Call for abstracts: Speak in the BHL symposium at TDWG 2026
We’re thrilled to announce that there will be a dedicated BHL Symposium (and BHL Workshop) at the TDWG (Biodiversity Information Standards) Conference in Oslo in September!
The TDWG Call for Abstracts is now open, and we’d love for members of our BHL community to present as part of our session, either in-person or virtually.
About TDWG 2026
This year’s conference theme is Research and Robot-ready Biodiversity Data Standards, with a strong focus on biodiversity informatics and the role of data standards in advancing research and discovery.
About the BHL Symposium
BHL at 20: A New Chapter for Biodiversity Literature and Data
In 2026, BHL is celebrating both its 20th anniversary and its first year as an independent, globally governed consortium. This symposium will explore where BHL stands today and what this new chapter makes possible.
We welcome reflections on BHL’s impact over the past 20 years, as well as ideas for its future. In line with the conference theme, we’re particularly interested in presentations that demonstrate how BHL content, tools, and data are being used, reused, or extended via:
- AI and machine learning
- Text and image mining
- Knowledge graphs and linked data
- Annotation systems
- Persistent identifiers and data integration
- Connections between literature, specimens, taxa, and datasets
Read the full abstract here: https://www.tdwg.org/conferences/2026/program/sessions-list/#sym08
If you’re unsure whether your idea fits, feel free to share it here. We’re very happy to help with ideas or answer questions.
Presentation formats
- Oral presentations (15 minutes)
- Lightning talks (5 minutes)
- You’re also welcome to submit a BHL-related Poster to the conference
See Call for Abstracts for more information.
Key deadline
Abstract submission closes: May 22, 2026, 7:59 AM GMT+10
Also at TDWG: BHL Workshop
In addition to the dedicated BHL Symposium, there will also be a dedicated BHL Workshop at TDWG 2026, organised by @rdmpage :
New approaches and tools to maximise the value of the Biodiversity Heritage Library
This interactive session will explore new ideas for working with BHL content in our rapidly evolving research landscape shaped by AI and emerging interfaces.
It will include live demos of tools and approaches for:
- Image extraction and discovery (including IIIF-based approaches)
- Exploring BHL content through maps and geographic interfaces
- Extracting entities such as taxa, people, places, and specimens
- New ways for AI tools to interact with BHL data
Please note: this is a closed workshop and is not open for abstract submissions.