On October 13, 2021, BHL released an Acknowledgment of Harmful Content to recognize deep prejudices within some of the pages of its collection. BHL joins recent global outcries against racial and environmental injustice. We are assessing our role as a digital library and the responsibility we have to question our neutrality and address harm without reducing access.

William Ellis’ Polynesian Researches (v.4, 1853) records his time in Hawaiʻi while serving under the infamous American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Such ethnographic literature reflects the legacy and impact of colonialism on Indigenous people and knowledge systems. For Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives Conservation Technician Keala Richard shared personal and professional insights from her work with Polynesian Researches for BHL.

The Biodiversity Heritage Library thrives on international partnerships and collaborative projects. In the fall of 2021, representatives from BHL participated in a number of planning meetings and conferences in support of global biodiversity projects. Meetings included the BiCIKL hackathon, GBIF Governing Board Meeting, and TDWG 2021 virtual conference.

Natural history literature can be a rich source of information for tracking the introduction of native plants into new regions for landscape gardening. Professor Mark Laird found BHL to be an essential resource for his historical gardening research, particularly through the pandemic-related lockdowns of the past year. Laird discovered BHL while researching his latest book on English gardening.