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biodivlibrary.bsky.social
Biodiversity Heritage Library
@biodivlibrary.bsky.social
1.6K followers 1.5K following 210 posts
The Biodiversity Heritage Library provides free & #OpenAccess to 63+ million pages of #biodiversity literature online. 🔗 biodiversitylibrary.org
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Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
jenlucpiquant.bsky.social
300,000 Wondrous Nature Illustrations Put Online by The Biodiversity Heritage Library www.openculture.com/2026/01/3000...
300,000 Wondrous Nature Illustrations Put Online by The Biodiversity Heritage Library
Are we truly in the midst of a human-caused sixth mass extinction, an era of “biological annihilation”?
www.openculture.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:47 PM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
💚 Thanks to our global BHL community, we reached our USD 50,000 #GiveBHLWings goal by 1 Jan 2026! These funds support BHL’s transition, staff, and infrastructure, keeping biodiversity knowledge open worldwide. Special thanks to our recurring donors. More updates soon. 🌍 📖 🧪 #BHLTransition
An historic image of a school of blue flying fish soaring above waves.
January 5, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
siobhanleachman.bsky.social
Since Jan 1st I've been celebrating the start Biodiversity Heritage Library's (@biodivlibrary.bsky.social) new era by adding structured data to their images in #WikiCommons. #BHLTransition
Screenshot of the structured data panel of a BHL sourced image in Wikimedia commons along with the illustration of a plant the structured data applies to.
January 1, 2026 at 8:24 PM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
🌍 The #GiveBHLWings campaign is on the brink of reaching its USD 50,000 goal, just hours before the Biodiversity Heritage Library transitions to independence on 1 Jan 26.

If BHL matters to you, please help us soar over the line. 💚 🧪
ancrywkv.donorsupport.co/page/GiveBHL...
#BHLTransition #ILoveBHL
An historic illustration of two colourful pheasants flying in the sky.
December 31, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
nicolekearney.bsky.social
We're counting down the hours. Please help if you can. 🧪
bhl-au.bsky.social BHL Australia @bhl-au.bsky.social · 10d
🌿 On 1 Jan, @biodivlibrary.bsky.social becomes fully independent & global after 19 years hosted by the Smithsonian. BHL Australia is proud to be part of this effort. Donate to our #GiveBHLWings campaign to help BHL soar into the future: ancrywkv.donorsupport.co/page/GiveBHL...
#BHLTransition 🧪🌱
An historic illustration of an emu (a large brown flightless bird) with 5 chicks. There is another emu in the background.
December 31, 2025 at 2:58 AM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
⏳ Only days left in 2025! 🌿
BHL becomes independent on 1 Jan 2026. Help #GiveBHLWings and keep biodiversity knowledge open for future generations. 🧪 📖 🌏 💸
🌍 Donate to make a difference: ancrywkv.donorsupport.co/page/GiveBHL... #ILoveBHL
Two black and white seabirds flying about choppy waves. There are several more birds in the distance.
December 29, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
stewedpearsdotcom.bsky.social
Who doesn't love a pineapple upside down cake?

A little on the history of the pineapple upside down cake here:
stewedpears.com/pineapple-up...

And more on the history of the pineapple from the Biodiversity Heritage Library: blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2021/01/pric...
#food #foodsky #cooksky
overhead view of a pineapple upside down cake using one full ring in the middle and cut half-rings around the edges inlaid with dried cranberries Botanical illustration of a pineapple. Image in the public domain. Original from Biodiversity Heritage Library. Digitally enhanced by Rawpixel
December 8, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
laminda.bsky.social
Whatever you're celebrating today (or if you're not celebrating at all), please enjoy this GIFt of firefly light from the archives of @biodivlibrary.bsky.social

Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta, v. 3, pt. 2 (1880-86). biodiversitylibrary.org/page/580274.
December 25, 2025 at 6:43 PM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
This is the most festive fish we could find to wish you a very merry #Fishmas from all of us at BHL. 🐟✨ Meet the Lena-Girawah, a spectacular parrotfish from Ceylon described in 1834 as “the most splendid of the class of fishes denominated Parrot”. www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/38892308 #SciArt 🧪
An historic illustration of a red and green striped parrotfish.
December 25, 2025 at 2:27 PM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
Looking for a last-minute festive gift? 🎁 🌱

A donation to BHL on someone’s behalf supports open, global access to biodiversity knowledge — a gift that lasts far beyond the festive season.

Give a gift with impact:
💚 ancrywkv.donorsupport.co/page/GiveBHL...

#GiveBHLWings #Fishmas #FestiveSeason 🧪
An historic illustration featuring a pair of red flying fish (gurnards) with green wings.
December 23, 2025 at 8:30 AM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
🌍 USD 40,000 raised — 400+ donations from 35 countries! 🌏
With just 10 days until BHL transitions to independence on 1 Jan 2026, our goal is USD 50,000. 🌱

Help #GiveBHLWings and keep biodiversity knowledge open & accessible worldwide.
💚 ancrywkv.donorsupport.co/page/GiveBHL...
#BHLTransition 🧪
An historic illustration of a furry brown bat with one wing outstretched.
December 22, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
danielvanstrien.bsky.social
Built a 2.5MB image classifier that runs in the browser in an evening with Claude Code.

