Library Science Talk - Preserving Knowledge in a Shifting World: The Role of Libraries in Geopolitical Uncertainty

by Alicia Wise (CLOCKSS), Gali Halevi (CLOCKSS)

Tuesday 10 Jun 2025, 16:00 → 17:00 Europe/Zurich

This Talk will take place in English exclusively on Zoom. Registration is not required to attend.

Abstract: 

In today’s world, libraries are not just repositories of books—they are essential hubs for preserving and sharing knowledge, culture, and history. However, in the face of growing geopolitical uncertainty, the role of libraries has become even more critical. Wars, natural disasters, political turmoil, and changing national policies increasingly threaten the preservation of library materials, particularly rare, historic, and irreplaceable documents. This session will explore the profound importance of preserving library materials in such times of instability and conflict.

We will explore the effects of geopolitical uncertainty, the session will focus on recent events that have endangered library collections, such as:

· The destruction of libraries and archives in conflict zones (e.g., over 200 libraries have been destroyed and around 400 severely damaged in Ukraine since the war started ).

· The forced migration of cultural heritage during political upheaval (e.g., refugees fleeing regions with historic collections).

· Political and ideological shifts that lead to censorship or destruction of cultural materials (e.g., book bans, governmental censorship).

 

Speakers: Alicia Wise and Gali Halevi

Alicia Wise is Executive Director of the CLOCKSS Archive. She has worked to increase access to research information for 25 years as an academic author and in roles with funders, libraries, consortia, and publishers. Prior to joining she held roles with the Archaeology Data Service, Elsevier, Jisc, the Publishers Association, and the Publishers Licensing Service. Most recently, Alicia has been working as a consultant in scholarly communications, advising libraries, funders, and publishers on sustainable strategies for navigating the rapidly changing information landscape. She has served on the boards of organisations including Access to Research, the Accessible Books Consortium, CHORUS, and Research4Life.

Gali Halevi is Collections Director for the CLOCKSS archive. She is a librarian and information specialist with over two decades of experience in the scientific publishing arena. She previously served as the Director of the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate. During her tenure, she led research initiatives and scientific collaborations. Before joining Clarivate, Gali held positions at the Icahn School of Medicine and the Mount Sinai Health System, where she advocated for open access principles and led faculty development activities as the associate dean for libraries and information sciences. At Reed-Elsevier, Gali managed academic customer engagement and research metrics, fostering relationships in academic and corporate sectors. Additionally, Gali has authored over 30 articles and book chapters in research metrics and evaluation.

The Zentralbibliothek Zurich, the CERN Scientific Information Service, and AILIS (Association of International Librarians and Information Specialists, Geneva) jointly organize the Library Science Talks. A programme of talks for 2024 can be found on the AILIS website.