Handwritten catalogue goes digital – 350,000 new item records in Libris
Johanna Hansson and Karin Byström in front of Katalog -62
Uppsala University Library has digitised the handwritten catalogue “Katalog 62” and added 350,000 item records in Libris. Using AI-based transcription and automated metadata matching, a comprehensive and partly inaccessible handwritten material has been converted into digital information, also accessible via the Library’s own search tool.
The Library has utilised new technology and working methods, whereby AI models transcribe the handwritten K62 catalogue to extract metadata in digital form regarding authors and titles. The metadata has then been matched with existing information in Libris, and holdings information have been automatically added via APIs, resulting in 350,000 new item records becoming searchable.
The AI model was trained to recognise different regions containing key metadata and to interpret the handwritten text.
This is a major step forward in our efforts to make the Library’s collections more visible. By using new technology, we can make the material accessible in entirely new ways, and the process from search to request is now significantly smoother for our users. The automated approach also saves an incredible amount of work – the effort involved is equivalent to more than ten years’ work, and we could never have done it manually, says Karin Byström, project manager for the initiative.
She also emphasises the value of the ongoing collaboration with the university libraries in Lund and Gothenburg, which are working in parallel on similar projects for their older catalogues:
It is extremely valuable to develop methods together. It is an effective way of benefiting from each other’s expertise and finding new ways forward, whilst also strengthening the libraries’ good working relationships.
The result is an XML file containing the extracted metadata, organised by region.
Better conditions for research
Head Librarian Johanna Hansson highlights the initiative’s significance for the research community:
By making our collections more visible and easily accessible, we are creating better conditions for research. This involves both more efficient work processes and ensuring that more people can find and use the rich material available at Uppsala University Library.
Next step: New bibliographic records open the way to hidden collections
Work will continue in autumn 2026 to create new bibliographic records for books not yet available in Libris. This means that further parts of the collections – often unique, rare or older works – will become available for the first time in digital form.
A tricky text to interpret! The AI model was better than humans at reading different handwritings (on this page, it only missed the information about the 2nd edition written in the margin!)
