August 08, 2024
The LIBER 2024 conference, the premier gathering of European library professionals, was held this year in the sun-soaked city of Limassol, Cyprus. Renowned as the ultimate European library event, the conference gathered experts and enthusiasts from across the continent, united by their shared passion for the future of libraries. The heat of Cyprus did little to deter the vibrant exchange of ideas and the spirit of collaboration that permeated the event.
This year’s conference covered a large range of themes anchored around library collaboration and community building, with AI along with equity & diversity as the most popular topics.
These topics dominated the presentations and discussions, reflecting the key challenges and opportunities that libraries face in the evolving digital landscape. The focus on AI and equity & diversity resonated deeply, as they have been at the forefront of industry discourse over the past couple of years.
Highlights from the Conference
A standout moment of the conference was the keynote address by Frank Scholze. His thought-provoking presentation invited libraries to reimagine their roles and missions through an external lens. Scholze engaged the audience with an intriguing exercise, asking everyone to indicate where they believed North was. The resulting array of directions underscored the relativity of our perceptions. Scholze then shared a compelling narrative about a group of indigenous people who possess an intrinsic understanding of cardinal directions, contrasting it with our learned dependence on relative landmarks, such as the location of the sea.
This anecdote served as a powerful metaphor for how libraries might reorient themselves—by embracing absolute, unchanging values while adapting to the shifting needs of their communities. It was a call to balance tradition with innovation, a theme that echoed throughout the conference.
ChronosHub’s ContributionChronosHub was proud to be part of LIBER 2024, engaging with the diverse array of library professionals and contributing to the dialogue on the future of library services. Our participation focused on how libraries can leverage data infrastructures and AI to unburden the academic community from manual administrative tasks along the publishing journey.
The conference also provided invaluable networking opportunities, allowing us to connect with peers and explore collaborative initiatives that could further our mission of supporting open access and streamlined research workflows.
Looking Forward
As we reflect on the insights gained at LIBER 2024, ChronosHub remains committed to driving forward the innovations that will shape the future of libraries. The themes of data infrastructure, AI, and equality are not just trends; they are critical areas where libraries can lead societal progress. We look forward to continuing our work in these areas and to participating in future LIBER conferences, where the pulse of European libraries continues to beat strongly.