ONB Labs Symposium 2026

ONB Labs Symposium 2026: Invitation, Registration and Program

We are happy to share information regarding the program (see the preliminary program below) and registration for the upcoming fourth ONB Labs Symposium: “Collections as Data—Biases as Data,” which will take place at the Oratorium of the Austrian National Library on November 9 & 10, 2026!

This in-person only event explores the many ways in which biases shape cultural heritage data and the implications they have for GLAM institutions and their Labs worldwide. As discussions around this topic continue to gain momentum, we have invited experts to share their perspectives on gender bias in cultural heritage data, the cultural biases that influence collecting and curating practices, and the impact of algorithmic bias in the tools and technologies used across the sector. The program will conclude with a panel discussion that will reflect on the challenges involved and explore strategies for addressing and mitigating potential biases.

Are you interested in attending? Then please take note of the following details:

  • Monday, November 9, 2026, 2:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
  • Oratorium of the Austrian National Library, Josefsplatz 1, 1010 Vienna
  • Please register via Eventbrite

We are pleased to have attracted a large group of international experts as speakers to offer the following preliminary program. We may make minor changes in the future and ask you to check this page regularly.

Preliminary Program

Monday, November 9, 2026
  • 14:15 – Get-Together
  • 14:30 – Welcome by the ONB Labs Team

Session 1: Gender Biases

  • 14:40 – Andrea Gruber (Ariadne, Austrian National Library): Vocabularies as Data: Feminist Knowledge Organization and the Challenges of Comparison
  • 15:05 – Mareike Schumacher (University of Regensburg): Shifting Bias—Corpus Creation and Data Feminism in the Digital Humanities
  • 15:30 – Lisa Teichmann (University of Vienna): Gender Trouble in the ONB
  • 15:55 – Coffee Break

Session 2: Cultural and Algorithmic Biases

  • 16:30 – Noëlle Sarah Schnegg (Sciences Po, Paris; University of St. Gallen): Bias in Metadata: Reflections from the Living Handbook on Discrimination-Sensitive Metadata Practice
  • 16:55 – Stefan Benedik & Tanja Jenni (Haus der Geschichte Österreich): Counter-hegemonic Collecting in a History Museum
  • 17:20 – Julia Gebke (Vienna): Cultural Bias²? Challenge accepted! How to Use Creative Writing in History to Tackle Biases
    • 17:45 – Kees van Berkel (Technical University Vienna): AI Ethics Audits: How to Empower AI Developers to Engage in Ethical Self-Assessment
    • 18:30 – Buffet
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
  • 9:00 – Get-Together

Session 3: Cultural and Algorithmic Biases

  • 9:15 – ONB Labs Team: ONB’s Collection Criteria & ONB Labs’ Publication Practices
  • 9:40 – Kerstin Herlt (Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum, Frankfurt am Main): When Cultural Heritage Data Carries Bias: DE-BIAS Between Critique and Practice
  • 10:05 – Nanne van Noord (University of Amsterdam): Multimodal Biases and Subjectivity in Visual Culture
  • 10:30 – Coffee Break

Session 4: Panel Discussion on Mitigation Practices

  • 11:15 – Eva Mayr (University for Continuing Education Krems), Laura Hollink (Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, Amsterdam), Eugenia Stamboliev (University of Vienna)

  • 12:20 – Wrap-up

  • 12:30 – Self-Paid Joint Lunch (optional)

Participation is free of charge, but the number of participants is limited.

We look forward to seeing you and to an exciting event!