2025
Learning from the Past, Informing the Future
European University Institute
Fiesole, Italy
Programme
Monday, April 7
AI and Libraries – Innovating for the Future
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AI Literacy Education at Oregon State University
Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2023, librarians at Oregon State University have taken on a series of initiatives to increase AI literacy across campus. Laurie Bridges will discuss these efforts:
1) Developing and delivering a 1-credit elective course for undergraduate honors students, “Generative AI & Society";
2) Facilitating workshops, convening book clubs, and developing Libguides for graduate students and faculty;
3) Funding two AI literacy fellowships for Liberal Arts faculty through the OSU Center for the Humanities;
4) Working with the OSU Center for Teaching to plan a virtual AI Literacy Center as part of the library’s strategic action plan.
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Probing the potential of genAI for creation of collection management and development tools
This presentation traces some steps from curiosity and inexperience with generative AI to hands-on creation of tools for collection management and development. Using ChatGPT at first to generate simple Python scripts, we began in the summer of 2024 to explore affordances, limitations and quirks of genAI. This helped us to identify other potential applications of AI within our organization, a research library focused on Italian Renaissance studies. This presentation considers two currently under development. The first is a tool for collection development, designed to support the work of selectors. Using retrieval augmented generation (RAG), which enhances LLM-generated responses with retrieval of relevant data from custom datasets, the tool evaluates and ranks potential library acquisitions at scale. The second application, for collection management, is a prototype shelf-reading tool which integrates simple computer vision (object recognition) and ChatGPT-powered text extraction in order to identify missing or misplaced books on the library shelves. These two applications respond to needs in our library, but the components, design and integrations that they employ to exploit large language models – and the challenges and setbacks encountered in their development – are transferable to other library use cases.
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Rewriting Cervantes: AI and the Future of Creative Libraries
This presentation is based on the results of the workshop "What if Cervantes Were a Machine?", a creative writing initiative developed in collaboration with Instituto Cervantes (International Library Network). This innovative practice integrates artificial intelligence tools to inspire participants in exploring new forms of storytelling. By blending AI with cultural heritage, the workshop encourages creativity while raising critical awareness of emerging technologies. We will share insights on its design, implementation, and impact, demonstrating its potential for cultural institutions worldwide.
Biodiversity at the Margins: Spaces of Innovation in Scholarly Communication
Biodiversity at the Margins: Spaces of Innovation in Scholarly Communication
Tuesday, April 8
Through the Lens of the Humanities
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Convener
Most recently, Ann Okerson is serving as Director of the Offline Internet Consortium, an organization devoted to bringing network-quality information to the half of the human race that does not have broadband. Previously, Ann Okerson joined the Center for Research Libraries in fall 2011 as Senior Advisor on Electronic Strategies, working with that organization to reconfigure and redirect various existing programs into digital mode. She has worked as INASP Associate, responsible for that organization's agreements between developing nations consortia and publishers.
Prior experience includes 15 years as Associate University Librarian for Collections & International Programs at Yale University; prior to that she worked in the commercial sector, and also for 5 years as Senior Program Officer for Scholarly Communications at the Association of Research Libraries. Upon joining Yale, she organized the Northeast Research libraries consortium (NERL), at that time a group of 28 large and over 80 smaller libraries negotiating for electronic information. She is one of the founding spirits of the International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC). Activities include projects, publications, advisory boards, and speaking engagements worldwide. Over the years, Okerson has also been active in IFLA (including the Serials, Acquisitions, and News Media Committees) and its Governing Board. She responds positively to offers of fine dark chocolate!
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Joy Connolly began her service as President of the American Council ofLearned Societies on July 1, 2019. Previously, she served as provostand interim president of The Graduate Center at the City University ofNew York, where she was also Distinguished Professor of Classics. Shehas held faculty appointments at New York University, where she servedas Dean for the Humanities from 2012-16, Stanford University, and theUniversity of Washington. Committed to broadening scholars' impact onthe world, as provost at the Graduate Center Joy secured generoussupport from the Mellon Foundation to foster public-facing scholarshipthrough innovative experiments in doctoral training. She has publishedtwo books with Princeton University Press and over seventy articles,reviews, and short essays. Connolly earned a BA from PrincetonUniversity in 1991 and a PhD in classical studies from the Universityof Pennsylvania in 1997. She was elected a fellow of the AmericanAcademy of Arts and Sciences in 2021.