I used a dataset I labelled in 2022 and left on @hf.co for 3 years 😬.

It finds illustrated pages in historical books. No server. No GPU.
December 19, 2025 at 12:08 PM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
BHL is growing! We’re thrilled to welcome University of South Florida Libraries @usflibraries.bsky.social: the 1st of the new BHL Members joining us during our transition to independence. blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2025/12/anno... More support news coming soon! #BHLTransition #GiveBHLWings 🧪 📖 🌏
December 19, 2025 at 2:16 AM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
A festive-season feast of crabs 🦀
This spectacular spread comes from Albertus Seba’s Cabinet of Curiosities, Locupletissimi rerum naturalium thesauri (1734–1765). Consider this our contribution to #Crustmas ✨
#SciArt #NaturalHistory #ILoveBHL www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41072182 🧪
A double page spread filled with historic illustrations of crabs.
December 16, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
artherstory.bsky.social
Calla & Poincetha [#poinsettia], by #ClarissaMungerBadger (American 1806-89), who died #otd, Dec 14. From Floral Belles from the Green-house & Garden, published 1867; via @biodivlibrary.bsky.social, www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5372342...

#womenartists #artherstory #hernaturalhistory
A watercolor drawing of a white calla lily superimposed over a red poinsettia blossom overlaying a green leaf against an ivory background.
December 14, 2025 at 8:20 PM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
Spix's night monkey (Aotus vociferans) is native to Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador & Peru. #SciArt by Dutch artist John Gerard Keulemans from "The Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London" (1872) via @nhmlibraryarchives.bsky.social www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28611367 #NationalMonkeyDay
1872 - Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London - Biodiversity Heritage Library
The Biodiversity Heritage Library works collaboratively to make biodiversity literature openly available to the world as part of a global biodiversity community.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org
December 14, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social
When European explorers arrived in Asia and Africa, they came across many wondrous creatures like the #pangolin. They believed the armored mammal resembling "a large animated spruce cone" was a formidable living tank that developed an impregnable shell "hard enough to turn a musket-ball" by old age.
Plate from "The Naturalist's Miscellany (1813)," courtesy of the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Excerpt from "The Naturalist's Miscellany (1813)," courtesy of the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
November 15, 2025 at 8:06 AM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
It's a poisonous #FloraFriday + #FungiFriday! ☠️ 🍄🌼

A table of vegetable poisons" (1843) describes the characteristics, locales, and effects of poisonous plants & mushrooms found throughout the world. Find it in #BHLib via @@mobotgarden.bsky.social : www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45450678 🧪
An historic book open to a double page spread: the title pages. There are illustrations of poisonous mushrooms along the bottom of both pages. An historic book open to a double page spread featuring illustrations of poisonous plants. An historic book open to a double page spread featuring illustrations of poisonous plants.
December 12, 2025 at 12:31 PM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
🌍 Almost USD 35,000 raised — from supporters in 35 countries! 🌏
Your global support is helping #GiveBHLWings as BHL prepares for independence on 1 Jan 2026. #BHLTransition 🌱

📖 Let’s keep biodiversity knowledge open & accessible worldwide.
💚 Donate: ancrywkv.donorsupport.co/page/GiveBHL... 🧪
An historic illustration of a colourful butterfly
December 11, 2025 at 2:31 PM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
🕊️ The countdown continues! There’s still time to help #GiveBHLWings before BHL becomes independent on 1 January 2026. Your support keeps this global library flying high into the future. #ILoveBHL #BHLTransition 🧪 📖 🌏 🐟 💸
💚 Donate: ancrywkv.donorsupport.co/page/GiveBHL...
A black and grey gliding possum soaring from a tree.
December 8, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
siobhanleachman.bsky.social
These remind me so much of butterflies pressed in a book I helped transcribe with the Smithsonian Transcription Center called "Butterflies collected in the Shire Valley, East Africa". You can see the book in @biodivlibrary.bsky.social www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography...
Details - Butterflies collected in the Shire Valley, East Africa - Biodiversity Heritage Library
The Biodiversity Heritage Library works collaboratively to make biodiversity literature openly available to the world as part of a global biodiversity community.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org
December 5, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
mattfossen.com
If I can't find something I need in the Biodiversity Heritage Library, it's not available to me. Paywalls for 75-year-old papers are still a thing, sadly.
November 29, 2025 at 12:01 AM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
💚 Thank you for helping us #GiveBHLWings!
Your support this #GivingTuesday brings BHL closer to independence on 1 Jan 2026 and keeps the world’s biodiversity knowledge open for all. #ILoveBHL #BHLTransition 🧪 📖 🌏 🐟 💸 ancrywkv.donorsupport.co/page/GiveBHL...
An historic illustration of a blue, green, yellow, black and red butterfly.
December 3, 2025 at 4:27 PM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
Happy #WorldCoatiDay! This coati is from "Dictionnaire pittoresque d'histoire naturelle et des phénomènes de la nature" (1833-1840), digitised for BHL by @nhm-london.bsky.social. www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35962483 🧪 📖 🌎 #Coatimundi #ILoveBHL
An historic illustration of a coati (a brown mammal with a long stripy tail) standing in a green landscape with frees in the background.
December 3, 2025 at 2:31 PM