Press Release

For Immediate Release

IGFA In Collaboration with Paperboy Digital Consulting, Museum & Collector Resource and Innovative Document Imaging To Transform the E.K. Harry Library of Fishes into a Digital Collection

August 15, 2025 (Dania Beach, Florida) – The International Game Fish Association is pleased to announce a collaborative engagement with Paperboy Digital Consulting, Museum & Collector Resource, and Innovative Document Imaging to transform the E.K. Harry Library of Fishes into a digital collection.

The E.K. Harry Library of Fishes was formed in 1973 with the goal of creating a unique repository and clearinghouse of fishing history and a database to support research. The collection includes over 16,000 curated books, magazines, photos, videos, maps, various types of documents including over a century of data on world record catches for various fish species. The collection also includes thousands of cultural heritage objects from massive mounted fish to tiny flies and lures.

Digitizing the collection will reenergize research into game fish and fishing. An emphasis in new research methods rooted in technological approaches to provide remote data access require that this material be digitized and fully searchable. All to facilitate greater discovery and effective use of the collection for research.

“We are excited to take on this endeavor to achieve the visions of E.K. Harry, Gail Morchower, and all who have contributed to this collection over the past half century.”

Jason Schratwieser, President, IGFA.

Paperboy Digital Consulting, with Museum & Collector Resource and Innovative Document Imaging will support the program from ideation through implementation. All material unique to the library will be digitized and available for research following industry best practices. Print materials will be delivered (Full-Image/Full-Text) FIFT. Photos will include descriptions and tagging including geolocation, individuals and species. Videos will include fully-searchable captioning. Cultural Heritage objects will be photographed with descriptions and tagging. Many of the objects, including hundreds of world-record fish mounts, some as large as 30 feet long, and tiny intricate flies and lures will be captured to present 3-D renderings of the objects for detailed visual analysis.

“This is a hidden collection that has never been fully accessible for academic research. The complete digital transformation of the E.K. Harry Library will open new opportunities for research in Marine Biology, Environmental and Conservation Studies, History, and more. Beyond that, the project will be fun and challenging with 3-D imaging of massive objects and use of AI and Machine Learning to capture and structure metadata.”

Bryan Benilous, Chief Consultant, Paperboy Digital Consulting.

The IGFA is interested in broad collaboration to support the initiative. Institutions or individuals wishing to participate should contact Bryan Benilous (bryan@paperboydigital.com) or Jill Tapia (jtapia@igfa.org).

How can you participate?

• Donate to the IGFA.

• Volunteer to support cataloging and tagging.

• Apply to be a cataloguer, imager or photographer. Local to South Florida.

• Tell us how you would use this data if made available for research. This will be for attracting financial support.

• Share your experiences regarding similar collections to ensure best practices.

• Spread the word and send positive vibes.

About

International Game Fish Association - https://igfa.org/

Paperboy Digital Consulting - https://www.paperboydigital.com/

Museum & Collector Resource - https://musres.com/

Innovative Document Imaging - https://idiimage.com/