A version of this article first appeared in the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries (CBHL) May 2018 Newsletter.

“The Librarian’s Nightmare.” Vignette by George Cruikshank for James Bateman’s The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala ([1837]-1843). Contributed in BHL by the Peter H. Raven Library of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Such is the name given to a delightful and quirky vignette found within a very rare, and very special, orchid book: James Bateman’s The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala ([1837]-1843).

This vignette, the work of caricaturist George Cruikshank, depicts a group of men struggling to lift an enormous book using a pulley system while a harried taskmaster with a megaphone attempts to direct their work and demons dance about with impish glee on the sidelines.

The vignette’s caption, translated from the Greek, reads “a big book is a big evil” (Bleichmar 2017, 179).

The scene is a humorous commentary on the massive size of Bateman’s orchid book. At about 30” x 22” (Cobbledick 2018a) and weighing in at over 38 lbs (Hamilton 1990, 1244), it is the “largest botanical book ever produced with lithographic plates” (Blunt and Stearn 1994, 249).

Plate 19. Bateman, James. The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala. Illustration drawn by Sarah Anne Drake and lithographed by Maxim Gauci. Contributed in BHL by the Peter H. Raven Library of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala was produced in the midst of the Victorian era’s “orchid mania” or “Orchidelirium”, characterized by European obsession with collecting and cultivating exotic orchid species. Wealthy orchid enthusiasts commissioned collectors to travel the world in search of new and rare specimens.

James Bateman was such an enthusiast. A wealthy British landowner and passionate horticulturalist, Bateman employed collectors to obtain new specimens for him, particularly from South and Central America (Sitwell and Blunt 1990, 45). It was his relationship with a merchant operating in Guatemala that enabled Bateman to secure many of the orchids featured in his magnificent folio.

Plate 13. Bateman, James. The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala. Illustration drawn by Augusta Withers and lithographed by Maxim Gauci. Contributed in BHL by the Peter H. Raven Library of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

George Ure Skinner, born into a scholarly English family, established an export business in Guatemala in the 1830s, and in his free time, collected local birds and insects for the Museum of Natural History in Manchester, England. After receiving a letter from Bateman requesting orchids from the region, Skinner began collecting and shipping back new and stunning specimens hitherto unknown to the European public. These specimens formed the foundation of Bateman’s orchid masterpiece (Schmidt-Ostrander 2018).

Plate 6. Bateman, James. The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala. Illustration drawn by Augusta Withers and lithographed by Maxim Gauci. Contributed in BHL by the Peter H. Raven Library of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Within The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala, Bateman provided scientific descriptions in English and Latin as well as practical cultivation information for the species presented in the book. Also, according to Amy Pool, Curatorial Assistant at the Missouri Botanical Garden, 11 new-to-science species of orchids were validly published in this work. She estimates that it presented the first published illustrations for 90% of the 40 species included.

Plate 40. Bateman, James. The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala. Illustration drawn by Sarah Anne Drake and lithographed by Maxim Gauci. Contributed in BHL by the Peter H. Raven Library of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

The work is particularly noteworthy for its colorful (and sizeable) lithographic plates. Numbering 40 in total, these lithographs were executed by Maxim Gauci based on drawings largely by Sarah Anne Drake and Augusta Withers, with two drawings by Jane Edwards and one by Samuel Holden. These illustrations were based on the live specimens in Bateman’s and his friends’ greenhouses. The hand-colored elements of the lithographs add dimension and richness to the orchid forms, particularly through the application of varnish which provides deeper tones (Cobbledick 2018b).

The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala was issued in parts between 1837-43 and printed in a limited edition of 125 copies sold to subscribers (Bleichmar 2017, 179). Today, fewer than 55 copies are known to exist.

Plate 7. Bateman, James. The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala. Illustration drawn by Augusta Withers and lithographed by Maxim Gauci. Contributed in BHL by the Peter H. Raven Library of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

One of those copies can be found in the world-renowned Rare Book Collection of the Peter H. Raven Library of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Happily, this copy has been digitized in the Biodiversity Heritage Library and is now freely available to the world.

The Missouri Botanical Garden recently featured an exhibit about The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala. Image credit: Lauren Peters.

