The document outlines engagement outreach strategies for the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), highlighting successful social media and blogging initiatives that have significantly increased user engagement. It details specific projects such as educational lessons based on Mark Catesby's works and citizen science opportunities, including transcription and tagging efforts. Additionally, the document emphasizes the impact of BHL's resources on scientific research and the community's collaborative efforts to enhance accessibility and utility of biodiversity literature.

1. THE STORY OF ENGAGEMENT
Outreach Strategies at the
Biodiversity Heritage Library
By Grace Costantino and presented by Martin R. Kalfatovic
XXI AETFAT Congress 2017
Nairobi, Kenya
18 May 2017
Share your thoughts on social media using
#BHLib

2. The Natural History of Carolina,
Florida, and the Bahama Islands
MARK CATESBY
The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands.
1st ed. 1729-1747. Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/62015

3. The Natural History of Carolina,
Florida, and the Bahama Islands
MARK CATESBY
The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands.
1st ed. 1729-1747. Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/62015

4. The Natural History of Carolina,
Florida, and the Bahama Islands
MARK CATESBY
The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands.
1st ed. 1729-1747. Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/62015

5. CATESBY & LINNAEUS
Carl von Linné (Carl Linnaeus).
Alexander Roslin, 1775
(Oil on canvas, Gripsholm Castle).
Systema Naturae, 10th ed.
1758. Digitized by Missouri Botanical Garden.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/542
Species Plantarum.
1753. Digitized by Missouri Botanical Garden.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/669

6. CATESBY & LINNAEUS
First scientific description of the
Lily thorn (Catesbaea spinosa)
Published in Species Plantarum. 1753.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/358128.
Digitized by Missouri Botanical Garden.
Lily thorn (Catesbaea spinosa).
Pictured with zebra swallowtail
(Protographium marcellus)
From The Natural History of Carolina, Florida,
and the Bahama Islands. v. 2, ed. 1. pl. 100.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40680398.
Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.
Catesby’s plate is the type for the lily thorn
(Catesbaea spinosa).
Linnaeus honored Catesby within genus designation.

7. CATESBY IN 3 EDITIONS
Edition One: 1729-1747.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/62015.
Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.
Edition Two: 1754.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/10313.
Digitized by Missouri Botanical Garden.
Edition Three: 1771.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/58835.
Digitized by University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill.

8. OUTREACH STRATEGY
SHARE OUR COLLECTIONS AND THEIR
STORIES ON OUR BLOG AND SOCIAL MEDIA
blog.biodiversitylibrary.org
@BioDivLibrary on:
www.flickr.com/biodivlibrary

9. BOOK OF THE MONTH
http://bit.do/BookOfTheMonth
The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands.
blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2016/09/catesbys-magnificent-natural-history-in.html

10. BHL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
@BioDivLibrary on…

11. BHL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
@BioDivLibrary on…
110,000+
IMAGES IN FLICKR
223+MILLION
TOTAL VIEWS ON IMAGES
WWW.FLICKR.COM/BIODIVLIBRARY
BHL FLICKR NAMED 1 OF WIRED’S
27 MUST-FOLLOW FEEDS IN
THE WORLD OF SCIENCE
IN 2015…

12. BHL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
@BioDivLibrary on…
WWW.FLICKR.COM/BIODIVLIBRARY
Search Flickr by “Catesby” and binomial.
Compare illustrations across all three editions.
3rd EDITION1st EDITION 2nd EDITION

13. BHL AND OUR USERS
http://bit.do/BHLUserPosts
Catesby in the Classroom
blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2017/01/catesby-in-classroom-students-explore.html
Example of the 3rd and 5th
grade Catesby lesson,
whereby students "zoom" in
on details in the specimen
being observed. Example
by Dr. Tracey Hunter-
Doniger.
DR. TRACEY HUNTER-DONIGER
Link to Catesby volumes in BHL and
the Catesby lesson plans available to
teachers through PBS Learning Media!

14. OUTREACH STRATEGY
SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS

15. OUTREACH STRATEGY
FOSSIL STORIES
Mysterious femur…
The Natural History of Oxfordshire. 1677.
Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48062596.
War Elephant?
Giant Human?

