The struggle to share: experiences of revitalizing and digitizing a small scale herbarium

Small herbaria have been recognized for the wealth of contributions to science held within their collections. Since the digitization of herbaria began, calls have been made to make small herbaria accessible through these efforts. However, various obstacles may prevent small herbaria from undertaking this work. In 2019, work began to revitalize and modernize the George F. Ledingham Herbarium at the University of Regina (approximately 70 000 specimens). The goals were to produce an electronic database, digitize the collection, make the data available through the online biodiversity platforms Canadensys and Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), and produce a herbarium-specific website. The initial focus has been on the Saskatchewan vascular plants, representing one-third of the herbarium’s accessions. To date, we have established a website, finished databasing the accessioned Saskatchewan vascular plant specimens, made the database available on the website, and completed 1700 scans. We are still working toward making our data available through online biodiversity platforms. Here, we share the positives and challenges that other small herbaria may face, detail approaches other small herbaria might take, and discuss the importance of digitizing and sharing herbaria collections through a freely accessible online platform.