Earlier this year, the Missouri Botanical Garden produced an exhibit on book conservation, entitled: Taking Care of Our Rare Books: Another Kind of Conservation. This ran concurrent with the Garden’s annual orchid show, the 2018 theme being “Orchid mania.” Both featured The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala. The floral show included numerous images from the book and described its role in “orchid mania”, and the exhibit featured a selection of images and text excerpts from the publication while highlighting book conservation techniques and principles.

=At nearly 200 years old, and having been acquired by the Library in 1895 during a period of heavy pollution in Saint Louis, it is not surprising that the Missouri Botanical Garden’s copy of Bateman’s work is in poor condition, with ripped and soiled paper, loose pages, and broken binding.

The Missouri Botanical Garden’s copy of The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala is undergoing an extensive restoration project. Image credit: Susie Cobbledick

The Library’s book conservator, Susie Cobbledick, has begun a substantial restoration project for this work. This process was not only highlighted as part of the Garden’s exhibit, but it is also being recorded through a series of posts on the Garden’s Discover + Share website. This process includes repairing the volume’s binding and cleaning and mending the paper.

As Cobbledick articulates, the Library’s copy had been rebound at least once, and past attempts to repair the binding have failed under the strain imposed by such a massive volume. Additionally, the original covers were replaced with Masonite board at some point in the 20th century. As part of the Library’s conservation process, a more robust binding structure will be created for this volume, and more appropriate covers may be used to replace the inadequate Masonite (Cobbledick 2018a).

The Garden’s copy of The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala was originally sewn on linen cords, which would have extended beyond the back of the book to the boards. The fact that these cords have been cut is evidence that the book had been rebound some time in the past. Image Credit: Susie Cobbledick

The soiled pages also require special attention. In order to remove the dirt and other residue that has accumulated over the past 170+ years without altering or damaging the lithographs’ fragile surfaces, Cobbledick is employing dry cleaning methods using cosmetic sponges and white vinyl erasers to carefully clean each page. This time-consuming process will take several months to complete (Cobbledick 2018b).

Cosmetic sponges and white vinyl erasers are used to clean the lithographs within the Garden’s copy of The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala. In this photo, you can see a cleaned (right-hand side) and uncleaned (left-hand side) portion of a plate from the book. Image Credit: Susie Cobbledick.

Conservators have also begun mending the volume’s ripped and damaged paper. As part of this process, they are conducting tests to determine whether the type of sizing (substance added to paper to make it less absorbent) used has contributed to the poor condition of the book’s paper today. The answer may be related to whether or not the paper was machine-made. Explore the testing process and initial outcomes in the most recent “Rebuilding the Bateman Book” post.

To learn more about the restoration process for The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala and follow the conservation work, explore the entire “Rebuilding the Bateman Book” series on the Garden’s Discover + Share website.

The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala is truly a scientific, bibliographic, and artistic marvel. Through its unique blend of scientific information, awe-inspiring illustrations, and unexpected humor, Bateman’s orchid masterpiece stands out as a truly remarkable entry in the annals of natural history.

As another example of humor within The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala, this vignette by George Cruikshank depicts a pair of gigantic cockroaches escaping from a box meant to contain orchid specimens whilst the gardener’s family and assistants chase the unwelcome intruders.

What some might call “The Librarian’s Nightmare”, we call “The Book Lover’s Dream”. We are grateful to the Peter H. Raven Library of the Missouri Botanical Garden for making this title freely available in BHL and are thrilled that the Library’s current conservation efforts will ensure that future generations can enjoy this treasure.

Taking Care of Our Rare Books: Another Kind of Conservation was curated by Missouri Botanical Garden staff Lauren Peters (Science Communication Specialist), Amy Pool (Curatorial Assistant, Herbarium), and Susie Cobbledick (Book Conservator, Library) and designed by Ellen Flesch (Supervisor, Creative Services) based on an exhibit proposal by Doug Holland (Director, Peter H. Raven Library). Learn more about the exhibit.

Post by Grace Costantino (Outreach and Communication Manager, Biodiversity Heritage Library) with significant contributions from Susie Cobbledick (Book Conservator, Peter H. Raven Library of the Missouri Botanical Garden) and Amy Pool (Curatorial Assistant, Herbarium, Missouri Botanical Garden).

