Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 39, No. 313.
        Department of Digital Humanities, University of Cologne
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        Date: 2026-02-04 09:41:51+00:00
        From: Lise Jaillant <L.Jaillant@lboro.ac.uk>
        Subject: New AI guidelines launched to help galleries, libraries, archives and museums prepare for the future

The Archives and Records Association UK & Ireland (ARA) has today published new
open-access guidelines to help the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums
(GLAM) sector prepare their collections for the responsible use of artificial
intelligence (AI).

Titled AI Preparedness Guidelines for Archivists, the four-page guidance has
been produced through the ARA-funded FLAME project (AI For Libraries, Archives
and Museums) and is freely available to the sector.

AI is now a growing topic of conversation across archives and record-keeping
services, with managers and stakeholders increasingly asking whether it can help
speed up cataloguing, identify sensitive content, or unlock new ways for users
to access collections. The new guidelines aim to help organisations respond to
these opportunities in a realistic, responsible and informed way.

The FLAME project is led by Professor Giovanni Colavizza (University of
Copenhagen and University of Bologna) and Professor Lise Jaillant (Loughborough
University). It focuses specifically on the challenges and opportunities of
using AI in the GLAM sector, with the guidelines forming the first major public
output of the project. An open-access academic article related to the project
will be published later this year.

The project aims to:

  *   Improve how GLAM organisations prepare digital collections before applying
AI tools
  *   Support new professional practices around automation and AI in archives
  *   Help the sector move away from 'dark' archives to more accessible
collections, while promoting more sustainable digital practices

The key message is clear: AI can support archival work, but only when
collections are properly prepared. The guidelines stress that automation is not
a magic solution, and that careful preparation, documentation and governance are
essential to making collections 'AI-ready'.

The project was funded through the Archives and Records Association's Research,
Development and Advocacy Fund, which supports research and innovation across the
record-keeping profession. The FLAME project was one of two AI-related projects
funded by ARA in September 2024, alongside a project led by Liverpool
University's Centre for Archive Studies on AI and machine learning for catalogue
conversion.

The AI Preparedness Guidelines for Archivists are available now at:
https://www.archives.org.uk/ai-preparedness-guidelines-for-archivists

About the authors

Professor Giovanni Colavizza
University of Copenhagen and the University of Bologna

Giovanni Colavizza is professor of digital and computational humanities at the
University of Copenhagen, and associate professor of computer science at the
University of Bologna. He is specialised in artificial intelligence applications
for cultural heritage and the GLAM sector (Galleries, Libraries, Archives,
Museums). Colavizza is the CTO and co-founder at Odoma, a Swiss-based company
providing customised AI solutions in the cultural and creative sectors.
https://cdch.ku.dk/
https://centri.unibo.it/dharc/en
_University of Copenhagen - Centre for Digital and Computational Humanities
(CDCH): University of Copenhagen's Centre for Digital and Computational
Humanities (CDCH) is a Faculty of Humanities research hub integrating digital
and computational methods, including AI and data science, through training,
consultations and research infrastructure support. https://cdch.ku.dk/
_University of Bologna - Digital Humanities Advanced Research Centre (/DH.arc):
University of Bologna's Digital Humanities Advanced Research Centre (/DH.arc)
connects humanities scholars and computer scientists to design, develop and
maintain innovative digital humanities projects, supporting researchers and
institutions through collaboration, teaching and training.
https://centri.unibo.it/dharc/en

Professor Lise Jaillant
Loughborough University

Lise Jaillant is professor of digital cultural heritage at Loughborough
University. Since 2020, she has been UK PI for several funded projects on
Archives and Artificial Intelligence. These international projects aim to make
digitised and born-digital archives more accessible to researchers, and to use
innovative research methods such as AI to analyse archival data. She enjoys
working across sectors and disciplines. As a digital humanist, she has extensive
experience of collaborating with computer scientists, archivists, librarians,
and government professionals to unlock digital archival data with innovative
technologies.
www.lisejaillant.com<http://www.lisejaillant.com<http://www.lisejaillant.com>>
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lise-jaillant-79378252

Loughborough is one of the UK's leading universities, with an international
reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with
industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic
disciplines. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has
been awarded eight Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education.
https://www.lboro.ac.uk/schools/social-sciences-humanities/

About the Archives and Records Association
The Archives and Records Association is the lead professional body for
archivists, archive conservators and records managers in the United Kingdom and
Ireland. Our vision is to be the leading professional and sectoral body for
archives, conservation, records management and information governance ('the
record-keeping sector'). We support professionals and stakeholders in the United
Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and internationally.

About the Research and Advocacy Fund
ARA maintains reserves invested for the purpose of commissioning and supporting
research, development and advocacy projects involving the creation, use,
administration and conservation of archives and records and the means of
developing the education of archivists, records managers and conservators, and
articulating and advocating the unique identity, role and contribution of
records and archives, as defined by its charitable objects. These designated
funds constitute the Archives and Records Association Research, Development and
Advocacy Fund. The Association's Honorary Officers make grants from this Fund,
on behalf of the Archives and Records Association Board.
<http://www.archives.org.uk>


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