16. OUTREACH STRATEGY
FOSSIL STORIES
Dinosaur!
Megalosaurus
First published illustration of a
dinosaur bone!
The Natural History of Oxfordshire. 1677.
Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48062596.
First validly-named dinosaur genus.
Transactions of the Geological Society. 1824.
Digitized by California Academy of Sciences.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36238855.
© Berislav Krzic /
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.

17. OUTREACH STRATEGY
#FossilStories posts on…

18. OUTREACH STRATEGY
#FossilStories posts on…
160%Increase in
Engagements
on Social Media
854%Views on Blog Content
144%Engaged Users
on Social Media
18%Visits to BHL from
Social Media
135%New Followers
on Social Media

19. OUTREACH STRATEGY
#FossilStories posts on…
LIVE WEBCASTS

20. OUTREACH STRATEGY
#FossilStories posts on…
252 PAGES
TRANSCRIBED
IN 3.5 DAYS WITH
VOLUNTEERS
FROM 48COUNTRIES
Local field note-book no. 2 of Lester F. Ward,
October 16, 1892 to May 7, 1893.
Digitized by Smithsonian Institution Archives.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/107244.
#FOSSILFOSSICK CHALLENGE
WITH SMITHSONIAN
TRANSCRIPTION CENTER
CITIZEN SCIENCE

21. OUTREACH STRATEGY
CITIZEN SCIENCE
LOUIS RENARD’S FANTASTICAL FISH

22. LOUIS RENARD
Fantastic Fish
Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes. 1754.
Digitized by Harvard University, Museum of
Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/200575.
AUTHOR SECRET AGENT!

23. LOUIS RENARD
Fantastic Fish
DEPICTS >450 FISH & CRUSTACEANS
Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes. 1754.
Digitized by Harvard University, Museum of
Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/200575.
~90% CAN BE IDENTIFIED!

24. LOUIS RENARD
Fantastic Fish
CITIZEN SCIENCE TO THE RESCUE!
Taxon Tagged by Michelle Marshall using:
Fishes, Crayfishes and Crabs: Louis Renard's Natural
History of the Rarest Curiosities of the Seas of the
Indies (1995) by Professor Theodore W. Pietsch.

25. LOUIS RENARD
Fantastic Fish
CITIZEN SCIENCE TO THE RESCUE!
Taxon Tagged by Michelle Marshall using:
Fishes, Crayfishes and Crabs: Louis Renard's Natural
History of the Rarest Curiosities of the Seas of the
Indies (1995) by Professor Theodore W. Pietsch.
The rainbow runner (Elagatis bipinnulata)
Image: Public Domain, NOAA.

26. LOUIS RENARD
Fantastic Fish
CITIZEN SCIENCE TO THE RESCUE!
Taxon Tagged by Michelle Marshall using:
Fishes, Crayfishes and Crabs: Louis Renard's Natural
History of the Rarest Curiosities of the Seas of the
Indies (1995) by Professor Theodore W. Pietsch.
Mudskipper (Genus Periophthalmus)
Image: Atlantic mudskippers (Periophthalmus barbarus)
by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen

27. LOUIS RENARD
Fantastic Fish
CITIZEN SCIENCE TO THE RESCUE!
Taxon Tagged by Michelle Marshall using:
Fishes, Crayfishes and Crabs: Louis Renard's Natural
History of the Rarest Curiosities of the Seas of the
Indies (1995) by Professor Theodore W. Pietsch.
Oriental flying gurnard (Dactyloptena orientalis)
Image: CC-BY Jens Petersen.

28. LOUIS RENARD
Fantastic Fish
CITIZEN SCIENCE TO THE RESCUE!
Taxon Tagged by Michelle Marshall using:
Fishes, Crayfishes and Crabs: Louis Renard's Natural
History of the Rarest Curiosities of the Seas of the
Indies (1995) by Professor Theodore W. Pietsch.
Flying fish (Family Exocoetidae)
Image: Public Domain, NOAA.