References

Bleichmar, Daniela. 2017. Visual Voyages: Images of Latin American Nature from Columbus to Darwin. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Blunt, Wilfrid and William T. Stearn. 1994. The Art of Botanical Illustration. New Edition. Suffolk: Antique Collectors’ Club, Ltd.

Cobbledick, Susie. 2018a. “From the Library: Rebuilding the Bateman Book (Part 1).” Discover + Share. February 17. Accessed March 29, 2018. https://discoverandshare.org/2018/02/17/from-the-library-rebuilding-the-bateman-book-part-1/.

Cobbledick, Susie. 2018b. “From the Library: Rebuilding the Bateman Book (Part 2).” Discover + Share. March 22. Accessed March 29, 2018. https://discoverandshare.org/2018/03/22/from-the-library-rebuilding-the-bateman-book-part-2/.

Hamilton, Robert M. 1990. “Skinner and Bateman – 1: Introduction.” American Orchid Society Bulletin 59, no. 12 (December): 1235-1247.

Schmidt-Ostrander, Ingrid. 2018. “George Ure Skinner (1804 – 1867).” Victorian Orchid Society. Accessed March 29, 2018. http://victoriaorchidsociety.com/Ingrid/Skinner.html.

Sitwell, Sacheverell and Wilfrid Blunt. 1990. Great Flower Books: 1700-1900. New York: The Atlantic Monthly Press.

What does it mean for a species to be “cryptic”?

In the biological sciences, “cryptic species” are morphologically indistinguishable yet distinct species. In other words, two or more organisms may look the same and yet represent different species.

With the rise of molecular genetic techniques, the identification of cryptic species is increasing. Many previously-considered cosmopolitan species are proving to actually be multiple species each occupying segments of the original distribution range. Identifying cryptic species is especially important for conservation and resource management, which operate at the species level and rely on accurate identification of range and population size to effectively implement policies and programs.

The neon flying squid Ommastrephes bartramii (Lesueur, 1821) has long been considered a monotypic, cosmopolitan species. The second-largest representative of the ecologically and commercially important family of squids Ommastrephidae Steenstrup, 1857, the species is currently considered to have global distribution.

Recent research has shown, however, that this “monotypic” species may not be so “mono” after all.

Using molecular species delimitation methods, Dr. Fernando Á. Fernández-Álvarez, an early researcher at the Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC) in Barcelona, and his colleagues[1] found that what is currently described as Ommastrephes bartramii actually represents four different species. After examining previous descriptions in the literature, three synonymized names have been proposed for resurrection accordingly. This research comprises one of four chapters in Fernández-Álvarez’s Ph.D. thesis, and the manuscript is currently under preparation for submission to a journal.

Two Ommastrephes spp. specimens collected in North Atlantic waters during the two oceanographic cruises: MAFIA (left, collected near Cabo Verde 18ºN 20ºW in April 2015) and BATHYPELAGIC (right, collected in the middle of the Atlantic 40ºN, 19ºW, June 2018). Although both specimens basically look the same, each one belongs to a different species. Molecular data revealed that Ommastrephes bartramii is actually a species complex instead of a single species, as previously thought. BHL has been essential for tracking previous synonymized names to resurrect in order to name each species. Image credit: Catarina P. P. Martins & Fernando Á. Fernández-Álvarez (left) and Fernández-Álvarez (right).

The Biodiversity Heritage Library proved to be a vital resource for this research, allowing Fernández-Álvarez to easily locate literature about relevant synonymized names of Ommastrephes bartramii, many of which were published in the 19th century.

“Especially when it comes to historic synonymized names, it is difficult to find literature mentioning a particular name beyond its description,” explains Fernández-Álvarez. “I used BHL’s taxon search tool to look for works that mention each particular name. This tool was very useful for finding many works!”

Fernández-Álvarez has been studying cephalopod phylogenetics, systematics, and taxonomy, among other fields, for four years. Prior to this, he spent six years studying nemertean taxonomy and systematics. It was that research that first led him to BHL.

“During part of my early work on nemertean taxonomy, I struggled with the essential Otto Bürger’s book Die Nemertinen des Golfes von Neapel, which is obviously written in German,” recalls Fernández-Álvarez. “I spent many days with a German-Spanish dictionary and a copied version of the book trying to decipher the meaning of many passages. It was torture. Finally, I googled the book and found it in BHL with the OCR beautifully written out! I copied the passages and used automatic translation tools to read it. It was a huge help!”

