BHL News, Blog Reel

BHL Transition Update #3: Gaining Momentum

Image of 19th Century sailing ship, HMS Challenger with BHL logoSince the release of our official Call for Support on 11 June 2025, the global response has been inspiring and heartwarming. Institutions and individuals from across the biodiversity, library, and research communities have reached out with offers of support, ideas, and encouragement.

The #BHLTransition is making headway

We’re charting the course to a strong and sustainable future for the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Behind the scenes, many exciting conversations are underway, including offers of technical hosting, funding support, and staffing partnerships. While we’re not yet able to share full details, we’re confident these discussions will translate into confirmed commitments.

Reimagining BHL

This is a rare and powerful opportunity to think boldly about what BHL could become. The Call for Support outlines BHL’s existing roles and services – but not its limits.

As we transition from Smithsonian hosting, we’re seeking ambitious ideas for BHL’s future. 

We welcome proposals that explore: 

  • Alternative staffing models, including distributed teams or new hires.
  • Aspiring visions for BHL’s technical architecture, including new tools or platforms.
  • Shared infrastructure or services hosted across institutions.
  • Pioneering approaches to how BHL serves global biodiversity knowledge.

Whether your institution can host a current role, contribute infrastructure, support a new function, or propose a radical new approach – we want to hear from you. 

What’s Underway (and Ahead)?

  • We’re continuing to meet with potential hosts and supporters across the globe.
  • Our fiscal sponsorship agreement is in its final stages. Once confirmed, it will provide the administrative foundation for BHL’s next phase.
  • We’re working closely with Smithsonian leadership to coordinate a smooth transition of administrative and technical functions.
  • We’re exploring new development opportunities to reimagine BHL’s technical infrastructure.
  • We’re collaborating with partners on new grant applications to help fuel the transition and future innovation. 
  • We continue to support our Partners in growing and enhancing BHL content: June saw the addition of 108,584 pages and 6,143 articles to the BHL collection.

Initial expressions of interest to the Call for Support are encouraged by 31 August 2025, but we will continue to welcome offers after this date on a rolling basis.

How You Can Help

📢 Keep sharing the Call for Support: If you haven’t already, please share the Call for Support with your institutions and networks. Every connection helps. 

💬 Get in touch: Have an idea, contact, or offer of support? We’d love to hear from you. Contact: TransitionDirector@biodiversitylibrary.org 

💚 Show your support: Use the hashtag #ILoveBHL on social media to spread the word.

Thank you to everyone who has shared encouragement, advice, and support. The global BHL community is the heart of this effort. Your energy and vision are helping us navigate a new course for the Biodiversity Heritage Library, ensuring a bright, innovative and sustainable future. 

Stay tuned for more updates.

 

July 11, 2025
Written by and

Nicole Kearney is BHL’s Communications Director, Manager of BHL Australia, and Chair of BHL’s Persistent Identifier Working Group. She is passionate about open access, persistent identifiers, and Striped Possums.

Bianca Crowley is the Digital Collections Manager for the Biodiversity Heritage Library, headquartered at Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. She has spent her career in this role helping consortium Partners grow and curate BHL's collection. Her main responsibilities revolve around program administration and collection management, but you can also find her tackling technical development, documentation, copyright, and cataloging issues as time allows. She received her MSLIS from The Catholic University of America.