29. FLICKR TAGGING
www.flickr.com/biodivlibrary
FLICKR MACHINE TAG:
taxonomy:binomial=“Magnolia hodgsonii”
Illustrations of Himalayan Plants. 1855.
Digitized by Missouri Botanical Garden.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/620690
TOTAL IMAGES
TAGGED31,500+
TOTAL
MACHINE TAGS85,800+

30. FLICKR TAGGING
www.flickr.com/biodivlibrary
Five results, including…
2 RENARD ILLUSTRATIONS!
FLICKR SEARCH FOR:
“Pomacanthus imperator”

31. FLICKR TAGGING
www.flickr.com/biodivlibrary
Illustrations of Himalayan Plants. 1855.
Digitized by Missouri Botanical Garden.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/620690
BHL IMAGES
IN EOL18,000+
FLICKR MACHINE TAGGED IMAGE:
taxonomy:binomial=“Magnolia hodgsonii”

32. CITIZEN SCIENCE WIN
Michelle Marshall, BHL Volunteer
Instagram:
instagram.com/biodivlibrary
Tumblr:
biodivlibrary.tumblr.com

33. CITIZEN SCIENCE OPPORTUNITIES
Play a game & help correct
BHL’s Optical Character
Recognition (OCR)
smorballgame.org
beanstalkgame.org
Describe images
from 19th century
periodicals in this
Zooniverse project.
sciencegossip.org
Transcribe scientists’
fieldnotes on:
fromthepage.com
transcription.si.edu
volunteer.ala.org.au
LEARN MORE: BIT.DO/BHLGetInvolved
Add machine tags (like
scientific names) to
images in Flickr.
www.flickr.com/biodivli
brary

34. OUTREACH STRATEGY
COLLABORATE WITH OTHERS

35. GEORGE VERNON HUDSON
POSTAL CLERK, CITIZEN SCIENTIST
An elementary manual of New Zealand entomology.
1892. Text and art by George Vernon Hudson.
Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/34950.First Scientific Description:
Megaleptoperla grandis (syn. Leptoperla grandis).
Transactions and proceedings of the New Zealand Institute.
v. 45 (1912). Digitized by MBLWHOI Library.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9975790.

36. #1LIB1REF
ENHANCING WIKIPEDIA, ONE CITATION AT A TIME
…links to first scientific
description in BHL
(by G.V. Hudson)!
Hudson, George Vernon (1903). "On Some New Species of
Macro-lepidoptera.". Transactions and proceedings of the
New Zealand Institute. 35: 244–245.
Digitized by MBLWHOI Library.
Wikipedia page for
Adeixis griseata…
THANKS SIOBHAN!

37. #1LIB1REF
ENHANCING WIKIPEDIA, ONE CITATION AT A TIME
Blog post by Siobhan – How to Cite BHL in Wikipedia.
blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2017/01/be-like-bhl-librarian-and-edit.html
EDITS CONTRIBUTORS
4,171 741
2,588WIKIPEDIAARTICLES EDITED

38. #1LIB1REF
ENHANCING WIKIPEDIA, ONE CITATION AT A TIME
18+BILLION
PAGEVIEWS PER MONTH
WIKIPEDIA AVERAGES
MOST-VISITED
WEBSITES
IN THE WORLD!
MAKING IT ONE OF THE
Reference: Pew Research Center 2016.
www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/01/14/wikipedia-at-15/
#5REFERRING
SITE
IN 2016 WIKIPEDIA
WAS THE
TO BHL.
Top-referring sites
to BHL in 2016.
Source:
Google Analytics.

39. OUTREACH STRATEGY
SHARE REAL-WORLD STORIES
ABOUT BHL IMPACT ON…
http://bit.do/BHLUserPosts

40. IMPACT ON SCIENCE
Dr. Barna Páll-Gergely
“Simply speaking we need three main things for
a taxonomy: (1) type specimens of known
species deposited in museums, (2) previously
not examined material, and (3) literature. BHL
provided nearly all the literature we needed.”

41. IMPACT ON SCIENCE
Vargapupa biheli
“We may think it is natural to have old literature
online, but if we didn't, we would have serious
trouble finding the relevant publications. Therefore
I thought BHL definitely deserves a new species
named after it for the help it provided.”
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3937.1.1
Dr. Barna Páll-Gergely
A New Snail Species Named in Honor of BHL!
blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2015/04/a-new-snail-species-named-in-honor-of.html

42. Thank You!
Questions?
Grace Costantino & Martin Kalfatovic
XXI AETFAT Congress 2017
Nairobi, Kenya | 18 May 2017
Stay Connected with BHL!
Follow @BioDivLibrary on social media
Join our Mailing List: library.si.edu/bhl-newsletter-signup