Cultural heritage as research output. GLAM Wikimedia projects at the Cnr Central Library – RESSH 2026 Conference – 22-24 aprile 2026

In a context in which scientific autonomy is increasingly conditioned by commercial publishing models, proprietary infrastructures, and evaluation systems grounded in quantitative metrics, GLAM Wikimedia projects can be understood as institutional strategies for research sovereignty and the ethical dissemination of knowledge. This contribution presents the Central Library of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche as an emblematic case study of the role that a public library can assume within the digital research ecosystem, through three interconnected GLAM Wikimedia Italia projects. Developed within the institutional framework of the CNR, the three experiences concern: the digitization and open-access publication of the institution’s scientific and historical cartographic heritage preserved by the Central Library; the valorization and dissemination of materials related to the history, education, and culture of Deaf Community — including content in Italian Sign Language (LIS) — belonging to the heritage of CNR ISTC; the digitization and open dissemination of the musical collections of the Library of the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia, including scores, librettos, and historical documentation. Taken together, these projects show how a research library can move beyond a merely custodial role and operate as a hub for the production and circulation of open scientific knowledge, transforming heritage materials into reusable outputs for research. Through the systematic integration of primary sources, images, datasets, and structured metadata in Wikimedia Commons, Wikipedia, and Wikidata, the Central Library adopts a publication model that reduces dependence on commercial publishing platforms and evaluation systems. At the same time, these projects act on centre–periphery dynamics by repositioning forms of knowledge traditionally domain-specific— such as thematic cartography, sign language, and specialized musical resources — at the centre of global knowledge circulation. In conclusion, the contribution uses GLAM Wikimedia projects as an interpretative lens to interrogate the role of public research libraries in contemporary processes of knowledge production, legitimation, and circulation.