Help us shape the future of the Biodiversity Heritage Library

The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) is at a turning point. After nearly two decades of calling the Smithsonian Institution home, BHL must transition to a new hosting structure beginning in January 2026. Since receiving that news, we’ve been working steadily to secure a strong and sustainable future for BHL. In our last update, we shared the appointment of a Transition Director, the formation of a Transition Team, and a partnership with a fiscal sponsor.

Today, we release our official Call for Support. This is a pivotal moment in BHL’s journey, and we are counting on our community to help spread the word and contribute in whatever ways you can. BHL’s enduring strength comes from its international consortium and diverse community of scientists and citizen scientists who use the platform to explore, understand, and protect biodiversity. Support comes in many forms–some visible, some behind the scenes–but all are vital to BHL’s future.

Additionally, in keeping with our commitment to transparency, we are updating our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to include information about the transition. New questions will be added regularly, so we encourage you to read and visit them often.

More About the Call for Support

🔗 Call for Support – Secure the Future of BHL

This global call invites partners to host or support BHL’s core roles, infrastructure, and services as we move through the next phase of our journey. From libraries and museums to universities, research centers, and nonprofit partners, we’re looking for new collaborators to carry BHL’s vital work forward.

We welcome support in the form of:

• Hosting key BHL roles or services (short- or long-term)
• Contributing in-kind support (e.g. staffing, infrastructure, expertise)
• Partnering on collaborative grants or funding proposals
• Providing financial support via our new fiscal sponsor

Key Dates

We encourage initial expressions of interest by 31 August 2025, with consideration continuing on a rolling basis.

Questions and expressions of interest can be directed to [email protected].

How You Can Help

Even if you or your institution isn’t in a position to provide financial or hosting support, you can still make a huge impact:

📢 Share this post and the Call for Support widely across your networks
🤝 Connect us with institutions, colleagues and funders who might want to get involved
💬 Contribute ideas: we welcome creative and collaborative proposals
🌱 Support BHL directly: Make a Donation

Together, We Can Secure BHL’s Future

For 20 years, BHL has given researchers, educators, and the public free access to centuries of biodiversity knowledge. With your help, we’ll ensure this incredible resource continues to thrive and grow for generations to come.

Thank you for supporting BHL. 💚

Stay tuned for our next Transition Update, here on the BHL blog.

Leadership, Fiscal Sponsorship, and Hosting Opportunities

In April 2025, the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) released a public statement announcing that the Smithsonian Institution, our administrative and technical host since 2006, will step back from this role as of January 1, 2026. That announcement marked the beginning of a new chapter for BHL: one filled with both challenges and possibilities.

Today, we’re pleased to share the first in a series of monthly blog posts that will provide open updates on the progress of our transition. We know uncertainty can be unsettling, and we want to assure our global users, partners, and supporters that the transition is well underway, and that we are actively building a stronger and more sustainable future for BHL.

Strong Leadership: Welcoming Our New Transition Director and Communications Director

Kelli Trei, BHL Transition Director

We are delighted to announce that Kelli Trei has been appointed as BHL’s Transition Director. Kelli, Biosciences Librarian and Associate Professor from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, brings a wealth of leadership experience and a deep commitment to BHL. Most recently, she has served as Vice-Chair on the BHL Executive Committee and the EC Secretary before this. Her leadership, steady presence, and long-standing engagement with BHL have proven invaluable during early transition planning.

Nicole Kearney, BHL Communications Director

We are also pleased to share that Nicole Kearney, Manager of BHL Australia and Chair of BHL’s Persistent Identifier Working Group, has been appointed as BHL’s Communications Director. Nicole brings over a decade of experience with BHL and a strong record of international collaboration, digital engagement, and strategic communication. As Communications Director, she will lead BHL’s internal and external communications through the transition and into the next chapter.

Kelli, supported by Nicole, is leading a dedicated Transition Team composed of members of the BHL Executive Committee and the BHL Secretariat.

A New Foundation: Fiscal Sponsorship

We are also pleased to share that BHL members have voted to enter into a fiscal sponsorship agreement with an established U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organization. Under this partnership, the fiscal sponsor will provide essential nonprofit administrative services, including contracting and HR, while BHL will retain control over staff supervision, strategic priorities, and community direction.

