Scanned (PDF) original descriptions

[Richard Pyle]

Greetings Taxacomers...

For a number of reasons, I'm trying to get a sense of how many folks out
there in systematics-land have gone to the trouble of scanning original
taxon description publications into electronic format (e.g., PDF files).
Web searches don't seem to produce much on this front, but I can't believe
that nobody else has recognized the incredible potential of making digital
representations of important taxonomic references (especially original
descriptions). Surely someone out there has begun doing this for personal
use at the very least (e.g., carry around your systematics reprint
collection with you wherever you go, on the hard drive of your laptop), if
not as part of a larger taxon name cataloging effort?

I'm not thinking only about current journal articles (many of which are
available from the publisher as PDF files), but also (and perhaps more
significantly) the historical taxonomic literature -- particularly those
taxonomic gems that are very rare and difficult to obtain in paper form, but
include important original descriptions or revisions.

Anybody know of any activity on this front?

Aloha,
Rich

Richard L. Pyle
Ichthyology, Bishop Museum
1525 Bernice St., Honolulu, HI 96817
Ph: (808)848-4115, Fax: (808)847-8252
email: deepreef at bishopmuseum.org
http://www.bishopmuseum.org/bishop/HBS/pylerichard.html
"The opinions expressed are those of the sender, and not necessarily those
of Bishop Museum."