National Librarian’s Day is celebrated on August 12th every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. S.R. Ranganathan, the “Father of Library Science in India”.
When we say “library,” most people imagine rows of books, a quiet reading room, and perhaps a stern librarian at the desk. But in the language of library science, a “library” is defined less by its shelves and more by its functions — acquiring, organising, preserving, and making knowledge accessible.
By that definition, the world is full of libraries that hold no books at all. Some store bird calls. Others archive satellite images. Some collect DNA sequences. In fact, they are not physical spaces at all. Many are vast online repositories where scientists and citizens alike can deposit, discover, and use data.
On this Librarians’ Day, let’s explore how these nature and biodiversity depositories perform the same core functions as traditional libraries — only their collections are wild, living, and often invisible to the naked eye.
Acquisition: Gathering the Wild
Libraries begin by collecting materials. In biodiversity repositories, this might mean researchers uploading recordings to Macaulay Library (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) or Xeno-canto, which crowdsource bird calls from around the world.
- Example: iNaturalist “acquires” photographs and species observations from millions of contributors.
- Example: GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) harvests species occurrence data from institutions and citizen scientists alike.
Just as a public library acquires books from publishers and donors, these nature libraries acquire data from field biologists, monitoring equipment, and enthusiastic amateurs.
Organisation: Making Sense of the Collection
Without organisation, a library is just a warehouse. And hence the focus on developing classification systems. Dr. S.R. Ranganathan primarily used and developed the Colon Classification (CC) system. The Dewey Decimal system is the widely prevalent one used in most libraries across the world.
Biodiversity data portals however are based on the Linnaean system of classification and organize living organisms based on evolutionary relationships. This involves classifying organisms into hierarchical groups like kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. This is.
- Example: BOLD (Barcode of Life Data System) and GenBank organise genetic sequences by species, geography, and collection method.
- Example: ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System) standardises names so scientists worldwide speak the same language.
The result? You can search for a frog by its Latin name, its genetic barcode, or the location where it was found — just like you can search for a book by title, author, or subject.
Preservation: Guarding the Record
One of a library’s noblest duties is preservation — ensuring the information remains available for future generations. In biodiversity repositories, this may involve:
- Storing acoustic recordings (bat calls, whale songs) in durable digital formats.
- Archiving satellite imagery in systems like NASA Earthdata and Global Forest Watch for long-term environmental monitoring.
- Keeping herbarium records in Tropicos and long-term forest data in ForestGEO.
Like rare manuscripts in acid-free folders, these data are preserved against loss, decay, and obsolescence.
Access: Opening the Doors
Libraries thrive when they are accessible. Many biodiversity repositories are open access — anyone can explore them. And importantly, contribute to them.
- eBird lets birdwatchers view migration patterns and personal checklists.
- FishBase offers species profiles for students, fishers, and marine scientists alike.
- OBIS (Ocean Biogeographic Information System) gives marine biologists open access to ocean species occurrence data.
- Merlin helps users identify birds by their calls.
Some repositories, like Wildlife Insights or certain ethnobotanical databases, may have restricted access for sensitive data — similar to a library’s rare books section.
Dissemination: Spreading Knowledge
A library doesn’t just keep information — it shares it. Biodiversity repositories publish datasets for conservation planning, scientific research, and education.
- Movebank shares animal movement data for migration studies.
- TRY Plant Trait Database supports climate change modelling.
- The Digital Himalaya Project disseminates ethnographic and ecological knowledge, bridging science and tradition.
Why These Libraries Matter
By meeting the same functional standards as a traditional library — acquisition, organisation, preservation, access, and dissemination — biodiversity depositories are not just “like” libraries, they are libraries. Their collections may be recordings instead of novels, or genetic codes instead of encyclopaedias, but the principles are identical.
In a time of rapid environmental change, these libraries are our collective memory-keepers for life on Earth. They store the songs of rare birds, the paths of migrating whales, the genetic fingerprints of endangered plants, and the traditional wisdom of communities who have lived with nature for centuries.
So this Librarians’ Day, remember: the guardians of knowledge are not only in buildings with books. They are also in digital sound archives, genetic databases, satellite imagery vaults, and underwater biodiversity surveys. Wherever knowledge is collected, cared for, and shared — there, you will find a library. Dr. Ranganathan, I am sure, would have been excited to explore the new realms of libraries and library science!
–Meena
There are a wide range of data depositories and libraries related to nature and biodiversity across different domains—ranging from sounds (like bat and bird calls) to genetics, species observations, satellite imagery, and more. Here is a list of some of these depositories, which Chat GPT has been kind enough to put together!
🦇 Acoustic and Sound Libraries
- Bat Call Library – Region-specific databases like EchoBank or ChiroVox.
- Macaulay Library (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) – Massive archive of bird sounds, videos, and photos.
- Xeno-canto – Open-access database of bird calls and songs from across the world.
- AmphibiaWeb – Includes some amphibian vocalization data.
- BLB (British Library Sound Archive – Wildlife Section) – Historical and contemporary recordings of animals.
🌍 Species Observations and Biodiversity Portals
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) – Gigantic open-access database of species occurrence data from around the world.
- iNaturalist – Crowdsourced species observations with photos, locations, and identification support.
- India Biodiversity Portal – India-specific citizen science portal on biodiversity with species pages, maps, and observations.
- eBird – Global birdwatching database with detailed observation checklists and trends.
- OBIS (Ocean Biogeographic Information System) – Marine species occurrence data.
🧬 Genetics and Taxonomy
- BOLD (Barcode of Life Data System) – DNA barcoding records of species.
- GenBank – Nucleotide sequences, often used for genetic identification of species.
- Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) – Species information including taxonomy, distribution, and media.
- ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System) – Authoritative taxonomic info, mainly for North America.
🛰️ Remote Sensing and Environmental Data
- MODIS / NASA Earthdata – Satellite data on vegetation, land cover, fires, etc.
- Global Forest Watch – Forest cover, loss, and gain data based on satellite imagery.
- NOAA Climate Data Records – Atmospheric, oceanic, and climate-related datasets.
🐾 Camera Trap and Movement Data
- Movebank – Open-access database for animal movement (GPS collar) data.
- Wildlife Insights – Global camera trap image database, AI-assisted.
- PanTHERIA – Ecological and life-history data of mammals.
🌿 Botanical and Ecological Datasets
- TRY Plant Trait Database – Global plant trait data.
- Tropicos (Missouri Botanical Garden) – Botanical information with herbarium specimen records.
- ForestGEO (Smithsonian) – Long-term forest monitoring data across the globe.
🌊 Marine and Aquatic Life
- FishBase – Comprehensive fish species database.
- SeaLifeBase – Same as FishBase but for all non-fish aquatic life.
- Reef Life Survey – Citizen science marine biodiversity data.
📚 Literature and Traditional Knowledge
- Digital Himalaya Project – Ethnographic and ecological archives.
- Ethnobotanical Database – Plant use in indigenous and traditional medicine.
PIC: wildlifedata.org/
Millennial Matriarchs 