26
Fiesole
Retreat
What is the likely shape of the library of the Future?
And how do we build collections for it?

Fiesole Collection Development Retreat Series

Tübingen
2026
May you live in interesting times
April 13-15, 2026

University of Tübingen
Alte Aula 
Münzgasse 30
72070 Tübingen

In memory of Ward Shaw, whose support, wisdom and friendship accompanied and enriched the Retreat for over a quarter of a century.

Preliminary Programme

Monday, April 13

Preconference
In times of rapid transformation and uncertainty, academic libraries and other scientific collections face the dual challenge of ensuring equitable access to knowledge while promoting sustainable practices on the other hand. This pre-conference explores how diverse types of collections can foster resilience, inclusivity, and long-term stewardship across disciplines. and serve as catalysts for resilience, inclusivity, and long-term sustainability in academia. Contributors will present innovative practices and strategic approaches that enhance accessibility, encourage responsible use, and support the sustainable management of resources in research and education. By showcasing examples of collaboration, curation, and preservation, the poster session aims to highlight how collections function not merely as static archives but as dynamic infrastructures that enable academic progress and societal benefit. Embedded within the overarching conference theme “May you live in interesting times: Access and Sustainability - Developing Strategies to Deal with Uncertainties,” this pre-conference invites reflection on how collections of all kinds can help academia navigate complexity and shape a sustainable future.
09:00 - 09:30
Registration & Welcome Coffee
Sponsored by Katina Magazine
09:30 - 09:40
Opening - Welcome
  • Karla Pollmann
    President, University of Tübingen, Germany
09:40 - 09:50
Introduction - Part 1
  • Regine Tobias
    Chief Library Director, University of Tübingen, Germany
    The role of the library at the university
09:50 - 10:00
Introduction - Part 2
  • Sibylle Meissner
    Managing Director, Tübingen School of Education, University of Tübingen, Germany
    Tübingen - Our profile and the role of collections in academia
10:00 - 10:30
Poster Pitches
10:30 - 11:00
Coffee Break
Sponsored by Mohr Siebeck
11:00 - 12:30
Poster Display
12:30 - 13:30
Lunch
13:30 - 13:35
Welcome & Introduction
13:35 - 13:50
Opening from the University of Tübingen
  • Karla Pollmann
    President, University of Tübingen, Germany
13:50 - 14:10
Keynote Speech
  • Richard Ovenden
    Richard Ovenden, OBE, Head of GLAM, Bodley’s Librarian and the Helen Hamlyn Director of the Oxford University Libraries, UK
14:10 - 16:55
Session 1
Does Reading Matter (Anymore)?
In this session, and following on Richard Ovenden's erudite and persuasive keynote highlighting the importance of reading in an increasingly challenging time, we pursue questions that abound. There's more to read than ever, our phones are distracting us from reading, and the Large Language Models are prowling around the world reading everything in sight and preparing to show off just how much better they are at the task than humans have ever been. There seems to be less time to read than ever before, and we are seduced by avatars who might do our reading for us. Let us examine more deeply just what's going on and how librarians, publishers, and academics might think about it? The session will combine research-driven examination of current developments with open-ended imagination and provocation about what this revolution will do to us. What do we lose when our attention spans shrink? Or will we be freed up for other intellectual activity? How do we - whoever "we" are - take what's best from these times and preserve society's values in the midst of upheaval.
  • Convener

    Ann Okerson
    Director, Offline Internet Consortium, USA
18:00 - 19:00
Cocktail

Tuesday, April 14

09:00 - 09:30
Welcome Coffee
Sponsored by Katina Magazine
09:30 - 12:40
Session 2
Collection as Data
The session focuses on Collections as Data from various perspectives, academic and library-related, and will address unique collections and making them accessible, e.g. through digitization, as much as using collections newly, even innovatively, with the help of Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI, e.g. through data mining and creating new networks between collections. Data from collections may become primary research data. The session also touches on questions of sustainability of data and access, e.g. in the Global South, and on specific disciplinary 'data cultures'. It will be hosted jointly by the University of Tübingen and the National Literature Archive (Deutsches Literaturarchiv) Marbach.
  • Convener

    Angelina Zirker
    Associate Professor of English Literature, University of Tübingen, Germany
    Convener

    Natalie Maag
    Head of the Library of the German Literature Archive, Marbach, Germany
12:40 - 13:40
Lunch
13:40 - 17:05
Session 3
Preserving Integrity: Collective Actions for Trust and Impact
AI and other factors are growing the volume of information exponentially, yet at the same time the level of stewardship and trust is fast declining. This session will explore the evolving role of libraries and publishers as vital stewards of knowledge and trust in an era of rapid information change and declining institutional confidence. It emphasizes the need to reframe the work of libraries beyond resource management toward fostering resilient knowledge ecosystems rooted in authenticity, preservation, and societal impact. Key challenges include managing diverse digital content, combating misinformation, and rebuilding trust through innovative preservation strategies. Speakers representing libraries, publishers, and vendors will examine how to sustain the integrity and accessibility of scholarly and cultural records, ensuring that trust remains central to the information environment. Together, they will discuss actions to reaffirm libraries’ role at the heart of society’s knowledge infrastructure, delivering impact through authentic stewardship and trusted knowledge networks.
  • Convener

    Michael Levine-Clark
    Dean, University of Denver Libraries, Colorado, USA
    Convener

    Stephen Rhind-Tutt
    President, Coherent Digital, USA
18:30 - 20:00
Conference Dinner
Sponsored by EBSCO

