Digitization at the New York Botanical Garden John Mignault Systems Librarian, The LuEsther T. Mertz Library

The LuEsther T. Mertz Library A prestigious botanical and horticultural library Goals Strengthen collections Increase access Provide quality resources & services Stewardship of collections

A prestigious botanical and horticultural library

Goals

Strengthen collections

Increase access

Provide quality resources & services

Stewardship of collections

Virtual Herbarium 7.5 million pressed plant specimens 1.5 million specimens digitized Running on KE Emu software http://sciweb.nybg.org/science2/VirtualHerbarium.asp

7.5 million pressed plant specimens

1.5 million specimens digitized

Running on KE Emu software

http://sciweb.nybg.org/science2/VirtualHerbarium.asp

The pilot project - Michaux http://library.nybg.org/library/page1.php

Why digitize? More people now visit the Library virtually than physically Need to expand access to materials to an increasingly online user population Total Library usage (e-mails, onsite, website) = 120,800 Over 29,000 onsite visitors - 25% 82,300 visitors to the virtual library - 75%!

More people now visit the Library virtually than physically

Need to expand access to materials to an increasingly online user population

Total Library usage (e-mails, onsite, website) = 120,800

Over 29,000 onsite visitors - 25%

82,300 visitors to the virtual library - 75%!

Circa Instans, 1190

How much of the Library’s collections should we digitize?

Proposed Plan for Digitization Criteria contributes to a critical mass in a specific subject supports an online research or curriculum tool Other factors on demand research requests or interlibrary loans commercial use scans for product development collaborative potential preservation reformatting

Criteria

contributes to a critical mass in a specific subject

supports an online research or curriculum tool

Other factors

on demand research requests or interlibrary loans

commercial use scans for product development

collaborative potential

preservation reformatting

Library Digitization Plan user studies and audience identification select collections to be scanned implement best practices image format and resolution preservation and conservation quality control and image management equipment selection and maintenance server space and digital archival storage assess staffing and funding needs

user studies and audience identification

select collections to be scanned

implement best practices

image format and resolution

preservation and conservation

quality control and image management

equipment selection and maintenance

server space and digital archival storage

assess staffing and funding needs

Web-based access provides substantial benefits to library users worldwide By making research materials that are out of copyright and in the public domain available digitally, we can drive traffic to the Garden’s website and expose all of our collections to a greater audience.

Digitization of Caribbean material can support Garden research programs

Research environment Taxonomic intelligence tools Full text available in BHL portal Advanced search applications

Taxonomic intelligence tools

Full text available in BHL portal

Advanced search applications

Book scanning in the Garden’s imaging lab

Future efforts Task force Technology infrastructure Develop staffing Integration with Virtual Herbarium Integration of library resources

Task force

Technology infrastructure

Develop staffing

Integration with Virtual Herbarium

Integration of library resources

Links NYBG: http://www. nybg .org Mertz Library: http://library.nybg.org Virtual Herbarium: http://tinyurl.com/2zuvfa BHL: http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org

NYBG: http://www. nybg .org

Mertz Library: http://library.nybg.org

Virtual Herbarium: http://tinyurl.com/2zuvfa

BHL: http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org