Strategy for research at Royal Danish Library 2025-2028

Introduction

Research at Royal Danish Library supports the library's strategy (2024-2027) "We show the way to knowledge". With its focus on the creation, understanding, management and use of cultural heritage in Denmark, research strengthens society's ability to access knowledge about the past and present from a source-critical perspective. The research thus also contributes to the library's mission to be part of the foundation for a democratic knowledge society and to collect, preserve and disseminate shared knowledge and cultural heritage.

The research group at the Royal Library is particularly – but not exclusively – specialized in collection-oriented research that deals empirically, theoretically and methodologically with the library's collections and their management. This means that they not only focus on themes related to the content of the collections, but also work with issues related to, for example, collection, provenance and construction - as well as sustainable use, preservation and accessibility of the physical, digital and hybrid collections. Technological development and its consequences for research in the collections is also a cross-cutting theme.

The collection-oriented questions are developed in ongoing dialogue with general, scientific issues in interaction with the research that takes place at universities and other institutions in and outside Denmark. The Royal Library's research covers in particular a number of humanities and technical subjects, but also to some extent subject areas within the social sciences and natural sciences. The collection-oriented and subject-oriented perspectives mutually enrich each other and both elements are present in the research projects, although they may be weighted to different degrees.

The library's research is conducted at a high professional level and is carried out according to recognized quality standards for research. It is therefore important that researchers are part of their own fields and networks (nationally and internationally), including that they publish through relevant channels.

For information on the framework conditions for research, please refer to the note on research organisation at the Royal Library.

Strategic areas of focus

In the period 2025-2028, research at Royal Danish Library has three overall focus areas that implement the library's strategy. Each focus area concretizes the strategy's goals through specific initiatives and activities.

These areas of focus address the organization and framework of the research area and are at the same time closely linked thematically to the research program "Cultural Heritage and Technologies of Remembrance", which ensures a coherent and focused approach to the library's research activities. The program was launched in the last strategy period and focuses on Royal Danish Library's role as a cultural heritage institution with responsibility for collecting, preserving and making available material that can be used in the future to create and study Danish society. The program particularly highlights the interaction between the technological framework for studying remembrance and the library's selection of what is saved for posterity.

The research program runs from 2023 to 2026. At the end of the research program, an evaluation will be carried out and the research group will decide on this basis whether to launch a new research program.

Focus area 1: Research-based knowledge about cultural heritage

In continuation of the library's strategic objective of providing knowledge and cultural heritage, research promotes knowledge about cultural heritage and the methodological considerations necessary to be able to manage and work with the library's collections in a source-critical manner.

The research program Cultural Heritage and Remembrance Technologies examines the possibilities and consequences of the ongoing digital transformation for work with digitally born materials, materials with physical form, and hybrid collections. This applies not least to the transparency of the collection work and collection building, and the methodological, ethical, and collection-related issues that digitization entails.

Research insight into the collections is important for the library, other researchers and the library's other users.

The focus area is to promote critical reflection on library practice and, with research insights, increase awareness of the library's ways of managing collections in a digital age.

This involves the following specific measures:

Research seminars

To discuss the research program's issues, a major research seminar is held every other year with an open call for papers to researchers from other relevant institutions.

Publications

The research group aims to promote the library's publication activities. Two themed issues of the journal Fund og Forskning are planned as joint publications (2025 and 2027), both based on seminars held.

Synergy between projects

Individual research projects address the research program's issues from different perspectives. To promote dialogue between the projects, internal seminars on cross-cutting themes are planned.

Focus area 2: Strategic cooperation with universities and cultural heritage institutions

Royal Danish Library functions as a national and local library partner for educational and research institutions. In the area of research, external collaborations bring the library's competencies and the research potential of the cultural heritage collections into play for the university world and cultural heritage institutions in Denmark and internationally, and it also increases the quality and relevance of national and international research in cultural heritage and library fields.

The focus area is to make Royal Danish Library visible as an obvious partner in research projects and thereby exploit the significant knowledge potential in the library's collections and competencies within the library's field of expertise.

This involves the following specific measures:

Collective research projects

The research group will initiate project collaboration with others by being the lead applicant for a minimum of two collective projects during the strategy period. In order to promote research in the collections, the library will also work to ensure that researchers are continuously involved in collective projects led by external collaborators.

PhD fellows

To ensure research training in the library's areas, KB, in collaboration with relevant educational institutions, will seek funding for a minimum of 2 PhD fellows who can qualify existing issues.

Support external collaboration

External collaboration requires resources and competencies. To promote research collaborations, the library will increase internal knowledge sharing and facilitate the preparation of joint research projects and applications with external institutions.

Focus area 3: Increased visibility and research dissemination

Cultural heritage is Royal Danish Library's special asset when we compare ourselves with universities. Research makes new aspects of cultural heritage and the work we do with it visible – for researchers, students and the general public alike. The dissemination of the library's research contributes to qualifying the public debate, realizing the cognitive potential of the collections and communicating them to new users.

The focus area must ensure that the library's research becomes more visible in all the different contexts in which it is part of.

This involves the following specific measures:

Promote more systematic research dissemination

We will have an increased focus on systematically communicating research activities and results using clear workflows and prioritized efforts.

Make research visible via the library's own channels

Work strategically with the development of the library's journal Fund og Forskning to promote its potential and increase the journal's visibility. Make the researchers visible on www.kb.dk, and disseminate the research via KB's other channels.

Strengthen research dissemination on new platforms and media

Seek external networks and partnerships to promote different methods of dissemination. Seek funding for research dissemination of KB's collections and research results from Cultural Heritage and Memory Technologies .