Fernando Á. Fernández-Álvarez taking samples with a van veen grab sampler in the oceanic cruise Formed IV (June 2014).

Over the years, Fernández-Álvarez has used BHL to varying degrees depending on his research focus. Not surprisingly, his favorite feature is the taxon search tool. He typically uses either this tool or an author search to locate relevant literature, reading the titles online and downloading content (with OCR) as needed as a full PDF or using BHL’s custom PDF generator to select specific pages.

“When it comes to systematics or taxonomy, BHL has become a fundamental tool,” affirms Fernández-Álvarez. “When I am focused on these fields, I may use BHL every day each week!”

We are thrilled to know that BHL is empowering discovery around the globe and allowing researchers to access vital materials. User stories are a powerful testament to BHL’s impact.

“I think BHL fulfills a truly important task,” lauds Fernández-Álvarez. “Many of the books in the library are truly difficult to find and now they are freely available around the world. Many of the works I needed to find to advance in my research, I was able to obtain through you. THANKS!!!”

Thank you, Dr. Fernández-Álvarez, for sharing your research and BHL story with us.

In collaboration with our global partners and through an unwavering commitment to open access, we are confident that BHL will continue to transform research in unprecedented ways.

[1] Kathrin S. Bolstad, Heather E. Braid, Manuel Haimovici, Chingiz M. Nigmatullin, Pilar Sánchez, and Roger Villanueva.

The Biodiversity Heritage Library is pleased to welcome the Lloyd Library & Museum as its newest Affiliate.

Founded in the 1870s, the Lloyd Library & Museum’s origins trace back to a collection of reference materials acquired by the brothers John Uri Lloyd (1849-1936) and Curtis Gates Lloyd (1859-1926), both trained pharmacists of the botanical medicine era. The Library, which continues to build its collection thanks to an endowment established by Curtis Lloyd, holds approximately 150,000 volumes on a range of topics, including botany, mycology, herbal medicine, gardening, and horticulture.

Sibthorp, John. Flora Graeca. v. 1 (1806). Contributed in BHL by the Lloyd Library & Museum.

The Lloyd’s affiliation builds upon a successful partnership established during the BHL Expanding Access to Biodiversity Literature (EABL) project, where, in collaboration with Digital Services at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (PLCH), the Library uploaded 26 significant titles to BHL’s collection, including Flora Graeca (1806-1840) and Botanicum Medicinale (1768). As an Affiliate, the Lloyd will contribute additional titles identified from its collection that are not yet in BHL, providing free access to valued resources for both local and global communities.

Sheldrake, Timothy. Botanicum medicinale. 1768. Contributed in BHL by the Lloyd Library & Museum.

“We are excited to welcome the Lloyd Library & Museum as an Affiliate,” affirms BHL Program Director Martin R. Kalfatovic. “Lloyd Library has already contributed significant treasures to BHL as part of the EABL project, and we look forward to expanding our collaborative efforts to enhance the BHL corpus and empower global research through open access to unique and important library collections.”

Explore the Lloyd Library & Museum’s collection in the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

Cider-making is currently undergoing a revival in the United States. Production and consumption of cider is increasing rapidly, and the global cider market is projected to reach $16,252 million by 2023.[1] Cider (sometimes called hard cider) is a fermented beverage made from apple juice. A wide range of apple cultivars, or cultivated varieties of domesticated apples (Malus x domestica), are used in cider production.

The cider apple variety “Foxwhelp.” Knight, Thomas Andrew. Pomona Herefordiensis. 1811. Digitized by Cornell University Library. https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/55941638.

One of the oldest surviving cider apple varieties is the “Foxwhelp”, which originated in England several centuries ago. The earliest recorded reference to the cultivar comes from John Evelyn’s Pomona from 1664.[2] Though still used for cider making, an aura of mystery surrounds this cultivar, because many apples labeled as “Foxwhelp” today are not true to type. In fact, many cider producers refer to the variety available in the United States under this name as “Fauxwhelp”.

Dr. Gregory Peck, an Assistant Professor in the Horticulture Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University, has been assessing a large number of apple genotypes for their potential use in hard cider production. Through this work, he has discovered inconsistencies between many U.S. varieties and their original counterparts, including “Foxwhelp”. Not only has he imported two “Foxwhelp” strains into the United States so that growers can have the true genotype, but he also recently teamed up with Dr. Gayle Volk at the United States Department of Agriculture to uncover the truth behind “Fauxwhelp” and other enigmatic cultivars.

