The ALMPUB project

Abstract

The study reviews the ALMPUB (The ALM-Field – Archives, Libraries, Museums –, Digitalization and the Public Sphere) project, and summarizes its main achievements. The project was initiated and co-ordinated by the Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet), and was financed by the Norwegian Research Council within its KULMEDIA programme. In addition to the university leading the project, several partner institutions from Norway and abroad were involved in the programme: the Norwegian National Library, the West Norwegian College, the Tromsø University, two major Scandinavian universities with library science departments (Uppsala, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark), a German (Potsdam) and a Swiss library school (Chur University), as well as the Hungarian Library Institute as commissioned by the National Széchényi Library. The international research investigated the role of libraries, archives and museums in society in a European context. Researchers sought answer to the question how changing technologies impact the forms of cultural expression, as well as how culture and media influence society. Four methods were used: 1) digitization policies were analysed, first of all in Norway, with an outlook to some European partner countries; 2) a representative survey was carried out among the inhabitants of six countries about the role of libraries, archives and museums in society; 3) nationwide surveys were carried out in each country among the staff members of libraries, archives and museums about the tasks, priorities and mission of their organizations; 4) case studies were done in certain fields which help to understand the findings of empirical research on the one hand, and highlight interesting phenomena on the other. During the project conferences and workshops were held, one of these in the National Széchényi Library, Budapest. The ALMPUB project gave birth to new scientific achievements which contributed to a new interpretation of digitization and of public collections as a public sphere. Data processing and the dissemination of results will take place till September 30, 2020.