Wednesday, April 15

08:30 - 09:00
Welcome Coffee
Sponsored by Katina Magazine
09:00 - 12:00
Session 4
Collection development under constraint: coordination, collaboration, and partnership in a «coopetitive » world
Several shocks have shaken the academic world in recent years, making the publishing and research landscape increasingly complex, while also calling established practices and certainties into question. The impact of the pandemic has been far-reaching, calling into question the model of competition between stakeholders without establishing a new paradigm. 'Big deals' have been challenged without a new dominant model emerging. The value of research is increasingly being challenged in terms of return on investment and efficiency. The emergence of new players in the field of artificial intelligence is reshuffling the deck in the world of research and scientific publishing. Long-standing partnerships and established preeminence are being undermined by drastic changes in scientific policy, particularly in the United States, but aso in Europe and elsewhere. Finally, research stakeholders have never experienced such pressure on their budgets at a time when substantial investment is needed more than ever. Against this backdrop of uncertainty, the session entitled 'Collection development under constraint: coordination, collaboration, and partnership in a «coopetitive» world' will explore how agile and inventive collaborations and 'coopetitions' between stakeholders can help overcome administrative or regulatory constraints, mitigate the impact of funding restrictions or shortages, and enable Higher Education and Research institutions, stakeholders, and content providers for both public and private sector to develop their policies and collections, and expand their content and services.
  • Convener

    Julien Roche
    University Librarian and Director of the Libraries, University Lille, France; LIBER President
12:00 - 12:30
Closing Remarks
  • James O'Donnell
    University Librarian, Arizona State University, USA
12:30 - 14:00
Light Lunch
14:00 - 18:00
CLIR Workshop
18:00 - 19:00
Cocktail

"May you live in interesting times"

Access and sustainability: developing strategies to deal with uncertainties

Shrinking public funding for education, restrictions on access to academic resources, the market power of publishing consortia, and the growing influence of AI and large language models are reshaping the academic landscape. At the same time, Open Science policies (or: practices) and the expanding availability of data offer new opportunities for transformation. For academic and research libraries, these developments present both uncertainties - such as ensuring quality and trustworthiness - and new avenues for action, including innovative ways to make data and publications accessible. Future challenges comprise how libraries can uphold access to information, especially for underserved communities or students from diverse backgrounds, and can promote sustainability through resource sharing as well as digital collections - and also how users of data and libraries will still be encouraged to actually read and not simply rely on AI-generated content. Publishing equally needs to shift towards more sustainable models, particularly with the rise of open access, which aims to make research freely available while ensuring financial viability. The Fiesole Conference at Tübingen in 2026 wishes to address these issues and develop strategies for dealing with growing uncertainties in these fields. The question of how access can be provided and maintained in education, and how resources can be made sustainable will be at the focus of the conference, fully in the spirit of the Fiesole motto: “What is the likely shape of the library of the future?”

Latest News [ November 7, 2025 ] 

Participate

Registration

Registration is now open. Register here.

Host 2026

Innovative, interdisciplinary, international: the University of Tübingen has been a place of top-level research and excellent teaching for more than 500 years. The university maintains exchanges with partners around the globe - both at institutions of higher education and at non-university research institutions, recognising networks and cooperation across faculty and subject boundaries as the pillars of its successful strategy. This is reflected in the university’s position in international rankings and as one of the eleven German universities distinguished with the title of "excellent".

Practical Information

Accommodation

Hotel Domizil

As the only hotel in Tübingen located directly on the Neckar, Domizil offers a unique setting that truly captures the city’s charm. From its terrace, you can enjoy the setting sun over the Neckar while soaking in the vibrant atmosphere of Tübingen.

Special rates:

  • Single room - 144,00 € / night
  • Double room - 189,00 € / night
  • Double room for single use - 155,00 € / night

These rooms can be booked by February 23, 2026 entering the code "Fiesole Retreat".

Hotel Krone

When you enter the Hotel Krone, you feel welcomed in the cosy entrance area, with the flame flickering in the open fire. Let your attention be captured further by our wonderful mix of sophisticated and contemporary furniture.

Hotel Krone offers a special 10% discount on list price writing at reservierung@krone-tuebingen.de or info@krone-tuebingen.de and citing the code "Uni Tübingen".

Hotel am Schloss

Hotel La Casa

Ibis Styles

Hotel Metropol Garni

Committee

Programme

  • Gracian Chimwaza - Executive Director ITOCA, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Michael Levine-Clark - Dean of the University of Denver Libraries, Colorado, USA
  • Michael Derntl, Head of the Digital Humanities Center, University of Tübingen, Germany
  • Charles Henry - President CLIR, USA
  • Sybille Meißner, Head of the School of Education, University of Tübingen, Germany
  • 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
  • Karin Schmidgall, Deputy Library Director, Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach
  • Cécile Swiatek Cassafieres - LIBER board member; University Librarian - Université Paris Nanterre, Paris, France
  • Regine Tobias, Head of Libraries, University of Tübingen, Germany
  • 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
  • Angelika Zirker, Dean, University of Tübingen, Germany

Co-founders

  • Barbara and Michele Casalini - Casalini Libri, Italy
  • Rebecca Lenzini - Charleston Hub, USA
  • Katina Strauch - Charleston Hub, USA

Organization

  • Aurora Taiuti - Casalini Libri, Italy
  • Antonio Cordola - Casalini Libri, Italy
  • Leah Hinds - Charleston Hub, USA
  • Manuela Classen - Casalini Libri, Italy
  • Kai Schwarzkopf - University of Tübingen, Germany
  • Lennart Schmid - University of Tübingen, Germany

Proceedings

Listed in order of programme schedule

Sponsors