On May 12–16 and 23, 2025, Renata Markauskienė, Head of the Faculty of Health Care Library, participated in a Blended Intensive Program (BIP) dedicated to library and research activities.
The program was organized by the University of Porto (Portugal), the University of Granada (Spain), and the Czech Technical University in Prague (Czech Republic). The contact week at the University of Porto and a one-day online session brought together 29 participants from 12 European countries: Slovenia, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Spain, Bulgaria, Ireland, France, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Germany, and Cyprus.
The aim of the program was to deepen participants’ knowledge in the following areas: library information systems, Open Science and Open Access publishing, the development of institutional repositories, information literacy, and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in scientific research and library activities.
Participants presented their institutions and libraries, emphasizing the relevance and importance of innovative opportunities. The topic of integrating artificial intelligence into library activities sparked particularly strong interest. During the week, participants engaged in active discussions on the accessibility of library services to users from various social backgrounds, analyzed the characteristics of diverse personalities, and explored possible solutions. The presentation on the future strategies of libraries emphasized that libraries are institutions that are rapidly and actively changing, adapting to innovations, and that implement and provide the most modern services.
After the contact week, participants attended an online presentation on “FAIR” practices, a project focused on the management and accessibility of scientific data. Further cooperation between program participants will take place on a created online platform, where they will be able to share relevant information and consult on professional issues.
