FROM HIDDEN TO DISCOVERED TO ENGAGED EXPOSING BIODIVERSITY HOLDINGS TO RESEARCH COMMUNITIES AND BEYOND
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION ARCHIVES NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY SMITHSONIAN LIBRARIES @SMITHSONIANARCH @FIELDBOOKPROJ @BIODIVLIBRARY
Riccardo Ferrante @raferrante #SAA2019 8/3/2019 2009 – 2019
From Hidden to Discovered to Engaged
Cataloged & Online @ Smithsonian Collections Search Center, siarchives.si.edu 9,508
Digitized 4,000
Contributed to 3,686 BHL, DPLA
Transcribed 460
To date, over 94,000 downloads from the Internet Archive since July 2015 62,000 pageviews on siarchives.si.edu since May 2016 3,200 users from 55 countries have viewed field books on BHL 460 field books transcribed by digital volunteers 2009 – 2019
From Hidden to Discovered to Engaged
Facing Reality Dispersed holdings Finding Aids are not Google-friendly 2009 – 2019
From Hidden to Discovered to Engaged
Facing Reality Finding Aids are not Google-friendly 2009 – 2019
From Hidden to Discovered to Engaged
Facing Reality Some content is unmanaged, lacking intellectual and physical control 2009 – 2019
From Hidden to Discovered to Engaged
Exposing Biodiversity Fieldbooks and Original Expeditions Journals at the Smithsonian Institution, 2009-2012 Funding support from CLIR
Approximately 6,000 field notes – a solid start Item-level cataloging A web-accessible catalog of biodiversity primary sources Exploring the possibility of a shared catalog platform 2009 – 2019
From Hidden to Discovered to Engaged
2012 Results Over 6,600 item records in an online catalog incorporating natural collections data standards Outreach to the biodiversity communities Blog, Twitter, Flickr Conferences 2009 – 2019
From Hidden to Discovered to Engaged
2012 Results Over 6,600 items 2009 – 2019
From Hidden to Discovered to Engaged
2013 - Digitization ramps up Smithsonian Womens Committee grant funds two summer interns. Researchers’ specific requests handled as digitization on demand.
- Preservation/conservation interventions set in motion National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures grant funds a dedicated conservator 2009 – 2019
From Hidden to Discovered to Engaged
2013 - Engagement: Crowdsourced transcription Smithsonian Transcription Center launches in June 2013. 10 field books are in the initial set.
Completed transcripts are linked to the item-level records and finding aids 2009 – 2019
From Hidden to Discovered to Engaged
2014 - Expanded discoverability and engagement
Biodiversity Heritage Library begins to accept primary source materials. 400 items from the Smithsonian Field Book Project were in the initial set.
Digital Public Library of America The Smithsonian Institution becomes a Content Hub and includes the digitized field books in its contributions 2009 – 2019
From Hidden to Discovered to Engaged
2015 - 2019
- Two major grants fund additional cataloging and the digitization of 3,600 more field books to be included in BHL
- A marked increase in new accessions of field books and related records.
- “Volunpeers” have transcribed ### field books and documented the contributions of previously overlooked women naturalists and scientists
2009 – 2019
From Hidden to Discovered to Engaged
Additional benefits of the first grant - At-risk field books in need of intervention
2009 – 2019
From Hidden to Discovered to Engaged
Discoverability Item-level records online Archival, libraries and research community standards Outreach = Hidden 2009 – 2019
From Hidden to Discovered to Engaged
Cataloged & Online @ Smithsonian Collections Search Center, siarchives.si.edu 9,508
Digitized 4,000
Contributed to 3,686 BHL, DPLA
Transcribed 460
To date, over 94,000 downloads from the Internet Archive since July 2015 62,000 pageviews on siarchives.si.edu since May 2016 3,200 users from 55 countries have viewed field books on BHL 460 field books transcribed by digital volunteers FROM HIDDEN TO DISCOVERED TO ENGAGED EXPOSING BIODIVERSITY HOLDINGS TO RESEARCH COMMUNITIES AND BEYOND
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION ARCHIVES NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY SMITHSONIAN LIBRARIES @SMITHSONIANARCH @FIELDBOOKPROJ @BIODIVLIBRARY
Riccardo Ferrante @raferrante #SAA2019 8/3/2019