Fostering Data Driven Natural Science through Open Digital Libraries
As part of its 2023 Annual Meeting, BHL is hosting a public symposium on 19 April 2023 at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN) in Paris, France. Themed “Fostering Data Driven Natural Science through Open Digital Libraries”, the program will include sessions reflecting on the use of literature data for natural science; interoperability between digital libraries and natural science databases; and the construction of local and global networks around data exchange and alignment.
Recent years have witnessed a spectacular increase of data available for research, through either digital conversion or in born digital form vastly increasing outcomes based on data driven science. In natural sciences, especially in taxonomy and systematics, this new data forward context has allowed for the emergence of the concept of “digital specimen”, where a digital representation of a physical specimen is linked to additional information stored in external databases.
Documents from digital libraries, particularly the Biodiversity Heritage Library, rank among the most relevant data for taxonomy and systematics. This literature includes key data points such as first descriptions, occurrences, specimen information, morphology, illustrations, and other key information.
However, digital libraries with these data are often silos or are unable to provide data under FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles. Opening up these silos and building bridges between platforms necessitates various efforts, including the provision of persistent identifiers, structured metadata, and access via automated protocols and APIs.
These efforts towards interoperability foster the creation of important biodiversity networks, from the local (individual institutions) through national and international networks, bringing together librarians, researchers, and computer scientists to increase access to data that supports a thriving and sustainable planet.
This symposium, organized as part of the 2023 BHL Annual Meeting, will be held in the auditorium of the Grande Galerie de l’Evolution of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris, 75005). Open to all members of the digital library or biodiversity community, it intends to promote the sharing of knowledge between experts from different countries, different contexts and different professional backgrounds.
Date and Time: 19 April 2023, 1330-1800 CEST
Location: Auditorium de la Grande Galerie de l’Evolution
Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN)
Paris, France
Program Details
BHL Day 2023: Fostering Data Driven Natural Science through Open Digital Libraries will include two sessions chaired by the Director and Deputy Director of the MNHN Libraries, with speakers from MNHN, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Bibliothèque nationale de France, University Library Johann Christian Senckenberg, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, University of Glasgow, BHL Australia, and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The symposium will conclude with a Celebration of Constance Rinaldo, BHL Founding Secretary.
1330-1400 CEST | Opening and Welcome Coffee
1400-1415 CEST | Welcome and Introduction
Gildas Illien, General Director of Collections, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle
1415-1545 CEST | Providing heritage literature for natural sciences
Chair: Alice Lemaire, Director, MNHN Libraries
The role of heritage literature in taxonomic research
Patrice Pruvost, Curator of the Fish Collection, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle
BIOfid’s efforts to foster data-driven biodiversity research in Central Europe
Gerwin Kasperek, Curator of the Biology Collection, University Library Johann Christian Senckenberg
Contributing Authors:
Carlos Martínez Munoz, Project Manager, Senckenberg—Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research
Adrian Pachzelt, IT Developer, University Library Johann Christian Senckenberg
Enhancing the Museum Data Ecosystem: Mining Research Publications for Museum Specimens
Richard Naples, Data Manager, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
Building bridges between heterogeneous data silos : towards a MNHN datahub
Chloé Besombes, Head of Acquisition and Treatment Service, Libraries of the Muséum national d’histoire naturelle
Francis Clément, Deputy Director, Digital Innovation and IT, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle
Cécile Callou, Director, UAR BBEES Muséum national d’histoire naturelle
1545-1600 CEST | Break
1600-1730 CEST | Past and present scientific publications in a network of biodiversity data
Chair: Clément Oury, Deputy-Director, MNHN Libraries
Scientific publications in the biodiversity ecosystem: the BICIKL project
Marianne Salaün, Desk Editor, Scientific Publications, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle
Towards a more visible, more connected, and more useful BHL
Roderic Page, Professor of Taxonomy (Evolution & Diversity), University of Glasgow
Nicole Kearney, Manager, Biodiversity Heritage Library Australia
Echinopscis – an extensible notebook for open science on specimens
Nicky Nicolson, Senior Research Leader, Biodiversity Informatics, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
A toolbox for digital library investigation: developing data analysis of natural history documents
Guillaume Sapriel, Associate Professor, Versailles St-Quentin University (Paris-Saclay)
Marie Carlin, Coordinator for the BnF Datalab, Bibliothèque nationale de France
1730-1800 CEST | Celebration of Constance Rinaldo
David Iggulden, BHL Chair and Head of Data and Digital, Library and Archives, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Martin Kalfatovic, BHL Program Director and Associate Director of Digital Programs and Initiatives, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
Recordings
Recordings of each session are available on the BHL YouTube channel via the BHL Day 2023 playlist.