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In Memoriam: Nancy E. Gwinn

Dr. Nancy E. Gwinn, past Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) Executive Committee Chair (2011-2017) and Director Emerita, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, died in the Washington, DC area on April 29, 2024.

photo of a dark haired person in a red jacket

Dr. Nancy E. Gwinn, Director Emerita of Smithsonian Libraries

An important advocate for BHL as Director of Smithsonian Libraries, Nancy was an early supporter of what would become BHL through an active engagement with the Smithsonian’s biodiversity and science research. In 2007, with the official launch of BHL as a component of the Encyclopedia of Life, she ensured BHL would have strong leadership with the appointment of Thomas Garnett as the BHL Program Director (2007-2012). Garnett, commenting on Nancy, said: “From an early interest in digitizing literature to a full scale vision of an interoperating network of biodiversity resources, Nancy tirelessly advanced and shaped the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Coordinating the cooperation of widely differing institutions, she cajoled, seduced, browbeat, and encouraged people to work for a greater good. She was amazing.”

As BHL transitioned from a grant-based project to a partnership model in 2012, Nancy worked with incoming BHL Program Director, Martin R. Kalfatovic (2012-2024), to broadly expand the BHL partnership. Using her extensive network in the global research library world, she was invaluable in building the connections that led directly to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2014), University of Toronto (2017), and Yale University (2018) becoming part of BHL.

As an important member of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), Nancy worked with leadership at major international libraries and research organizations, resulting in the Library of Congress (2013), U.S. Geological Survey (2013), La Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO) (2014), the National Library Board Singapore (2014), Bibliotheca Alexandrina (2017), and the U.S. National Agriculture Library (2017) joining BHL.

Nancy Gwinn and colleagues pose for a group photo in a conference room after the signing of an MOU

Signing the 2014 BHL Mexico MOU with La Comisión Nacional Para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO). Front row (left to right): Ana Luisa Guzmán, Dr. José Sarukhán, and Dr. Nancy E. Gwinn

Former BHL Technical Director Chris Freeland (Internet Archive), principal investigator for a grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to support global growth for BHL, commented: “Nancy was a true advocate for research libraries and the patrons we serve. She not only understood why library collections needed to be mobilized to meet patrons’ needs, she knew how to work through administrative channels in large organizations to secure funding, space, and support for library projects. Just sitting with her in meetings was a masterclass in how to get things done in a research library.”

Nancy’s skills in negotiation, her understanding of the complexities of international organizations, and her deftness in crafting memorandum of understanding, were invaluable assets to BHL.

Nancy Gwinn and colleagues sit around a conference table with coffee and meeting notes

Nancy managing the drafting of the BHL Africa MOU. BHL Africa Meeting, Cape Town, South Africa (2012)

Nancy’s passion for the important work done by libraries led her to see quickly that libraries and the 500+ years of biodiversity data they contained would be invaluable resources to make openly available on the expanding internet.

Current BHL Executive Committee Chair, David Iggulden (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew), commented on Nancy’s passing: “Nancy was an incredible champion of all things BHL. An excellent, and very busy former chair, she somehow always found time for Partners to discuss their priorities and encourage their increased involvement in BHL activities. Her leadership, diplomacy and support helped the consortium flourish and grow into the wonderful global community it is today.”

Nancy Gwinn and colleagues from the BHL Executive Committee smile for a group photo

2019 BHL Annual Meeting, Cornell University. Left to right: Constance Rinaldo (BHL Chair, Ernst Mayr Library, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard), Jane Smith (BHL Vice Chair, Natural History Museum, London), Dr. Nancy E. Gwinn, David Iggulden (BHL Secretary, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)

As part of that global community, Michael Cook, Head of Collections at the Albert R. Mann Library at Cornell University, reflected on Nancy’s wider contributions to the library community, particularly agricultural libraries. “‘A National Preservation Program for Agricultural Literature’ (aka the ‘NPPAL’) authored by Nancy Gwinn laid the foundations of an ambitious but carefully coordinated and methodical preservation plan, state by state, for the entire United States. Nancy was at the time the associate director of Collections Management at the Smithsonian Institution; over 30 years later her work still guides agricultural preservation efforts in the U.S. through the efforts of the United States Agricultural Information Network (USAIN) and the Agriculture Information Network Collaborative (AgNIC).”

Nancy’s contributions to the global library community, and the Biodiversity Heritage Library will be missed.

Nancy Gwinn is seated and poised to sign the BHL MOU with colleagues from MNHN Paris

Signing the BHL MOU with the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris, 2016). Front row, Bruno David (Président at Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle), Dr. Nancy E. Gwinn. Back row: Martin R. Kalfatovic (BHL Program Director), Laurence Bénichou (Cheffe de service, Publications Scientifiques, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle), Gildas Illien (directeur des bibliothèques du Muséum d’histoire naturelle)

Nancy Gwinn signs the MOU for BHL Australia while colleagues pose for a group photo in front of a large screen

Signing the BHL Australia partnership MOU at the 2016 BHL Annual Meeting (Natural History Museum, London). Seated: Dr. Nancy E. Gwinn, Dr. Ely Wallis (BHL Australia). Back row (left to right): Constance Rinaldo (BHL Vice-Chair, Ernst Mayr Library, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard), Jane Smith (BHL Secretary, Natural History Museum, London), Carolyn Sheffield (BHL Program Manager), Martin R. Kalfatovic (BHL Program Director)

Nancy Gwinn and BHL Africa meeting attendees stand outside for a group photo

BHL Africa Meeting, Cape Town, South Africa (2012)

Nancy Gwinn stands with BHL meeting attendees for a group photo in front of the bay in Woods Hole, MA

2013 BHL Institutional Council Meeting. Woods Hole, Massachusetts

Nancy Gwinn and BHL global meeting attendees stand outside for a group photo

BHL Global Meeting, Berlin (2012). Left to Right: Abel Packer (BHL SciELO), Dr. Ely Wallis (BHL Australia), Dr. Henning Scholtz (BHL Europe), Dr. Noha Adly (BHL Egypt), Dr. Nancy E. Gwinn

Nancy Gwinn holds a rainbow umbrella, standing with Grace Costantino in front of the Brandenburg Gate

Nancy with BHL Program Manager Grace Costantino at the Brandenburg Gate at the closing meeting of the European Commission funded BHL Europe project (2012)

May 6, 2024
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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.