Lib4RI at BiblioCon 2026

Lib4RI

Under the motto "Analogue meets Algorithm" librarians met in Berlin for the 114. BiblioCon to exchange their ideas for the library of the future - and the future of libraries. Lib4RI contributed two presentations on current projects.

Beyond Standard Reports: Building a Sovereign, AI-assisted Dashboard for Data-driven Decisions

Speaker: Dimitris Antonakis

Libraries face a disconnect between "analogue" data (static COUNTER reports, disparate cost files, isolated publication lists) and the need for real-time, integrated insights. Usage reports and Cost-Per-Use calculations may already exist in Electronic Resources Management Systems. So why build something new? Because standard tools answer yesterday's questions with yesterday's data, failing to capture the complexity of transformative agreements. They can't correlate usage with corresponding authors' publication output or forecast future demand. We bridged the gap between analogue silos and algorithmic unity by developing a custom dashboard that synthesises inputs into a unified decision engine, shifting from passive reporting to active analysis, implementing advanced metrics that contextualise value. The dashboard goes beyond static reporting by integrating external data through multiple APIs (Alma Analytics, Institutional Repository (DORA), DOAJ, Swiss National Bank) that enrich raw usage data with publication metrics, Open Access context, and real-time currency conversion. Built on an open-source framework using Python, Streamlit, Plotly, and AI as a coding partner, it automates the messy work of harmonising data from multiple sources. We demonstrate how domain expertise combined with AI-assisted coding empowers libraries to navigate negotiations, ensuring decisions are driven by local necessity, not algorithmic opacity.

See the slides here

Library catalogue 2.0: Enrichment, Ranking, Open Access and AI

Speaker: Lothar Nunnenmacher
Co-authors: Frank Hösli, Ellen Knappe

Researchers are increasingly turning to search engines and AI tools rather than the library catalogue. Furthermore, important information relevant to publications cannot be found in the library catalogue at all – such as open-access (OA) publication options for individual journals. The Lib4RI Search Tool enhances the traditional library catalogue in terms of both functionality and content, thereby increasing its relevance to the academic research process:

  • The Bento Box design allows for the integration of numerous external sources and extends the search scope far beyond the library catalogue.
  • Filtering information, e.g. by local availability, with the option of a simple expansion, allows for a clear and well-organised presentation.
  • Publications as a relevance criterion: In the journal list, filtering and ranking are based on the publication figures of the institution’s own researchers, which significantly increases the relevance of the results.
  • The journal list provides detailed, up-to-date information on OA publishing for each journal, including (a) institutional Read&Publish agreements, (b) Gold OA with APCs and funding options, and (c) filtered options for Green OA.
  • In addition, an AI-supported process is being tested that summarises content from the institutional repository and displays a larger number of relevant results to users than a traditional search.

The tool is implemented as a Drupal module and integrates content in real time via JavaScript and numerous APIs. Only the data relating to read-and-publish agreements is updated locally and imported easily via CSV.
The Lib4RI Search Tool https://www.lib4ri.ch demonstrates how library discovery systems can be strategically developed through data-driven enrichment, user-centricity and AI-supported components. This allows the library to position itself as a relevant partner for information retrieval and open science – even in the age of Google and AI.

See the slides here    Learn more about the Search Tool