Fighting system failure with a quiet revolution
Perennially criticized and under-funded, the humanities in America entered a high risk phase in the 1980s that after the financial shocks of 2008-09 became a state of emergency. In the same period, in a revolution that has been under-reported and widely misunderstood, humanists made extraordinary progress in their scholarship and teaching that shows great promise for the future – if we can prevent system failure. In this talk, focusing on the past 25 years, I will describe the most important elements of humanists' boldest moves and how they underpin the efforts currently underway to renew and rebuildt he humanities, by changing academic culture and policy as well as public opinion.
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Karla Pollmann is President of the University of Tübingen. She was formerly Executive Dean and Professor of Classics and Theology at the University of Bristol, and before that held deanships at the Universities of Reading and of Kent (Canterbury). Her research focuses on literature and culture of the Roman Imperial period and early Christianity. She has authored several key monographs, including The Baptized Muse (Oxford University Press, 2017) and serves on several editorial boards. She is renowned for her defining work on Augustine of Hippo, including as Editor-in-Chief of the 3 volume Oxford Guide to the Historical Reception of Augustine (2013). She is a member of the Academia Europaea, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and in 2020 she was awarded the Humboldt Research Prize for her distinguished contributions to international research. In 2023, she received an honorary doctorate from Dōshisha University (Japan). She is actively involved in shaping higher education policy in Germany, in particular as Vice-Chair of U15.
Open Access to the Humanities - an Open and Shut Case?
We live in an age where the humanities appear to be on the losing side. But most recently, strident digital progress, geo-political changes, culture wars, and pressing issues of sustainability have thrown the nature of the humanities as cluster of disciplines into sharp relief. There is a renewed need for them to reflect on ethical implications of technological developments, to offer unique possibilities for knowledge diplomacy, to (re)define values that have been taken for granted for too long, and boldly to raise the question whether sustainability issues can only be resolved by further material advances.
Together with humanities scholars, libraries as gatekeepers and gateways of knowledge will need to serve a double function for societies of the 21st century: both as platforms of interaction for academic experts, and as disseminators and educators for a wider public in a world where knowledge (or what looks like it) is increasingly difficult to navigate. Simply opening up resources will not suffice to ensure responsible and meaningful engagement with what the humanities have to offer. The paper will outline some implications for the "Open Humanities" of the future.
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Kristine Rose-Beers ACR is Head of Conservation and Heritage for Cambridge University Libraries. In this role, she is responsible for the strategic leadership, development and delivery of the conservation, preservation and heritage science functions for physical collections held by Cambridge University Libraries.
Kristine is an active figure in the field of Islamic and Western manuscript conservation. She has held roles at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin and The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Her approach is based on her understanding of materials and technologies gained through historical reconstructions as well as academic studies. She has published widely in this field and taught and lectured internationally. Kristine is an accredited member of the Institute of Conservation (ICON), a regular tutor at the Montefiascone Project in Italy, and a member of the Kairouan Manuscript Project (KMP).
Advocacy for Books: balancing access and preservation for special collections at Cambridge University Library
Contemporary research libraries have multiple stakeholders and multifaceted roles. These have evolved rapidly in the 21st century, and exponentially since the Covid-19 pandemic. These changes are mirrored in the Conservation profession, which has grown to include heritage science, collections care and practice-based research, all of which inform interactions with every user, including librarians, archivists, scholars and the public. As a result, Conservation now plays a crucial role in research library strategy, ensuring libraries and their special collections can be accessed and interpreted by a global community.
Finding a balance between our enduring responsibility to preserve historic collections and contemporary needs for openness, accessibility and research remains a challenge, but new perspectives can offer alternative solutions. These expand understanding and the availability of collections to new audiences. The Conservator's work has often been hidden behind closed Library doors, but their work is no longer siloed and offers increasingly important new avenues for research and access, for an ever-widening audience.
