Carolyn Sheffield (BHL Program Manager 2013-2019)
The Biodiversity Heritage Library’s loss is the gain of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery. Carolyn Sheffield, BHL Program Manager, will be taking on a newly developed position as Associate Director, Library Technology and Digital Strategies effective March 4, 2019.
Carolyn first came to the Smithsonian in July 2010 as the Project Manager on the Field Book Project, a joint initiative of the National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution Archives. She subsequently joined Smithsonian Libraries and has been serving as the Program Manager for the Biodiversity Heritage Library since 2013. She has provided financial management for the consortium, administrative support for meeting planning and general communications, and participated on the BHL Tech Team where she provided project management support for some of BHL’s recent technical initiatives. She has also participated in various capacities in several of BHL’s grant-funded initiatives including subsequent grants for adding field notes to BHL, the National Digital Stewardship Residency program, and the LIS Education in Data Science program.
Carolyn has also brought her amazing skills of organization, project planning, and strategic planning on a number of both BHL and Smithsonian Libraries’ projects. BHL benefited greatly from Carolyn’s skill in planning and executing foundation grants. During her tenure at BHL, she was key in receiving grants from the Arcadia Foundation and the Council of Library and Information Resources to support work with field notes.
We will all miss her keen analytical mind and sense of humor. We all wish Carolyn fair winds as she takes on new challenges.
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.
Carolyn, I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with you. Your skill, your organizational abilities, your personal interactions were always exemplary. Working with you on BHL projects and activities was always a treat. Thank you for your many contributions to making BHL an ongoing success. I wish you the very best in your next adventure.