Vision

The past two decades have witnessed a revolution in digital technologies that have transformed the world, and with it the science of systematics. The new technologies developed during this time have forever altered the ways in which systematists capture, store, manage, analyze and disseminate information about the earth's biota. The vision of the Lacewing Digital Library (LDL) project is to help empower the global neuropterological community to harness the promise of the digital revolution and use it to advance the science of neuropterology.

The current generation of systematists, together with partners in computer and other sciences, will formulate and develop the digital foundation of systematics and biodiversity for the 21st century using new tools and methods that integrate text, images, maps, video, sounds and other data in ways that were not previously possible. To help enable neuropterists to develop a new foundation for systematic neuropterology for the coming century, a key element of the LDL vision is the creation and regular improvement of a persistent, digital, multimedia platform that contains a suite of tools and products relevant to advancing the science of neuropterology. We envision a web-based platform that is open access—to ensure use without regard to time, place or funding; global in scope—to encourage a broad view of the science of neuropterology; and community-oriented—designed to serve the needs of, and foster collaboration among, the world community of neuropterists. Furthermore, we envision a platform that can support, and provide a showcase for, the products of both individual and collaborative research and scholarship on neuropterid insects—to encourage the use and growth of the platform as a focal-point for neuropterological studies by all interested neuropterists.

The immediate objectives of the LDL project team are (1) to develop an initial web platform for the Lacewing Digital Library, the LDL web portal, that can serve as a base for (2) the implementation of a set of core digital resources of broad interest and utility to the global neuropterological community (e.g., bibliography/digital library, taxon catalogues, neuropterists' directory). Following this, the project will pursue opportunities for developing additional components that will both build upon and extend the resource base accessible through the LDL web portal. We invite inquiries from other neuropterists who would like to collaborate in this venture to develop a wide-ranging community-resource for our discipline—new ideas and outlooks are welcome!