Transformative libraries and participatory culture

Aix-Marseille Université (amU), the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg (PLUS) and Sapienza università di Roma (SUR) academic libraries have the pleasure to invite you to the Blended Intensive Program (BIP) “Transformative libraries and participatory culture”, which will take place in June 2026 in Marseille (France).

It will be an opportunity for academic librarians to exchange knowledge and share best practices, but also to strengthen international collaboration.

Please join us to share ideas, thoughts and best practices so as to:

• Ensure Community engagement and partnership
• Mind the Gap: Bridging User Needs and Library Services
• Decode AI. Empower Research. Redefine Libraries.
• Open up Science! Explore the many ways in which libraries help to promote Open Science to students, scientists and the general public to make resources available to everyone

 The language of the programme is English.

 For Whom?

The programme is designed for library professionals with various backgrounds, working in academic libraries or other research-oriented libraries with interest in sharing ideas, benchmarking practices and networking with international colleagues on the programme’s topics.

The number of participants is limited to 25. 

Priority will be given to librarians from the CIVIS alliance.

When?

The program is planned as a Blended Intensive Programme for staff: 

Online kick-off meeting                                                               June 3rd 2026

Online meetings                                                                      June 10th, 16th, 18th 

Physical mobility (5-day training program) in Marseille                June 22nd-26th 2026 

Cultural activities: 

Aix-en-Provence walking tour

visit of the Cosquer cave (reproduction of a prehistoric cave)

hike in the Calanques

visits to selected libraries

Online meetings                                                                      July 6th-10th 2026

Please find out more about the (provisional) training program in the attached document.

What is the cost?

There is no registration fee.

The participants must cover the accommodation and travel costs. They may be eligible to apply for an Erasmus+ Staff Training grant in order to cover the costs related to this mobility (please refer to your Erasmus office for further information). 

How to apply?

Applicants are invited to fill in the registration form: https://civis.eu/en/learn/civis-courses/transformative-libraries-and-par...

To request further information on our staff week, please contact Anne-Céline LAMBOTTE: anne-celine.lambotte-mosseron@univ-amu.fr

Deadline for applying: January 30th, 2026. 

 We look forward to welcoming you next June!

photo credit: Eléa Ropiot