We are pleased to announce the launch of Enhancing Library Collections for Digital Humanities and Language Research (ELC-DHLR), a new Czech–Swiss collaborative project that brings together leading research infrastructures and libraries to improve access to and reuse of cultural and linguistic collections for research.
The framework
Funded in the framework of the Second Swiss Contribution for Bilateral relations Switzerland–Czech Republic, ELC-DHLR aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Czech and Swiss research infrastructures while advancing the integration of library collections into the European research ecosystem. The project contributes to the broader objective of reinforcing international collaboration in research infrastructures and increasing the visibility, accessibility, and interoperability of digital collections for the arts, humanities, and language sciences.
ELC-DHLR is jointly coordinated by LINDAT/CLARIAH-CZ and Swiss partners from CLARIN-CH and DARIAH-CH, creating a unique bridge between the two complementary European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs). By combining CLARIN’s expertise in language resources and technologies with DARIAH’s extensive experience in digital humanities methods, services, and communities, the project demonstrates how collaboration across research infrastructures can generate new opportunities for researchers working with digital cultural heritage and language data.
Goals and planned outputs
ELC-DHLR’s main objective is to substantially increase the usability of digitised library collections for research and unlock their potential for advanced interdisciplinary work. The project aims to enhance data both technically and conceptually, provide user-friendly access, and strengthen cooperation between research organisations in Czechia and Switzerland.
Over the next three years, the project will develop:
open-source software for AI-assisted discovery of library collections;
enriched and research-ready digital collections and corpora;
interoperable data processing workflows;
semantic search and AI-based research services;
scientific publications documenting the methods;
training and community-building activities that strengthen collaboration between CLARIN, DARIAH, Swiss and Czech research communities.
Project partners
LINDAT/CLARIAH-CZ
- Charles University, Prague
- Library of the Czech Academy of Sciences
- Moravian Library
- National Library of the Czech Republic
CLARIN-CH
- CLARIN-CH Coordination Office, University of Zürich
- Linguistic Research Infrastructure, University of Zürich
DARIAH-CH
- DARIAH-CH Coordination Office, University of Basel
- Swiss Data and Service Center for the Humanities DaSCH
- ETH Library
ELC-DHLR is an excellent example of how international partnerships can strengthen both national and European research ecosystems. By bringing together the expertise of CLARIN and DARIAH, the project will contribute to a more connected infrastructure landscape where cultural heritage collections and language resources become increasingly accessible for interdisciplinary research, teaching, and innovation.
More information about the project is available on the ELC-DHLR website: https://elc-dhlr.lib.cas.cz/