Dr. Gregory Peck. Assistant Professor in the Horticulture Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University. Photo Credit: Lindsay France, Cornell University.

“We employed DNA fingerprinting tools to confirm our suspicions that these were misnamed cultivars,” explains Peck. “But now we’re left with a mystery. What are the misidentified cultivars?”

As it turns out, it’s a mystery that the Biodiversity Heritage Library can help solve.

“In addition to genetic and chemical analyses, we’ve been using books from BHL’s collection to help us identify these unknowns,” shares Peck. “In particular, we often use the Pomona Herefordiensis by Thomas Andrew Knight and several texts by Robert Hogg.”

Gregory Peck (left) checks on research plots with graduate students Nathan Wojtyna (center) and Adam Karl (Right). Photo credit: Dave Burbank, Cornell University.

Peck first discovered BHL thanks to the “fantastic librarians” at Cornell’s Mann Library, who directed him to the site for access to several historic pomology books. Since then, he visits the library every few months, viewing books online and downloading PDFs of useful titles. It has become a valuable and much-appreciated resource for Peck’s research.

“BHL is easy to use and I really like being able to share FREE resources with my students and commercial cider producers,” lauds Peck. “Once I’m on the site, I’m there for hours. I guess time flies when you’re having fun!”

Cider apple harvest in Somerset, UK. Photo credit: Gregory Peck, Cornell University.

Dr. Peck will be sharing more about his work as the featured speaker at the 2018 Cornell Reunion, where he will present on “The Modern Emergence of a Historic Drink”. His presentation will be live-streamed on 8 June 2018 starting at 10am ET via the Mann Library Facebook page. You can view a recording of the talk on YouTube.

In conjunction with the Reunion and in collaboration with Peck, Cornell University Library has developed an exhibit on cider-making entitled Apples to Cider: An Old Industry Takes Fresh Root. Located in Cornell’s Mann Library lobby, this free exhibit is open to the public and will be on display through October 2018. 

To complement the exhibit, Cornell Library has created a new “Pomology: Apples and Cider” collection in BHL, featuring books on a variety of cider and apple-related topics, many of which were recently digitized by Cornell and are featured in the exhibit. The illustrations from some of the most visually-stunning of these books are available for your browsing enjoyment on Flickr.

All this week, Cornell University Library is highlighting the Reunion, Dr. Peck’s work, and the exhibit on social media with #CornellCider. We’re joining the celebrations by sharing some of our favorite books from the “Pomology: Apples and Cider” collection through the @BioDivLibrary feeds. On Thursday, 7 June 2018, we’ll take a deeper look at one of the titles in the Pomology collection, The Herefordshire Pomona, in a special edition of our book of the month blog series.

The “Cowarne Red” apple. Knight, Thomas Andrew. Pomona Herefordiensis. 1811. Digitized by Cornell University Library. https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/55941787.

Don’t miss out on all the cider fun this week! Follow #CornellCider for a sweet dose of apple delight, and be sure to tune into the livestream of Dr. Peck’s keynote speech on Friday, 8 June at 10am ET to learn more about his work and the wonderful world of cider-making.

[1] Allied Market Research. 2018. “Global Cider Market Expected to Reach $16,252 Million by 2023 – Allied Market Research.” PR Newswire, January 24. Accessed on April 26, 2018. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-cider-market-expected-to-reach-16252-million-by-2023—allied-market-research-670847853.html.

[2] Wilson, Mel. “English Apples: Foxwhelps.” Sutton Elms. Accessed May 2, 2018. http://www.suttonelms.org.uk/apple81.html.

The Biodiversity Heritage Library is pleased to welcome the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN) as a new Member. MfN is the first German museum to join the Biodiversity Heritage Library as a Member.

The Museum für Naturkunde Berlin has been a part of the BHL global family for nearly a decade through BHL Europe. Launched in 2009 and coordinated by MfN, the three-year BHL Europe project aimed to improve the interoperability of European biodiversity digital libraries and bring together the digitization activities of institutions across the EU.

