Digitized Public Domain Literature

Digitized public domain books
Chris Freeland
Technical Director, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Director, Center for Biodiversity Informatics,
Missouri Botanical Garden

Vieillot. La galerie des oiseaux. 1834.
http://biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/48613

“I arrived back at work from holidays today to be greeted by Michael, an [sic] colleague researching wasps. He was excited that he had discovered in the Biodiversity Heritage Library a copy of an obscure 1860s book:
Saussure, H. de & Sichel, J. (1864). Catalogue des espèces de l'ancien genre Scolia, contenant les diagnoses, les descriptions et la synonymie des espèces, avec des remarquesexplicativeser critiques. Genève & Paris : Henri Georg & V. Masson et Fils pp. 1–350
This book was not in our library, probably not in Australia, and almost impossible to get hold of without travelling to the northern hemisphere. Thanks to the BHL for their work in providing access to works of importance. Michael is now able to use detailed content of this book in his work.”
-John Tann, Australian Museum
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/9323

Digitizing
public domain books
is
NONCONTROVERSIAL

But, it is expen$ive.
Prioritizing
Locating
Updating
Selecting
Pulling
Checking
Tracking
Reshelving
Scanning is the easy part.

Libraries, librarians & staff
NEED OUR SUPPORT
in this important endeavor

Because once books are digitized,
we liberate
the written word
from the printed page
& the library stacks

We can then begin
CONNECTING
words and concepts in books
tomuseum collections,
to archival materials,
to everything

Using algorithms like TaxonFinder from uBio.org

Wha?! But, I know those words are in there. Just give me the data, let me explore.

http://ryanschenk.com/2011/02/visualizing-taxonomic-synoymns/
http://biostor.org

http://twitter.com/LillyLyle/status/41242610517553152

I worry about the
confusion between
CONTAINER
&
CONTENT

A printed book is a
CONTAINER.
ItsCONTENT is what’s important.

Of all the worlds created by man,
the world of books
is the most powerful.
-Heinrich Heine

Because, yes,
history suggests the
[insert proprietary
e-reader device / format here]
will #fail.

And so, a
Digital Public Library of America
MUST be:
Open Access & Open Source
with
Open Data & Open APIs

AND OPEN
^

THANK YOU
Chris Freeland
chrisfreeland.com
Technical Director, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Director, Center for Biodiversity Informatics,
Missouri Botanical Garden

Digitized Public Domain Literature

by Chris Freeland on Feb 28, 2011

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