Libraries in focus: ThHoBi conference at the Bauhaus University!

Libraries in focus: ThHoBi conference at the Bauhaus University!

The 8th joint conference of the Thuringian University Libraries Cooperation Association (ThHoBi) will take place on September 18, 2025 at the Bauhaus University Weimar. The event, which is being held for the second time since 2019, begins at 2 p.m. in the lounge of the library building. The afternoon offers a comprehensive program that begins in the morning with a get-together and lunch.

The conference will be hosted by Dr. Simon Frisch, Vice President for Teaching and Learning at the Bauhaus University. Afterwards, Prof. Walter Bauer-Wabnegg, President of the University of Erfurt and Chairman of the ThHoBi Board of Directors, will report on the results of the evaluation of the ThHoBi network. This evaluation plays a central role in the development and improvement of library services in Thuringia.

Specialist lectures and panel discussions

Another highlight of the event is the lecture by Ralf Brugbauer, director of the Bayreuth University Library. He will deal with the structures of library cooperation in Bavaria, a topic that should also be of interest to the participants from Thuringia.

Leading representatives of the library landscape will take part in a panel discussion, including Maria Elisabeth Müller, director of the Bremen State and University Library and chairwoman of the GBV network management, as well as Dr. Andreas Klinger, Director of the Thuringian University and State Library (ThULB) Jena. The topic of the discussion will be the introduction of the new library management system FOLIO in Thuringia.

Practical information about participation

The event is not only accessible on site, but also online. Interested parties could register using a registration form until September 8, 2025. Access data for online participation will be sent in September. Arriving guests should note that there are no parking spaces at the building; The underground car park at the Goethehaus is recommended as an alternative.

For further details and information about the event and registration refer to ThHoBi website to the corresponding program. The provision of information about the library landscape and the coordination of strategies are centralized topics that are covered in the handbook “Handbook of University Library Systems: High-Performance Information Infrastructures for Science and Study”, published by Konstanze Söllner and Wilfried Sühl-Strohmenger in 2014.

In summary, the 8th joint conference will not only be a platform for exchange about library challenges in Thuringia, but also an opportunity to strengthen the network of connections between the region's libraries. The constant development of the library infrastructure is seen as crucial for scientific progress in universities.