“The Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and BHL have been working together for many years towards a shared vision of global open access to worldwide biodiversity collections,” affirms BHL Program Director Martin R. Kalfatovic. “We are excited to strengthen our collaborative efforts through membership and look forward to working with our MfN colleagues to realize our shared vision, expand our international research impact, and pursue further partnerships within Germany and across Europe.”

As a BHL Member, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin will provide technical, digitization, and data management expertise and contribute rare and unique materials from its significant collections. The Museum will also explore opportunities to facilitate participation and contributions from other German organizations and societies. Ongoing participation in the Biodiversity Heritage Library will allow MfN to further its commitment to making biodiversity literature as freely and openly available as possible.

“We believe that the library collections of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin are of high value for both the scientific community as well as other users like citizen scientists and the general public,” asserts Dr. Jana Hoffmann, Head of the Digital World and Information Science programme at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. “BHL supports our efforts in the science programme Digital World and Information Science to open our library physically and digitally, thus positioning the museum as a global and active player ‘For Nature.’”

About the Biodiversity Heritage Library

BHL is a consortium of major natural history, botanical and research libraries that seek to contribute to the global “biodiversity commons” by digitizing and providing free and open access to biodiversity literature and archives from across the globe. For more information, visit the Biodiversity Heritage Library website: www.biodiversitylibrary.org.

About Museum für Naturkunde Berlin

The Museum für Naturkunde – Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung (MfN) in Berlin is an integrative research museum in the Leibniz Association, a union of non-university German research institutions dedicated to addressing scientific issues of societal importance. Consisting of over 30 million specimens, the Museum’s collections constitute a research infrastructure of worldwide importance. The MfN Library holds 374,000 items representing multidisciplinary fields within the natural sciences and the history of science. With the credo “Für Natur” (“For Nature”) driving all of its work, MfN is dedicated to tackling the major biodiversity and environmental challenges of the 21st century through its operations, research projects, exhibitions, and targeted collaborative efforts.

“The cultivation of natural science cannot be efficiently carried on without reference to an extensive library.”

Charles Darwin and fifty-six other signatories made this assertion as part of an appeal for support of natural history research at the British Museum in 1847.[1]

Over one hundred and fifty years later, this still holds true. The domain of systematic biology depends, perhaps more than any other science, upon historic literature. From original species descriptions to distribution data, locality records, behavioral observations and more, natural history literature underpins modern research and is critical to the study of biodiversity.

Thanks to the Biodiversity Heritage Library, researchers around the world have free and open access to these essential publications.

Otto Stenberg, graduate student at the University of Helsinki, taking a detour on the way to the campus. Image Credit: Otto Stenberg

Graduate student Otto Stenberg has experienced the value of historical literature, and the benefits of BHL, first-hand throughout his studies on molecular and evolutionary biology at the University of Helsinki. One of these most memorable instances occurred during an undergraduate research project on pinniped evolution.

“We were gathering information on fossil localities,” explains Stenberg. “I ended up looking for some info on an eared seal fossil from Argentina. The fossil itself was lost in the early 20th century and was thus only briefly mentioned in a couple of other sources. However, on BHL, I managed to find Les mammiferes fossiles de l’Amerique du Sud – the original publication in which a species (Otaria fischeri) had been described based on the fossil. It had the info we were interested in!”

Title page of Les mammiferes fossiles de l’Amerique du Sud. (1880). By Henri Gervais and Florentino Ameghino. Digitized in BHL by Smithsonian Libraries.

Stenberg discovered BHL early in his undergraduate studies, prompted by a discussion about Charles Darwin during an evolutionary biology class lecture.

“I decided to see if I could dig up a scan of the 1st edition of On the Origin of Species on the Internet,” recalls Stenberg. “While a quick search yielded several promising hits, the Biodiversity Heritage Library sounded most interesting – and it turns out it was! I spent several hours just browsing BHL, and didn’t actually end up reading any Darwin that day.”

Stenberg has since completed his undergraduate degree in molecular biosciences and is currently completing his Master’s thesis at the University of Helsinki with a focus on genetics in an evolutionary context. Since 2016, he has been part of a research team at the University’s Jernvall Evo-Devo Lab at the Institute of Biotechnology, where the group is exploring the relationship between dental complexity and diet in carnivoran mammals.

Stenberg scanning the lower molars of a polar bear for further research on dental complexity in carnivoran mammals. Image Credit: Jacqueline Moustakas-Verho.

