Context

The Biblissima+ project (2021–2029) is a France 2030–funded initiative focused on the study and dissemination of ancient written cultures across all periods and regions. While aggregating and interconnecting scientific and heritage data, Biblissima+ aims to move beyond a Western Europe–centred intellectual history and foster an intercultural and transnational perspective. Although the majority of resources accessible through the portal originate from Western Europe and the Mediterranean basin, the infrastructure opens up through project funding, including manuscripts from the Maghreb, Dunhuang, and the UXIL chair on Novgorod Chronicle (Old Slavonic). Providing access to original sources, describing, editing and translating them with scholarly integrity, while ensuring their long-term transmission, is essential for the communities directly concerned, particularly regarding the dignity and preservation of minority cultures and the geopolitical dimension of cultural history. It is crucial to broadly understand the history of humanity and the planet, beyond textual studies (e.g. climatology, astronomy, environmental history).

In 2026, the project will become a national research infrastructure bringing together research laboratories and heritage institutions, with among its missions an emphasis on Public Engagement, playing an essential role.

1/ Five strategies to open up the infrastructure towards a more collective and engaged research

The poster highlights strategies for the collective construction of the infrastructure, ensuring its shared ownership, continuous scientific and technical renewal.

– Producing open data (digitizing artifacts, catalogs, editions, eScriptorium: Biblissima-Data),
– Ensuring interoperability on the Biblissima portal, creating the connected Biblissima-Text platform (Biblissima-Portal),
– Structuring cross-disciplinary data-oriented communities, renewing research questions and tools (Biblissima-Communities),
– Strengthening the science-society engagement (Biblissima-Public Engagement),

– Developing financial and environmental sustainability (Biblissima-Sustainability).

These missions converge towards an aim of inclusiveness, anchoring the communities at its core, illustrated with examples of participatory governance in a spirit of international scientific openness.

2/ “Biblissima-Public Engagement”

The introduction of an outreach function reflects the aim to build a resilient infrastructure by developing its uses and public value, which legitimize the long-term funding. Deeply linked to Biblissima's transformation into an infrastructure, the Public Engagement strategy is in development. First steps include:
1/ Connecting projects within a national knowledge-sharing website, Odysseum, developed with the French Ministry of National Education and the École normale supérieure – PSL, intended for diverse target audiences.

2/ Training in ancient languages, including the rarest ones, in conjunction with the Institute for Linguistic Heritage and Diversity (EPHE-PSL).

3/ Personalised training for decision-makers, politicians, diplomats, non-specialist colleagues, curators and creation of a pool of experts.

4/ Analyzing the socio-economic impact of the infrastructure and developing indicators to assess societal benefits and guide public policies.

In addition, Biblissima explores further ways to facilitate access to its research data, including real-time transcription and translation, improved accessibility for users with visual impairments, and participatory approaches such as citizen science.

Conclusion

Starting from an aggregation of interests and expanding, the Biblissima infrastructure enables a shift from a knowledge base to a knowledge space fostering the critical co-construction of knowledge and digital tools enabling their analysis.