This marks a critical turning point. For the first time, BHL will be able to operate with financial autonomy, fully aligned with our global mission, partners, and community.

Coming Soon: Call for Hosting Partners

Although BHL will be able to begin its fundraising push in the near future under its forthcoming fiscal sponsorship, our essential work continues – and so does our need for support. Securing a new fiscal home is an important milestone, but we are still working to safeguard our critical secretariat roles, who carry out the vital operational and technical functions for the global BHL community. In order for this work to continue beyond January 1, 2026, we need your help.

In the coming weeks, we will release a formal Call for Support of the core operational and technical functions of BHL. While we would welcome a single organization taking on the hosting of BHL, the secretariat’s separate but connected roles could also be hosted by different organizations. We are thus open to a distributed hosting model where key functions of BHL may be supported by different institutions. We encourage potential hosting organizations to think outside the box.

Institutions interested in supporting BHL’s next chapter – by hosting roles, staff, infrastructure, or services – are encouraged to respond to this call. We are excited to explore new partnerships and welcome new champions into our network.

Transparency Throughout the Transition

We are committed to regular communication during this transition. These blog posts are just one part of that commitment. In the months ahead, we’ll continue to share updates, answer questions, and invite feedback from our global community.

Thank you for your ongoing support:

🌱 Spread the word: share BHL’s transition news far and wide

💚 Share the love: use #ILoveBHL on social media

🤝 Donate to BHL: Make a Donation

💡 Contact us with your ideas and support: A New Future for the Biodiversity Heritage Library

From April 7–11, 2025, the global Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) community gathered at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin for the BHL Annual Meeting. Hosted at one of Europe’s premier natural history museums, this year’s event brought together BHL Members, Affiliates and stakeholders for a week of strategic planning and collaboration.

Attendees of the BHL Annual Meeting gathered outside the Museum für Naturkunde.

Navigating Transition Amidst Change

BHL Annual Meetings are usually a time for joyous reunions and celebration of shared successes. This year, however, the meeting was shadowed by the recent announcement that BHL must secure alternative funding and find a new institutional host. In the weeks leading up to the Annual Meeting, the original agenda pivoted swiftly towards solution-building. While core elements like committee reports and the ever-popular #BHLDay remained, much of the program was reshaped to focus on navigating the transition.

A Week of Engagement and Collaboration

The week began with a guided tour of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin‘s digitization center and rare manuscripts collection. A highlight for many was a sneak peak of the Library’s digitisation and animation of 3D pop-up books, a beautiful illustration of blending heritage with technology. Following the tour, attendees gathered at Restaurant Ursprung (beneath the fabulous Dussmann KulturKaufhaus bookshop) to reconnect and share updates over local cuisine.

The tour of Berlin’s State Library Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin. Photo: Nicole Kearney

Business Meetings and Strategic Planning

Formal business meetings commenced on April 8, with BHL Chair David Iggulden welcoming both in-person and virtual participants. Reports from the Chair, Program Manager, Collections Manager, Data Manager and Technical Team highlighted BHL’s progress over the past year, while discussions around strategic restructuring and sustainability set the foundation for critical transition planning. This was followed by updates from the Chairs of BHL’s various committees and working groups. Participants also engaged in workshops exploring how to future-proof BHL’s data infrastructure and navigate the technical scenarios involved in the upcoming shift from Smithsonian hosting.

BHL Chair, David Iggulden, opening the 2025 BHL Annual Meeting with the Chair’s Report: “Towards a new chapter for BHL.” Photo: Nicole Kearney

Between meetings, attendees were treated to behind-the-scenes tours of the Museum für Naturkunde’s Library, Archives and Taxonomy Workshop. While all the tours were fabulous, we were especially wowed by the passion and exceptional work of the Museum für Naturkunde’s taxidermists. It was abundantly clear why Museum für Naturkunde wins so many taxidermy championships!

