All posts by Michelle Strizever

Have you ever wanted to browse the stacks of a rare book library? To explore the pages of Gessner’s sixteenth century masterpiece Historiae Animalium and ask an expert why a walrus is illustrated with wing-like appendages? Or study Alexander Wilson’s passenger pigeon illustration and learn from a rare book authority the scientific implications of the depictions of now-extinct species?

Every year, approximately 10,000 librarians gather together in one place to network, learn about emerging library trends and technological developments, and share their knowledge and expertise with colleagues. They call it ALA Midwinter (ALA = American Library Association), and this year it’s in Seattle, Washington, January 25-29, 2013.

We hope you’re having a marvelous time celebrating the Holidays today! We wanted to do something fun and different for our Christmas post. So, we decided to present (pun intended!) you with your own truly biodiverse BHL Christmas tree – with a twist!Our tree has been decorated with 15 species ornaments. Each species on the tree is identified by its common name. Below the tree is a list of 20 scientific names. All 15 of the species on the tree are listed among the binomials, as well as 5 that are not on the tree.Can you associate our ornaments with their scientific names? Simply click on the 15 binomials you believe are represented on the tree and hit “submit.” The subsequent results screen will tell you whether you’re a taxonomy master or beginner.