

in this important endeavor

Because once books are digitized,

we liberate the written word

from the printed page & the library stacks

We can then begin

CONNECTINGwords and concepts in books

to museum collections,to archival materials,

to everything

Using algorithms like TaxonFinder from uBio.org

Wha?! But, I know those words are in there. Just give me the data, let me explore.

http://ryanschenk.com/2011/02/visualizing-taxonomic-synoymns/

http://biostor.org

http://twitter.com/LillyLyle/status/41242610517553152

I worry about the confusion between

CONTAINER&

CONTENT

A printed book is aCONTAINER.

Its CONTENT is what’s important.

Of all the worlds created by man,

the world of books

is the most powerful.

-Heinrich Heine

Because, yes, history suggests the

[insert proprietary e-reader device / format here]

will #fail.

And so, a Digital Public Library of America

MUST be:

Open Access & Open Sourcewith

Open Data & Open APIs

AND OPEN

^

THANK YOU

Chris Freeland

chrisfreeland.com

Technical Director, Biodiversity Heritage Library

Director, Center for Biodiversity Informatics,Missouri Botanical Garden