As Cambridge University Library heads towards its centenary in its current building, this paper will offer a timely exploration of the importance of inclusion, sustainability and preservation as it permeates all aspects of the collecting research library.
The Broad Topic of Metrics: Examining Two Aspects. Measurement and Monitoring in the Digital Age, Lessons Learned and Perspectives
The Broad Topic of Metrics: Examining Two Aspects. The Perverse Arithmetic of Prestige
Wednesday, April 9
Equitable Partnerships for an Equitable World of Knowledge
Learning from the Past, Informing the Future
Celebrating 25 Years and Looking Forward
Over the last 25 years the scholarly communication sector has risen to the challenges set by rapidly
changing times and technology, trends and expectations. This anniversary Retreat presents the
opportunity to reflect on the journey so far, review the questions raised over the years and revisit
major themes in order to respond to the priorities facing us today and to prepare for tomorrow.
Join us in Fiesole as we look to the coming 25 years and, in a climate of dialogue, participation and
partnership together with representatives from across the sector, contribute to identifying shared
strategies to pave the way for a sustainable, multifarious and equitable future in the ever-changing
landscape of higher education, working towards more widespread, open and inclusive access to
cultural heritage and knowledge.
Latest News [ January 28, 2025 ]
Celebrating 25 Years and Looking Forward
Over the last 25 years the scholarly communication sector has risen to the challenges set by rapidly changing times and technology, trends and expectations. This anniversary Retreat presents the opportunity to reflect on the journey so far, review the questions raised over the years and revisit major themes in order to respond to the priorities facing us today and to prepare for tomorrow. Join us in Fiesole as we look to the coming 25 years and, in a climate of dialogue, participation and partnership together with representatives from across the sector, contribute to identifying shared strategies to pave the way for a sustainable, multifarious and equitable future in the ever-changing landscape of higher education, working towards more widespread, open and inclusive access to cultural heritage and knowledge.
Latest News [ January 28, 2025 ]
Host 2025
EUI (European University Institute) is the leading institute in Europe dedicated to social sciences and humanities. Founded in 1972 by the six original members of the then European Communities, the EUI connects academic excellence and research capabilities across Europe and to the world of policy and practice, for the betterment of society.

CLIR (Council on Library and Information Resources) champions a world in which information and cultural heritage are preserved, accessible, useful to - and reflective of - all people, cultivating partnerships with an international network of libraries, archives, museums, governmental organizations, nonprofits, and educational institutions to create and preserve a commonwealth of knowledge.
Committee
Programme
- Gracian Chimwaza - Executive Director ITOCA, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Michael Levine-Clark - Dean of the University of Denver Libraries, Colorado, USA
- Charles Henry - President CLIR, USA
- Buhle Mbambo-Thata - University Librarian at National University of Lesotho, Lesotho
- Ann Okerson - Director, Offline Internet Consortium, USA
- Stephen Rhind-Tutt - President at Coherent Digital, USA; CLIR Board member
- Julien Roche - University Librarian and Director of the Libraries, University Lille, France; LIBER President
- Cécile Swiatek Cassafieres - LIBER board member; University Librarian - Université Paris Nanterre, Paris, France
- Pep Torn - Library Director, European University Institute Library, Fiesole, Italy
- Giannis Tsakonas - Director, Library & Information Centre, University of Patras, Greece
- Charles Watkinson - Director, University of Michigan Press, USA
Co-founders
- Barbara and Michele Casalini - Casalini Libri, Italy
- Rebecca Lenzini - Charleston Hub, USA
- Katina Strauch - Charleston Hub, USA
Organization
- Antonio Cordola - Casalini Libri, Italy
- Leah Hinds - Charleston Hub, USA
- Giulia Scarpelli - Casalini Libri, Italy
Programme
- Gracian Chimwaza - Executive Director ITOCA, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Michael Levine-Clark - Dean of the University of Denver Libraries, Colorado, USA
- Charles Henry - President CLIR, USA
- Buhle Mbambo-Thata - University Librarian at National University of Lesotho, Lesotho
- Ann Okerson - Director, Offline Internet Consortium, USA
- Stephen Rhind-Tutt - President at Coherent Digital, USA; CLIR Board member
- Julien Roche - University Librarian and Director of the Libraries, University Lille, France; LIBER President
- Cécile Swiatek Cassafieres - LIBER board member; University Librarian - Université Paris Nanterre, Paris, France
- Pep Torn - Library Director, European University Institute Library, Fiesole, Italy
- Giannis Tsakonas - Director, Library & Information Centre, University of Patras, Greece
- Charles Watkinson - Director, University of Michigan Press, USA
Co-founders
- Barbara and Michele Casalini - Casalini Libri, Italy
- Rebecca Lenzini - Charleston Hub, USA
- Katina Strauch - Charleston Hub, USA
Organization
- Antonio Cordola - Casalini Libri, Italy
- Leah Hinds - Charleston Hub, USA
- Giulia Scarpelli - Casalini Libri, Italy
Participate
Registration
Registration is now open. Register here.
