This Talk will take place in English exclusively on Zoom. Registration is not required to attend.

Abstract: AI for digital libraries: practical applications in challenging cultural contexts

The advances in artificial intelligence (AI) offer a wide range of opportunities for libraries. The Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz is developing AI technologies for a wide range of applications: from text and layout recognition to image analysis, information extraction, machine-assisted subject indexing and, last but not least, dataset composition and digital curation. On the other hand, the historical and cultural contexts must always be taken into account when using AI technologies for cultural heritage materials. Collections that are digitised by libraries are heterogeneous in terms of the period covered, the location or regions they contain and the cultural contexts in which they must be placed. Historical documents can contain distortions that no longer correspond to today's ethical values. Based on the experiences made at SBB in projects such as Mensch.Maschine.Kultur, the talk aims to share insights into practical applications of AI in libraries while also taking a sensitive and responsible approach to AI in the context of cultural heritage.

Speaker: Clemens Neudecker

Clemens Neudecker works as a researcher, project manager and library hacker at the Berlin State Library. His work focuses on computer vision, natural language processing, machine learning and artificial intelligence and their use in digital libraries and the digital humanities.

The Zentralbibliothek Zurich, the CERN Scientific Information Service, and AILIS (Association of International Librarians and Information Specialists, Geneva) jointly organize the Library Science Talks. A programme of talks for 2024 can be found on the AILIS website.