BHL continues to be a valuable resource for Stenberg’s graduate studies. He uses the library several times a month, browsing the titles online and occasionally downloading interesting publications for later reading on his phone during his commute. His favorite features include BHL’s multiple reading and download options and high resolution scans of scientific illustrations. He also finds the library’s social media feeds and “Today’s Pick” Flickr stream on the BHL homepage to be a great entry point to facilitate discovery of treasures in the collection.

Beyond its practical research applications, Stenberg emphasizes that BHL also provides an important historical perspective on biodiversity research.

“BHL has much value as a provider of historical context when it comes to biosciences!” lauds Stenberg. “Numerous times have I heard of an old experiment/hypothesis during a lecture and then later been able to find an original publication regarding it on BHL. Instead of just reading about the importance of old research, being able to actually read the thoughts of researchers past is a wonderful window to the history of science!”

For Stenberg, BHL is more than just a digital library. It is a tool for research, learning, and outreach that makes scientific knowledge freely available to scientists, faculty, students, and the general public alike. It is an inspirational archive that has expanded Stenberg’s own appreciation of science.

“There’s so much value in being able to ‘travel back in time’ to read the original publications with just a couple of clicks,” stresses Stenberg. “I’d argue that as a student, it’s important to also learn about the history upon which our modern knowledge was built. Broadening the context in which you view science is very rewarding!”

[1] Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 1070F,” accessed on 17 April 2018, http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/DCP-LETT-1070F

New enhancement for BHL’s full text search implementation added August 2018: You can now choose to search the catalog only (i.e. bibliographic metadata like title, author, etc.) or catalog + full text. Information below has been updated to reflect this enhancement.

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We’re thrilled to announce that full text search is now available on the Biodiversity Heritage Library!

To start using this functionality, simply visit BHL, type a term into the search box with the “full text” button selected, and use our new interface enhancements to review your results. Search results will display hits for your term in both the bibliographic metadata (i.e. title, author, subject, publisher, related titles and series, etc.) as well as the full text of books in BHL.

If you wish to limit your search to just the bibliographic metadata, select the “catalog” button before performing your search.

For each result, expand “Details” to see where your term occurs within each item, be it in the title, keywords, or full text.

Overview of the new full text search functionality on BHL.

Click on a title to view an item from your results list. You can then use the “search inside a book” functionality (discussed below) to navigate to specific pages mentioning your term.

Full text search makes it easier to discover a wider range of relevant content. For example, say you’re looking for information related to invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) populations in the Ohio River. A search for “zebra mussel” AND “Ohio River” yields several intriguing results that may not have been easily discoverable without full text search.

Results of a search for “zebra mussel” AND “ohio river” yields several intriguing results in the full text. Note: Image edited to highlight specific results of interest.

Faceted Browsing

We’ve also enhanced the BHL interface with faceted browsing, making it easier for you to explore your search results by applying filters for content type, publication date, subject, language, and author. To narrow your results by one of the filters, simply check the box next to the desired facet value(s).

Use facets to narrow your search results.

Search results will automatically update when you select a value, but for best results, select one value at a time, allowing the results set to update, before selecting an additional facet value if you wish to further limit your results.

Search Inside a Book

We have also added “search inside a book” functionality, allowing you to search for terms within a book you’re viewing.

To use this feature, navigate to the top right corner of the book viewer, select the “Search Inside” tab and enter your search terms. In that same panel, results will display the pages where your search terms are found, along with snippets of the surrounding text. Navigate to any of those pages by clicking on the hyperlinked page number.

“Search inside a book” on BHL.

“Search inside a book” is a powerful way to uncover content of interest within a specific book. For example, say you want to find the passages where Darwin discusses his time at the Galápagos Islands within his Journal of Researches from the H.M.S Beagle voyage. By searching for “Galapagos”, you can easily find and navigate to the relevant pages.

A search for “Galapagos” within Darwin’s Journal of Researches using the “search inside a book” functionality.

Learn More

We’re excited to introduce this much-anticipated new functionality to BHL, and we look forward to seeing what further discoveries it enables.

Have questions about full text search or want to learn more about our features and functionality? See our General Search and Full Text Search FAQs. If you have further questions or suggestions for future enhancements, you can contact us via our webform or [email protected].