Innovations, Open Science & Libraries: 10 Tips for Conferences & Events in 2026

In the new year, numerous events will once again offer opportunities for information exchange, learning and networking. The following selection includes various types of conferences and other events dedicated to topics related to innovation, Open Science and libraries in 2026.

In addition, the ZBW MediaTalk event calendar contains a variety of other interesting events. If you know of any other relevant events, we would be delighted to hear from you!

KI in Bibliotheken weiterdenken – Datenqualität, Infrastruktur & Anwendung (German)
29.01. – 30.01. | Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
“The focus is on current developments in artificial intelligence for content and formal indexing – from large and small language models (LLMs) to data quality and evaluation to sustainable infrastructure and operation.”
Organised by: Netzwerks maschinelle Verfahren in der Erschließung
International Digital Curation Conference: AI, austerity, and authoritarianism: contemporary challenges in digital curation
16.02. – 18.02. | Zagreb (Croatia)
“The theme of this year’s conference recognises the effect contemporary forces are having on digital curation practices. We invite consideration on how these forces affect the work of the digital curation community and steps we take to stay resilient. We are interested in risks, opportunities and challenges from Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in producing data for curation, supporting curation processes, and reusing curated data; from limited or reduced funding available for digital curation actions; and in acts of hostility from governments or corporations to the integrity, preservation, long-term access, and reuse of data. While recognising the financial and political challenges the contemporary environment presents, the call is also open to optimism through examples of resilience and resistance in digital curation activities to sustain momentum in open scholarship and promote social change.”
Organised by: Digital Curation Centre (DCC)
RDA Deutschland Tagung 2026 (German)
24.02. – 25.02. | Potsdam (Germany)
“The RDA Community in Germany aims to contribute to increasing data exchange and making data reuse more efficient. It comprises data experts in Germany who are involved in the Research Data Alliance (RDA) or have an interest in the RDA’s results. Since 2014, RDA Germany has been organising annual conferences and various activities such as training courses focusing on data science and research data management.”
Organised by: RDA Deutschland e.V., Helmholtz Open Science Office
Moving Libraries (German)
26.2. – 27.02. | Graz (Austria)
“Entitled ‘Moving Libraries – Transformations and Potential,’ this transnational conference will highlight the accelerated change in libraries and infrastructure facilities and present examples of solutions to current challenges. In 2026, the focus will be on topics related to changing needs in the service portfolio and the consequences this will have for personnel and career development.”
Organised by: Verbände Bibliosuisse, Bibliotheksverband Südtirol (BVS), VDB – Verein Deutscher Bibliothekarinnen und Bibliothekare, VÖB (Vereinigung Österreichischer Bibliothekarinnen und Bibliothekare)
Neue Perspektiven auf KI in Bibliotheken (German)
10.03. | Online
“The conference will present projects and topics that have not been the focus of discussion on AI and libraries to date. New perspectives will be provided by museums and archives, as well as researchers from South America, Africa and China. Possible demands on policymakers will also be discussed, such as better framework conditions for the use of AI in libraries.”
Organised by: dbv
Social Media Access Days: Social-Media-Daten zwischen Forschung und Infrastrukturen – nachhaltige Archivierung, Erschließung und Bereitstellung
17.03. – 19.03. | Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
“The aim of the conference is therefore to enable libraries, archives, infrastructural facilities, research institutions and researchers to network and exchange experiences with archiving and the sustainable use of data and digital objects from social media. We explicitly welcome case studies and presentations on solutions and their practical implementation as well as reports on research findings.”
Organised by: German National Library
#RLUK26: Stewardship in challenging times: the role of libraries in supporting civic society
25.03. – 27.03. | Online
“Libraries need to navigate the increasingly complex intersections of academic freedom, freedom of speech, censorship, and the management of contested spaces and collections. These complexities call for vision and clarity to restate and communicate the values of research libraries. RLUK26 will explore how libraries can adopt dynamic, inclusive, empathetic, and strategic approaches to successfully manage the myriad human challenges they face, embrace the contested nature of library spaces, and support world-class research.”
Organised by: Research Libraries UK – RLUK
University:Future Festival 2026 (German)
22.06. – 24.06. | Berlin (Germany) & Online
“The University:Future Festival (U:FF) is the largest event dedicated to the (digital) future of academic education. As a leading event on digitalisation in higher education and teaching, it offers guidance, networking opportunities and inspiration. It is community-oriented and open to everyone! The festival covers a wide range of topics related to AI, architectures, technology, strategy development, skills, didactics and much more.”
Organised by: Stifterverband
LIBER 2026 – The Power of Libraries in an Uncertain World
01.07. – 03.07. | Trondheim (Norway)
“At the 2026 LIBER Annual Conference, the community of research libraries is invited to explore the vital role they play in safeguarding fundamental rights and values amid a rapidly evolving and uncertain world. Shifting technological, social, and geopolitical landscapes test both institutional resilience and societal cohesion. In this context, the central position of our research libraries within the information ecosystem renders their contribution more critical than ever. Operating under increasing pressure and facing significant ethical dilemmas, libraries are often required to make complex decisions; decisions that ultimately exemplify responsible and forward-looking leadership.”
Organised by: LIBER
5. Informationskompetenz DACH-Tagung 2026: Back to the Future? Informationskompetenz gestern, heute, morgen (German)
17.09. – 18.09. | Augsburg (Germany)
“This year, with the conference theme ‘Back to the Future? Information Literacy Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow,’ we are placing a special, but not exclusive, focus on the following topics: How has information literacy developed in recent decades in the face of new challenges? Which topics, event formats and teaching methods have proven successful and which have not? How has the importance of concepts such as the teaching library affected information literacy, and how can we measure and efficiently evaluate the impact of our training courses? How has the organisational embedding of information literacy in libraries changed? How are future developments identified and how do you deal with them?”
Organised by: Informationskompetenz-DACH

As many more exciting events are usually added throughout the year, we continuously collect them for you in the event calendar on ZBW MediaTalk! Feel free to check back there from time to time to stay up to date on interesting events, or subscribe to the ZBW MediaTalk newsletter.

Is an event missing? Do you have an event tip that is not yet included in our event calendar? We look forward to hearing from you!