The wonderful tour of the Museum für Naturkunde’s Taxidermy Workshop. Photo: Nicole Kearney

Democratizing Knowledge at the Swiss Embassy

One of the week’s standout events was the evening panel and reception at the Swiss Embassy, titled Democratizing Knowledge: The Role of Open Data in the Age of AI. The panel emphasized the critical importance of open access in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. BHL Program Manager Colleen Funkhouser and BHL Executive Committee Co-Secretary Elisa Herrmann (our host in Berlin) spoke as part of the expert panel, contributing to an important discussion on the global impacts of biodiversity data.

Colleen Funkhouser, BHL Program Manager, speaking at the Democratizing Knowledge event at the Swiss Embassy. Photo: Nicole Kearney

BHL Day 2025: Bridging Data and Nature

On April 9, the Museum für Naturkunde opened its doors for BHL Day 2025, a public symposium themed Bridging Data and Nature: Connecting Information, Technology, and Biodiversity. The event featured a lineup of speakers exploring how technology and open-access initiatives are transforming biodiversity research. Topics included data interoperability for enhanced global research collaboration, linked open data for connecting taxonomic literature with modern biodiversity platforms, and the role of digitized literature in supporting conservation efforts. A recording of the event is now available on the BHL YouTube channel.

Professor Roderic Page presenting his talk Future interface(s) for BHL at #BHLDay2025. Photo: Nicole Kearney

The symposium concluded with an evening reception in the Museum’s spectacular central atrium, surrounded by towering dinosaur skeletons and one of the world’s most famous fossils, Archaeopteryx lithographica. The breathtaking setting provided a fitting backdrop to reflect on BHL’s mission to preserve and democratize access to the world’s biodiversity literature.

Meeting participants enjoying the BHL Day reception with the dinosaurs. Photo: Nicole Kearney

Strategic Planning for a Sustainable Future

The final business meetings on April 10 focused heavily on stakeholder engagement, future funding models, and transition planning. Members and Affiliates discussed potential hosting scenarios and laid the groundwork for BHL’s Secretariat transition. Critical work began on drafting transition documents and communications, including the Public Statement announcing BHL’s need to transition from the Smithsonian, which was released the following week. The meeting concluded with a heartfelt recognition of partners and a special thanks to Elisa Herrmann and the Museum für Naturkunde for their wonderful hosting of this year’s event. As we closed, our fabulous hosts had one final surprise for us: “BHL Annual Meeting 2025 Berlin” spelled out in traditional Berliner donuts!

The delicious Berliner donuts provided by the Museum für Naturkunde. Photo: Nicole Kearney

Looking Ahead

As BHL advances towards its next chapter, the 2025 Annual Meeting served as a powerful reminder of our community’s collective commitment to open access, global collaboration, and the preservation of biodiversity literature. With transition planning now well underway, BHL is relying on its community and partners to shape a sustainable and resilient future. We look forward to continuing this momentum in the months ahead, supported by the strength of our community and the critical partnerships that make BHL’s mission possible.

BHL’s future is hopeful, but uncertain. BHL is committed to transparency during the transition. We will be sharing monthly updates here to keep our community informed. Subscribe to this blog to stay up to date. In the meantime:

🌱 Spread the word: share BHL’s transition news far and wide

💚 Share the love: use #ILoveBHL on social media

🤝 Donate to BHL: Make a Donation

💡 Contact us with your ideas and support: A New Future for the Biodiversity Heritage Library

The Museum für Naturkunde’s beautiful Library. Photo: Nicole Kearney

The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) is the world’s largest open access digital library for biodiversity literature and archives. A global consortium of over 660 contributors, BHL has made more than 63 million pages of biodiversity knowledge freely accessible online. As a cornerstone of biodiversity data infrastructure, it contains the foundation of our understanding of the natural world.

For the past 20 years, the Smithsonian Institution – one of BHL’s 10 founding members – has played the vital role of hosting both the administrative and technical components of BHL. On January 1, 2026, the Smithsonian will no longer host the administrative functions of BHL. This change presents both a new challenge and a new opportunity.

What does this mean if you are a BHL user?

BHL is not going away. The content, data, and persistent identifiers (including DOIs) will remain secure, discoverable, and openly accessible.

