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@bhl_nicole reminded me that I haven’t introduced myself. Hi there, Martin Kalfatovic (aka UDCMRK). I was the BHL Program Director (2012-2024), before that BHL Deputy Program Director (2009-2012), managed the Smithsonian Libraries’ BHL participation (2006-2012), and from 2004-2005 worked on various Smithsonian projects that helped start BHL (US Exploring Expedition, Biologia Centrali Americana, etc.). I was at the 2005 conference, Library and Laboratory that was a key formulator of BHL.

Since leaving BHL 30 June 2024 (to take a position at the IIIF Consortium), I’ve stayed engaged in biodiversity on a personal level through iNaturalist and professionally as the 1st Chair of the GBIF Budget Committee, and member of the GBIF North America and US Nodes.

I needed a place to park my various thought on biodiversity and biodiversity literature, so I renewed UDC 574 (that’s Universal Decimal Classification for biodiversity; there’s also a Bluesky account if you’d like to follow!) and have been dropping historical memories (and few of the 1,000s of BHL community pictures from over the years) of my various BHL meeting, BHL presentations, biodiversity observations, and the like. I’ve been trying to keep the history posts tied to the month, but April is such a busy time in BHL history, I’ve fallen behind!

The 20th anniversary BHL meeting will be the among the few I’ve not been able to attend these past 21+ years, so all who are going, enjoy!

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