The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) was a key financial supporter for a number of BHL projects. The WebWise conferences, annually hosted by IMLS from 2000-2013 were important venues for meetings of BHL participants.
2004’s “WebWise 2004: Sharing Digital Resources”, held 3-5 March 2004 in Chicago, was of particular importance for the after-hours session where ideas about what a digital biodiversity library might look like.
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Along with Doug Holland (Missouri Botanical Garden, later Secretary of the BHL Executive Committee), Chris Freeland (Missouri Botanical Garden), Suzanne Pilsk (Smithsonian), and I did a classic napkin sketch of a digital library for biodiversity in the lounge of the Hotel Intercontinental, Chicago.
At right, table and couch in the Intercontinental Hotel, Chicago, where, at Webwise 2004, BHL was partly born (picture from 2009).
At a recent visit to Chicago in 2024, I stopped by the lounge, but it has been renovated out of existence.
Some Resources
- First Monday. Volume 9, Number 5 - 3 May 2004. Archived Papers
About IMLS and WebWise (from the 2011 Site)
The following is a description of the WebWise conference and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), circa 2004..
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.