The document provides an overview of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries (SIL) and its role in digitization efforts. SIL is a distributed library system consisting of 20 branches that supports the Smithsonian museums, research centers, and staff. It holds over 1.7 million volumes and provides resources to researchers worldwide through its website and projects like the Biodiversity Heritage Library, which aims to digitize literature on biodiversity. SIL leads major collaborations to make the Smithsonian's collections more accessible online through digitization and aims to send knowledge out into the world.