TU Freiberg Library Awarded for AI Project

The Georgius Agricola Library at TU Bergakademie Freiberg was awarded the Saxon Library Prize on Friday. The library received the prize, which includes 10,000 euros, for a project focused on the mediation of artificial intelligence (AI). The initiative aims to optimize everyday library processes with the help of AI.

The project specifically addresses the classification of newly acquired books. AI is used to assign keywords, improving their discoverability within the library catalog. Library director Julia Meyer refers to this process as "subject indexing." The Freiberg library has recently employed a specially trained AI for this purpose.

Knowledge gained from the project is being shared with other libraries. Conrad Hübler, the creator of the AI project, has developed a workshop series. These workshops provide theoretical insights and practical exercises on how AI functions and can be applied to analyze and deconstruct processes, including the classification of literature.

Library director Julia Meyer is dedicated to making the library a vibrant and participatory space. Her motto, "Library as an event," invites students and the wider community to contribute and shape its offerings. Initiatives include student involvement in curating science communication exhibitions and exploring "moving learning" to meet user needs, especially during examination periods.