We celebrate 15 years of Pomeranian Digital Library | Gdańsk University of Technology

On October 13–14, in the Main Building of Gdańsk University of Technology, the anniversary conference celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Pomeranian Digital Library took place under the title "Heritage in the Network: Digitization in the Era of Change".
The event gathered representatives of academic institutions, libraries, museums, and organizations that co-create and support the development of PBC – guests from Poland and abroad.

The meeting was opened by Dr. Anna Dąbrowska, Director of the Gdańsk Tech Library, and Prof. Mariusz Kaczmarek, Vice-Rector for Education. They welcomed the participants and invited everyone to celebrate 15 years of digital cooperation among institutions from the Pomeranian region.

Day One

Jubilee Session: 15 years of Pomeranian Digital Library 

The first part of the conference, moderated by Dr. Anna Dąbrowska, was devoted to the history and development of PBC. Representatives of partner institutions shared how the project influenced their work.

Speakers included:

• Robert Szczodruch (Gdańsk Tech Library) – about the beginnings and growth of PBC,
• Karina Rojek (Instytut Kultury Miejskiej w Gdańsku) – about cooperation between culture and science in the digital space,
• Kamila Kokot-Kanikuła (Gdańsk Tech Library) – about the impact of PBC on the Digitization and Old Prints Departments,
• Adam Grygorowicz (Library of the University of Gdańsk) – "Z pamiętnika młodego skanerzysty",
• Anna Walczak (PAN Biblioteka Gdańska) – about the contribution of the Gdańsk Library of the Polish Academy of Sciences to the shared collection,
• Aleksandra Siuciak (Muzeum Zamkowe w Malborku) – about the most valuable manuscripts and old prints,
• Joanna Stasiak (University of Maritime Studies in Gdynia) – about the experience of the University Library,
• Ryszard Rus (Stowarzyszenie Geodetów Polskich) – about the "Geodezja i Kartografia" collection in PBC.

Session II: Financing and Grants

The second session, led by Katarzyna Falow, Director of the Main Library of the Medical University of Gdańsk, focused on funding opportunities for library projects.

Speakers included:

• Filip Neumann (Digital-Center – conference sponsor) – about practical aspects of digitization,
• Anna Małczuk-Wakulińska (Kasa na Kulturę) – about funding sources for libraries,
• Karolina Wicha (Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce) – about the development of the UJK Digital Library through ministry grants,
• Michał Kosiedowski (Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center) – about open calls in the Heriforge project,
• Piotr Rydzek (Skandalski – conference sponsor) – about myths and facts related to digitization equipment.

Session III: Partnerships in Digitization and Access to Collections

The afternoon session, moderated by Prof. Arnold Kłonczyński, Director of the Library of the University of Gdańsk, was devoted to partnerships in digitization and access to collections.

Speakers included:

• Natalia Pamuła (Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń) – about designing user-friendly search interfaces,
• Alicja Zabrocka (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań) – about virtual reconstruction of book collections,
• Błażej Betański (PCSS) – about the DInGO tools ecosystem,
• Marcin Szala (Wrocław University Library) – about the use of the IIIF standard,
• Michał Górski (AGH University Main Library) – about resource integration in the PRIMO VE system,
• Michał Tomczyk (Clarivate – conference sponsor) – about digitizing collections in a modern IT environment.

Anniversary Celebration

After a group photo, participants enjoyed a walk through the beautiful Main Building of Gdańsk University of Technology, visited the modern Library, and took part in a presentation of its rich collection of old prints and manuscripts.

The day ended with a festive dinner and an anniversary cake – a perfect opportunity to exchange experiences and talk about the future of the Pomeranian Digital Library.

Day Two

The second day continued with inspiring discussions about what matters most to the participants – librarians, researchers, IT specialists, and digital heritage enthusiasts: the future of digital libraries and their role in society and culture.

Workshops

The day began with the practical workshop "Transforming Libraries Digitization Services: going beyond scanning our own collections to become a data provider for (Digital) Humanities researchers", led by Dr. Anthony Leroy (Université libre de Bruxelles).

Session IV: The Future of Digital Libraries

Moderated by Kamila Kokot-Kanikuła (Gdańsk Tech Library), the session focused on new technologies and challenges for digital libraries.

Speakers included:

• Jan Rychtář (Trinera s.r.o.) and Petr Žabička (Moravian Library in Brno) – about integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning in digital libraries,
• Neil Jefferis (Open Preservation Foundation, Oxford University) – about the importance of open infrastructure for long-term access to resources,
• Marcin Pędich (University of Białystok) – about the problem of digital disinformation,
• Dorota Murawska (Third Iron – conference sponsor) – about increasing user engagement with library services.

Session V: The Role of Digital Libraries in Local Communities

The final session, led by Robert Szczodruch (Gdańsk Tech Library), showed how digital libraries support local identity, culture, and education.

Speakers included:

• Liisa Näpärä (National Library of Finland) – "Digital cultural heritage resources for users",
• Julie Reynolds (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, New York) – "Nerd Alert! Amateur Archivists Reusing Digital Collections",
• Jarosław Znalezniak (ELIBRON – conference sponsor) – about a modern micro-library,
• Marta Walkusz (Library of the Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk) – about the event series "Politechniczne Wieczory Muzyczne" and "Politechnika Otwarta. Akademia Muzyczna w Politechnice",
• Marcin Leszczyński (Library of the University of Gdańsk) – "Historia od kuchni – polskie książki kucharskie",
• Mikołaj Juliusz Wachowicz (Central Military Library) – "Zdigitalizowana prasa – dawna i nowsza: ułatwienia dla historyka, zagrożenia dla prywatności".

Summary

We thank all speakers and participants for joining us, for inspiring presentations, and for celebrating this anniversary together!

Together we create the digital heritage of Pomerania.

Take a look at the event coverage:

Video by the Multimedia Production Department, Gdańsk University of Technology

Photos: Michał Łeszczyński, Bartosz Winiecki
Drone: Łukasz Szymichowski
Editing: Bartosz Winiecki