CAELUM project kicks off in Tartu to strengthen the role of university libraries in crisis situations

On Tuesday, April 1, the University of Tartu Library hosted the kickoff meeting of the international CAELUM project, bringing together representatives from four countries to establish a joint action plan for the next two years. The CAELUM project aims to explore ways in which university libraries can support communities in times of crisis.

“Libraries have the capacity to connect communities – we provide free access to culture and knowledge,” said Liisi Lembinen, Development Director of the University of Tartu Library and one of the leaders of the CAELUM project. “With this new initiative, we want to make better use of that potential and contribute to resilience during crises.”

In addition to the University of Tartu, the project partners include Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania), Ukrainian National University of Science and Technology, Web2Learn (Greece) and SKS Knowledge Services (Germany). During the project, each partner will focus on a specific community-related issue, working in-depth to develop solutions. The ultimate goal for each participant is to create a clear plan on how university libraries can provide meaningful support to communities and their members.

“Our focus will be on students' mental health,” Lembinen explained. “We want to contribute to mental well-being and will actively involve other structural units of the university to understand better what services the library can offer to support students.”

Other partners will address issues such as the integration and employment opportunities of international students, helping citizens combat misinformation during crises and war, supporting people with special needs, and dealing with information overload in both science and society. The project partners will collaborate to ensure that the solutions and recommendations developed can benefit libraries in all participating countries and beyond.

The CAELUM project is funded by the ERASMUS+ program (project no. 2024-1-EE01-KA220-HED-000243324) and will conclude in the spring of 2027.