By Christian Schmidt, Kula Librarian Research Associate.
In July 2025, Kula welcomed German librarian Lambert Heller as its first Visiting International Fellow. Lambert leads the Open Science Lab at Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology (TIB) Hanover, the world’s largest library for technology and natural sciences. His team develops open-source software, researches digital infrastructure, and is involved in cultural heritage projects such as Gestapo.Terror.Orte, which documents the crimes of the Gestapo in Lower Saxony.
Lambert spent three months working within UVic Libraries and shared European perspectives on open science and digital scholarship while building relationships with stakeholders across campus.
“Lambert brings exactly the mix we had hoped for in our first fellowship: technical expertise, a strong international vision, and a deep understanding of how libraries and cultural institutions can engage with their communities and one another in international networks. Moreover, he embodies the very best traits of a collaborator: joy, curiosity, and generosity,” says Matt Huculak, Director of the Kula: Library Futures Academy.
Exchanging knowledge, building international networks
- Joint funding applications: Lambert shared ideas for German/European/Canadian funding opportunities, including the invitation to jointly apply for the newly established Hannah Arendt Fellowship in Germany.
- Open-source software for UVic: Lambert introduced the Libraries’ digitization unit to Kompakkt, the open-source software his team developed for 3D objects. UVic Libraries is currently implementing it as a way to preserve its 3D scans currently housed in Sketchfab.
- Open Science Community: He networked with Monique Grenier, who is building the first Open Science & Scholarship Community on the west coast together with UVic scholars and librarian colleagues from Royal Roads University.
- Lectures and Workshops: He was invited to speak at the Electronic Textual Culture Lab’s “Nuts & Bolts” series and co-led workshops on Citizen Science for librarians together with Christian Schmidt.
- New partnerships: Lambert helped promote Kula to European and Canadian partners – from the Safeguarding Research project in Europe, to the School of Information at Vancouver’s UBC.
TIB and UVic Libraries plan to continue exploring ways to collaborate around open science, endangered cultural heritage, sustainable digital infrastructures, and how libraries can meet the needs of 21st century scholarship.