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biodivlibrary.bsky.social
Biodiversity Heritage Library
@biodivlibrary.bsky.social
1.7K followers 1.5K following 220 posts
The Biodiversity Heritage Library provides free & #OpenAccess to 63+ million pages of #biodiversity literature online. 🔗 biodiversitylibrary.org
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biodivlibrary.bsky.social
💛 Happy #LibraryLoversDay 💛

If you love libraries, biodiversity, and open knowledge, please consider making a gift to the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Your support keeps 63+ million pages freely available to everyone, everywhere. #ILoveBHL

Donate: ancrywkv.donorsupport.co/page/BHLDona...
An historic illustration of two brown and cream snails shooting "love darts" at each other.
February 14, 2026 at 2:57 PM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
Tomorrow is #LibraryLoversDay 💚 🧪 📚️ 🌱

On February 14, we’re inviting our global community to show their love for the Biodiversity Heritage Library. 63+ million pages of biodiversity knowledge. Free. Open. For everyone.

ancrywkv.donorsupport.co/page/BHLDona...

#LoveLibraries #OpenAccess #ILoveBHL
A pair of large black and white seabirds (Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross) sitting in the water. There are some more seabirds flying in the distance.
February 13, 2026 at 2:31 PM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
Happy bday Charles Darwin (born #OTD 1809)! 🎉 Check out Charles Darwin’s Library on #BHLib, a virtual reconstruction of the surviving books owned by Darwin, drawing on original copies & surrogates, providing full transcriptions of his annotations & marks: www.biodiversitylibrary.org/collection/d...
A book on a cushion held open with a weighted rope, with handwriting on the right hand page.
February 12, 2026 at 6:02 AM
Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
haruspex.bsky.social
You may have some luck looking in the Biodiversity Heritage Library! You can narrow your search by time period, open scans of old books/manuscripts, and search within the text for your target.
It’s a phenomenal free resource!
January 14, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
rdmpage.bsky.social
The original site was launched in 2013, and was described in doi.org/10.7717/peer.... Over the years I have been adding both names and publications, building a library of PDFs, and also adding articles to @biodivlibrary.bsky.social. A lot of time has been spent chasing down DOIs.
BioNames: linking taxonomy, texts, and trees
BioNames is a web database of taxonomic names for animals, linked to the primary literature and, wherever possible, to phylogenetic trees. It aims to provide a taxonomic “dashboard” where at a glance ...
doi.org
February 9, 2026 at 8:43 PM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
New to BHL this week: "West Australian Orchids" by Emily H. Pelloe (1930), with spectacular illustrations by the author. This presentation copy from #RBGVictoria's collection includes a manuscript inscription and the author's signature. www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/65321275 #ILoveBHL 📖 🧪 🌏
An historic illustration of an array of orchids with a list of their scientific names below. An historic illustration of an array of orchids with a list of their scientific names below. An historic illustration of an array of orchids with a list of their scientific names below. The green cover of an historic book, featuring the title (West Australian Orchids), a line drawing of two orchids, and the author's signature.
February 6, 2026 at 3:51 AM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
🐍 #NationalSerpentDay is dedicated to snake appreciation, understanding their role in ecosystems, and helping to overcome fear or misconceptions about them, such as this one... This #myth was likely based on #oarfish sightings. Learn more: blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2014/10/the-... #ILoveBHL 📖 🧪
An historic illustration of a giant sea serpent dragging a man from a sailing ship.
February 1, 2026 at 2:15 PM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
🦓 The Quagga is an extinct subspecies of Plains Zebra. 🎨 #SciArt by A. Gabler, from Johann Wolf's "Abbildungen und Beschreibungen merkwürdiger naturgeschichtlicher Gegenstände" (1818-22), in #BHLib via #FieldMuseum. www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48425779 #InternationalZebraDay #WorldZebraDay 🧪
An historic illustration of a Quagga (an extinct species of Zebra, with a black and white striped head, neck and back, brown rump, and cream legs and underbelly), standing on bare ground.
January 31, 2026 at 2:22 PM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
Deborah Griscom Passmore (1840-1911) was an artist for the USDA Division of Pomology for 19 yrs. This oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) is from her album of American wildflowers, in #BHLib via usdagov.bsky.social: www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/58157899 #DaisyDay #HerNaturalHistory #SciArt 🌼 🧪 🎨
An historic illustration of a daisy plant (green leaves, flowers with yellow centers and white petals.
January 28, 2026 at 2:27 PM
Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
romanceofbooks.bsky.social
Blue lobster from Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst’s ‘Versuch Einer Naturgeschichte Der Krabben und Krebse Nebst Eiener Systematischen Beschreibung Ihrer Verschiedenen Arten.’ Zürich: Berlin: J.C. Fuessley; G.A. Lange, 1782.

University of Chicago Special Collections.

#sciart #naturalhistory
January 27, 2026 at 10:36 PM
Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
madeinproland.bsky.social
Basileuterus belli and Cardellina rubra, ilustration by A. Hasley, published in Giraud (1841).

Alive thanks to
@biodivlibrary.bsky.social
✨
link to the book: doi.org/10.5962/bhl....
January 23, 2026 at 6:17 PM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
BHL holds 63 million pages of biodiversity knowledge. Among them are all kinds of marvels, including "Marvels of the Universe", a lavishly illustrated early 20th-century celebration of astronomy, plants, animals, and the oceans. Explore it on BHL:
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography... 🧪
Many blue and pink jellyfish (sea jellies) - Portuguese Man of War - floating in blue water with their long tentacles beneath them.
January 14, 2026 at 2:27 PM
Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
bibliounizar.bsky.social
La @biodivlibrary.bsky.social una biblioteca digital de acceso abierto para literatura y archivos de biodiversidad ha puesto en línea más de 300.000 imágenes de naturaleza 😍 https://shre.ink/5FAs
January 12, 2026 at 10:35 AM
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
BHL's new chapter has begun! 🌱

Our latest #BHLTransition Update shares where BHL is now: stable, fully operational, and nearing completion of its transition. BHL has retained its people, its expertise, and its ability to operate effectively. 🔗 blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2026/01/tran... #ILoveBHL
Two mudskippers (brown fish with large google eyes and large front fins used for "walking"), one on the mud on the ground, the other up a tree root.
January 13, 2026 at 2:09 AM
Reposted by Biodiversity Heritage Library
elaphrornis.bsky.social
Despite changes in bird taxonomy it is often necessary to consult the classic J L Peters Check-list of Birds of the World (16 vols, 1931-1987), for bibliographic & nomenclatural purposes. Thanks to @biodivlibrary.bsky.social we have access to all 16 vols.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography...
January 11, 2026 at 1:00 AM
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 · Dec 31
🌿 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