Prepared by Open Future, the study paves the way for European libraries to make the full text of millions of digitised books available for research, innovation and the development of trustworthy AI applications. The next step is to launch a small-scale pilot to test the proposed approach in practice.
European Books Data Commons
The EBDC initiative builds on existing digital library collections. Its infrastructure would enable public domain books to be transformed into a high-quality, multilingual, AI-ready dataset. This dataset could then be reused under clear and transparent conditions for research and innovation. The EBDC is designed to operate within the common European data space for cultural heritage, providing the infrastructure through which cultural heritage institutions make large scale datasets available for reuse. In doing so, the EBDC aims to contribute to a European AI infrastructure built on public values.
Positive feasibility study
The feasibility study assessed the technical, legal, organisational and financial requirements for the initiative. Its conclusion is clear: it is feasible to establish this European resource under the stewardship of libraries. For the launch of a small-scale pilot, a group of libraries will be invited to contribute public domain collections, expertise and governance knowledge. The pilot will test the proposed approach and provide other libraries with the information they need to decide whether to join the initiative in a later phase.
Investing in public access to knowledge
Both KB and Europeana are committed to ensuring open and reliable access to information. Making millions of books from European library collections available represents an important step towards a shared European digital infrastructure for research, innovation and AI – one that is sustainably organised and governed in the public interest.
'The European Books Data Commons initiative offers a unique opportunity to build an AI-ready corpus on our own terms. As generative AI increasingly shapes what people read, see and trust, the question is no longer simply whether libraries should use these technologies, but whether they help determine how they work: what becomes visible, how sources are attributed and represented, and which values they embody.'
-Wilma van Wezenbeek, General Director KB, National Library of the Netherlands
'Europe's cultural heritage institutions and Europeana have spent decades making collections accessible and data interoperable. As AI becomes the primary gateway to knowledge and culture, the next logical step is to make this data AI-ready within an open, shared corpus. The European Books Data Commons offers Europe a unique opportunity to build an AI ecosystem rooted in public values, transparency, accountability and cultural diversity. And the common European data space for cultural heritage can make this happen.'
-Harry Verwayen, General Director, Europeana Foundation
Building the EBDC is a concrete mechanism through which European libraries can become part of a Public AI ecosystem in Europe.