All posts from August 2013

It’s been called the drink of civilization. The beverage that reflects the entire history of the Western world in one gulp. A small berry has sparked revolutions, genocide, imperialism, innovation–and yet is still able to satisfy the standard caffeine craving every morning. Coffee is a powerful concoction, serving as inspiration for most activities before lunch, and, this week, it also serves as inspiration for the Book of the Week, “Coffee; its history and also its remarkable growth in the world of commerce.” Most people would easily be able to pick a coffee bean out of a line up, but finding the coffee in nature might be more difficult.

Wondering what BHL has been working on lately? Check out our latest quarterly report which details our production statistics and showcases some of our most recent exciting project accomplishments!

A tiny corner of green in a bustling city landscape, the cemetery of Philadelphia’s Gloria Dei Church is the resting place of Alexander Wilson, who died 200 years ago today at the age of 47, his great American Ornithology almost finished.

We really love trying new things and using new tools to help provide more access to the literature contained in BHL. From Flickr to iTunes U, we are constantly working at meeting our vision of “Inspiring discovery through free access to biodiversity knowledge.” We have now dipped our toe into a new venture…e-books!

This summer, the Library of Congress hosted five-day Summer Teacher Institutes in Washington, DC. As part of the most recent Institute, BHL shared an exhibit table on Science and Technology with the Library of Congress on Tuesday, August 6, 2013. Carolyn Sheffield, of the Smithsonian Institution, shared information on BHL and distributed stickers, pins, and BHL business cards—complete with gorgeous illustrations from BHL.