What does this mean if you contribute content to BHL?

Your content and contributions are safe. All data and DOIs will remain secure within BHL.

What happens next?

This transition opens the door to a reimagined and more sustainable future for BHL. The consortium is currently exploring a range of options, including (but not limited to) identifying a new administrative host (or hosts) and refining potential organizational models. A more detailed summary of these possibilities will be released in the coming weeks. We welcome your ideas, feedback, inquiries, and support as we plan for the next chapter of BHL.

What can you do?

• Contact us with your inquiries, expressions of interest, and support.
• Donate to BHL
• Share the hashtag: #ILOVEBHL

About BHL

BHL is a global consortium of member organizations that contribute annual membership fees, in-kind contributions, and – most importantly – content. The consortium is currently run by a small secretariat (~3.25 full time positions) and a technical team (~1.25 full time positions). Its working data (~250 GB) and software is hosted on 7 servers (4 physical, 3 virtual) at the Smithsonian Institution. BHL’s 40 terabytes of digitized images, data, and OCR text are generously hosted free of charge by the Internet Archive and the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Open Data Sponsorship Program.

Our latest newsletter is now available! From collaborative transcription projects to a new Wikimedian-in-Residence, don’t miss the latest news from the BHL community.

View our December 2024 Newsletter.

Our latest bi-annual newsletter is now available! From flora and fauna in New Zealand to new Affiliates in Belgium and the United States, don’t miss the latest news from the BHL community.

View our November 2023 Bi-annual Newsletter.

The Biodiversity Heritage Library is pleased to welcome two new Affiliates in 2023: Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, DC, and Meise Botanic Garden in Meise, Belgium. The BHL Consortium now includes 19 Members and 23 Affiliates.

Founded in 1940 as a gift from Robert and Mildred Bliss, Dumbarton Oaks is a Harvard University research institute, library, museum, and garden located in Washington, DC. The Dumbarton Oaks Library and Archives include collections on botanical illustrations, plant collecting, reports from scientific expeditions, rare books, and much more.

“We have been working closely with the Biodiversity Heritage Library since 2018,” said Dumbarton Oaks executive director Yota Batsaki. “The Plant Humanities Lab, an open access digital platform we have created, utilizes the extraordinary resources of the BHL and other repositories to study and communicate how plants have shaped human cultures and our planet. The Lab demonstrates how historical collections in the BHL—such as herbarium specimens, botanical illustrations, and field notes—can be integrated into environmental and cultural narratives of urgent significance. We are delighted to strengthen this collaboration by contributing our own digitized content to this invaluable repository.”

Plate [1]. Bardi, Pietri. Catalogo dei fiori dei giardini di Firenze e di Montui. 1787. Contributed in BHL by Dumbarton Oaks.

Meise Botanic Garden, founded in 1870, holds collections that date back to its predecessor, the Royal Dutch Horticultural and Arboricultural Society, which was established in Brussels in 1826 under Dutch rule.

The library at Meise Botanic Garden holds some 250,000 volumes and 10,000 periodical titles on various subjects including botany, mycology, ethnobotany, floristics, botanical history and horticulture. It also houses significant special collections of archives, manuscripts, photo archives and original natural history illustrations.

Bouchout Castle (Meise Botanic Garden)

The library aims to expand this unique collection, preserve this important scientific and cultural heritage, and make it available to researchers worldwide.

“This is why I am so pleased that the Meise Botanic Garden has the opportunity to widely share a part of this collected literature through BHL,” stated Nicole Hanquart, Head of Library, Art and Archives at Meise Botanic Garden. “Increasing access to the collections is a high institutional priority. Doing it through BHL, which is an essential tool for our researchers, is a major asset.”

Meise Botanic Garden has actively participated as a content provider in BHL Europe since 2009. As part of its new affiliation, it plans to contribute with its own publications as well as with additional titles identified from its collection that are not yet in BHL. The focus will be on botanical literature on Belgium and Central Africa.

Plate CC. Linden, J.J, e.a. Lindenia : Iconographie des orchidées. vol. 5(1889). Contributed in BHL by Meise Botanic Garden.