Please note that the conference registration fee includes:
- in-person attendance
- lunches (7th-9th April)
- cocktail reception (7th April)
- conference dinner (8th April)
- shuttle service to and from the centre of Florence each day
- bus transfers to the cocktail reception and conference dinner
Participants should arrange accommodation separately; please refer to the Practical Information section for our recommendation and details of a special offer available until 6th March, 2025.
Registration
Registration is now open. Register here.
Please note that the conference registration fee includes:
- in-person attendance
- lunches (7th-9th April)
- cocktail reception (7th April)
- conference dinner (8th April)
- shuttle service to and from the centre of Florence each day
- bus transfers to the cocktail reception and conference dinner
Participants should arrange accommodation separately; please refer to the Practical Information section for our recommendation and details of a special offer available until 6th March, 2025.
Practical Information
Accommodation
Grand Hotel Baglioni
Located in the heart of Florence, the Grand Hotel Baglioni is housed in a magnificent 19th-century building, in which past and present coexist in perfect harmony. The warm and welcoming atmosphere and high level of service make it one of the most famous and renowned hotels in Florence.
The Grand Hotel Baglioni will also be the location for our Conference Dinner on Tuesday 8th April.
The Grand Hotel Baglioni offers a special rate for Fiesole Retreat delegates, with prices set at:
- €261 (single use)
- €291 (double room)
for bookings made before 6th March 2025.
To take advantage of this offer, you can book directly through this link, or using the Group Attendee code FR2025 on the hotel's website.
Hotel Palazzo Castri
Palazzo Castri 1874 is a sophisticated boutique hotel in the heart of Florence, charming and delightful down to the last detail.
“La Limonaia” is the hidden garden at Palazzo Castri 1874 – a peaceful and relaxing oasis where you can rest and regenerate.
NH Collection Firenze Porta Rossa
With its 13th Century tower and marvellous frescos, the five-star NH Collection Firenze Porta Rossa – thought to be the oldest hotel in Italy – is truly extraordinary.
The 'Locanda Porta Rossa' is mentioned in a letter dating back to 1386, and a new building was constructed on the spot in the 16th century, incorporating the 13th-century tower.
The Torrigiani family owned the building from 1559 and lived there for over two centuries renting it to hoteliers in the first half of the 19th century.
Hotel Orto dei Medici
Hotel Orto de' Medici is located in Via San Gallo, in the historic centre of Florence, and the site in which Lorenzo de' Medici's established a school of art and sculpture. It is said to be in the Florence garden of Orto de' Medici, in 1489, that Lorenzo de' Medici met the exceptionally gifted young sculptor, Michelangelo Buonarroti. The Hotel, with its charming wooden floor and the original frescoes, still keeps that magic atmosphere from its past.
Hotel Villa Bonelli
The Hotel Villa Bonelli is a small jewel located in the heart of the historic village of Fiesole and at the same time surrounded by the sweetness of the Tuscan countryside. The hotel has charming rooms overlooking the breath-taking views of the Fiesole hills.