Russian librarians visit Smithsonian Libraries’ BHL operations

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On 17 June 2014, a visiting delegation of librarians from across Russia visited Smithsonian Libraries and our BHL operations. Coming from a wide variety of institutions in Russia, the group was particularly interested in digitization and digitization workflow.

Smithsonian Libraries (SIL) Deputy Director Mary Augusta Thomas provided a welcome and general overview of Smithsonian Libraries to the group and the SIL Associate Director and BHL Program Director discussed Smithsonian and BHL digital initiatives.

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The highlight for the group, however, was their visit to the SIL scanning room in the National Museum of Natural History where they met with Jackie Chapman (SIL BHL Librarian) and discussed BHL and pan-BHL scanning operations.

The visitors and their institutions were:

  • Ms. Iulia Maratovna GABIDULLINA
    American Center Coordinator, Perm Krai Library n.a. Gorky, Perm
  • Ms. Sofia Alekseevna KOCHERGINA Jr.
    American Shelf Coordinator, St. Petersburg
  • Ms. Olga Yurievna MAKAROVA Sr.
    Director, Central City Public Library ‘Chitay-Gorod, ‘ Novgorod Velikiy
  • Mr. Kirill Arkadyevich SAMARKIN
    Library Manager, Moscow City Library Center
  • Mr. Sergey Gennadievich SOLOVEV
    Acting Director, Vladivostok Centralized Library System, Vladivostok
  • Ms. Nadezhda Yurievna VALIAEVA
    Chief Librarian, Library of American Literature, Nizhegorodskiy State Linguistic University n.a. Dobrolyubov, Nizhniy Novgorod
  • Mr. Renat Bulatovich ZAKIROV
    Deputy Director, Automation, Moscow City Library Center
  • Mr. Alexandr Ivanovich KUNIN
    Department Head, Center of Comics and Visual Culture, Russian State Library for Youth
Visitors “Folding the Flock” for the upcoming “Once There Were Billions” exhibition at Smithsonian Libraries:
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Avatar for Martin R. Kalfatovic

Martin R. Kalfatovic is BHL Program Director and Associate Director, Digital Programs and Initiatives Division, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. As the BHL Program Director, Mr. Kalfatovic functions as the executive director and manager of the international consortium of over 80 natural history, botanical garden, government, and university libraries engaged in the mass digitization of taxonomic literature. The position also serves as a key contact for government, NGO, and academic leaders at both the national and international level. Within his role at Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Mr. Kalfatovic is responsible for the Libraries’ active Digital Library program. This program includes the creation of digital editions of library materials, online exhibitions, and new digital publications.