BUVAL

The Consortium of Valencian University Libraries (BUVAL) has announced the creation of two new working groups aimed at strengthening collaboration among its member institutions and advancing the transformation of library services. These new teams focus on, on the one hand, the cooperative management of collections and, on the other, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to technical processes and library services.

The composition og the groups can consult on the website.

The working group on cooperative deposit and preservation policy, coordinated by the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, is based on a key idea: moving from a model centred on individual ownership to a shared collection system among Valencian university libraries.

This approach seeks to ensure that knowledge is preserved and remains accessible within the network, avoiding unnecessary duplication while optimising both financial resources and physical space.

The group’s main objectives are structured around two complementary lines of work:

• Management of high-demand collections: ensuring the availability of the most frequently used bibliography through coordinated acquisitions, shared collections and an efficient interlibrary loan system.
• Management of low-use or storage collections: rationalising space through coordinated weeding policies, transfer to shared storage facilities, and ensuring the preservation of at least one accessible copy for the entire consortium.

The initiative ultimately aims to improve services for users, free up library space for new purposes, and achieve greater budgetary efficiency.

The second working group, coordinated by the University of Valencia, is dedicated to exploring the potential of artificial intelligence applied to university libraries.

With a practical and collaborative approach, the group aims to test AI tools, assess their real applicability, and identify initiatives that can deliver tangible value to library work and services.

Its main areas of activity include:

• Application to technical processes: improving tasks such as cataloguing and document management through metadata generation, automatic classification, error detection, and authority control support.
• Application to library services: developing virtual assistants, supporting scientific information retrieval, automatic document summarisation, and tools for information literacy training.
• Support for professional work: using generative AI for drafting documents, preparing materials, and creating content.
• Staff training and capacity building: organising training activities with a practical and critical approach to AI tools.
• Ethical and legal aspects: addressing issues such as privacy, bias, and intellectual property, with the aim of developing shared best practices.

With the launch of these two working groups, BUVAL reinforces its commitment to cooperation as a strategic pillar and to innovation as a driver of change. Both the shared management of collections and the exploration of artificial intelligence are positioned as key elements to ensure the sustainability, quality, and continued relevance of Valencian university libraries in the years ahead.