About

International Society for the History and Bibliography of Herpetology (ISHBH)

Mission. The ISHBH aims to promote research related to historical herpetology. The Society is devoted to stimulating and advancing the study of the history of the herpetological discipline and its bibliography. We bring together individuals for whom the history and bibliography of herpetology are appealing. We promote the knowledge of these and related topics among members and the general public. The Society was established in 1998. Membership is open to anyone who shares the aims of the Society.

Activities. The society members meet every year, usually in connection with other general herpetological meetings with international participation. Activities include visits to private and public libraries, museums and other places with historical links to the discipline. We organize workshops and sessions in the fields that form parts of larger national or international meetings on herpetology. Our shared lunches adjacent to the yearly business meetings have become popular among members and guests. The Society works to facilitate both formal and informal contacts among members.

Journal. The ISHBH publishes the journal Bibliotheca Herpetologica, which is the central pillar of the Society. It contains articles, essays, bibliographies and news of people and events in our field and is a peer-reviewed. The many important contributions make the publication a vital source for bibliographers, historians and taxonomists alike but at the same time the papers are by and large appealing to the layperson in the field.

Beginning with volume 14, ISHBH will adopt an open access publication model. Articles in Bibliotheca Herpetologica will be available online as soon as they receive final editorial approval. At the end of the year a hard copy version of Bibliotheca Herpetologica, containing all articles published that year, will be printed and distributed to current members.

The name of the journal, up to volume 5(1), was: International Society for the History and Bibliography of Herpetology Newsletter and Bulletin.

Membership. The new membership fees take effect in 2021. ISHBH membership categories are: Corresponding Membership US$25/year (open access only plus all other membership benefits), Regular Membership US$50/year, Institutional Memberships US$75/year, and Sponsoring US$75/year. Note that Life Members will retain their status. However, we are no longer offering new Life Memberships.