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“Towards Inclusive Research Library Environments: Integrating Diversity into Operations and Facilities”

In contemporary research environments, fostering inclusivity and diversity within library operations and facilities is imperative for ensuring equitable access to knowledge and resources. The presentation discusses effective strategies for imbuing diversity into the core operations and physical infrastructures of research libraries. The presentation underscores the significance of actively integrating diverse perspectives into collection development, research support services, programming initiatives, staffing practices, and spatial designs within research libraries. It elucidates the necessity of purposeful collection curation that reflects varied cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds, alongside the provision of culturally competent services and programming that celebrates diverse identities. Furthermore, it advocates for fostering a diverse workforce reflective of the library’s community, thereby enhancing cultural competency and engagement. Moreover, it underscores the importance of creating physically accessible and welcoming library spaces that accommodate the diverse needs and preferences of users, including those with different abilities. Taking into consideration best practices, the presentation offers actionable insights for research libraries striving to cultivate inclusive environments conducive to scholarly inquiry and knowledge dissemination across diverse user constituencies.

“Social responsibility and digital culture”

In an era marked by exponentially growing change and unprecedented challenges to democratic governance and human rights, the role of libraries emerges as crucial in safeguarding the fundamental values that underpin our societies. Libraries act as gatekeepers of information, ensuring equitable access to knowledge for all members of society, regardless of background or location. By curating diverse collections and promoting information literacy initiatives, libraries empower individuals to engage critically with information, thereby fortifying the pillars of democratic governance. As repositories of human knowledge and experience, libraries provide sanctuary for marginalized voices. However, the challenges facing research libraries in the 21st century are manifold. From the proliferation of misinformation to the digital divide, libraries must navigate a complex landscape to fulfill their mission effectively. Nevertheless, by leveraging emerging technologies and embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion, (research) libraries can continue to serve as catalysts for positive social change. Libraries make cultural heritage accessible and tangible. In their function as memory institutions they combine the past, present and future. They open up inspiring worlds of knowledge for education and research and are reliable sources and places for social dialogue.

This talk gives examples from the perspective of the German National Library but also from the perspective of the Conference of European National Librarians (CENL) how AI, research data infrastructures as well as cultural education and outreach contribute to the crucial role libraries play in the service of society.

“Opportunities and challenges of using AI for knowledge generation”

With the introduction of ChatGPT, Generative AI has become widespread, marking a significant change in the way we handle information. Prof. Jacob Sherson has been at the forefront of applying a human-centric approach to AI, known as Hybrid Intelligence, in his research, citizen science projects, and corporate work for over ten years. His approach combines human skills with AI capabilities.

In his talk, Prof. Sherson will discuss the changes that Generative AI is bringing to research and how it opens up new chances for more people to get involved in creating knowledge, especially through AI-supported citizen science. He will share examples from his own successful projects in both natural and social sciences to show how citizen science, powered by AI, can expand beyond the usual academic limits and encourage wider participation.

Then, Prof. Sherson will address the practical difficulties companies face when adopting Generative AI. He will introduce a practical strategy for working with AI through prompt engineering and the creation of prompt libraries. He’ll stress the importance of teaching libraries and future students to manage AI prompts effectively, which is crucial for integrating Generative AI into businesses. This is about more than just technical skills; it’s about changing the culture and methods of working with knowledge in organizations to fully benefit from what Generative AI has to offer.