Cultural heritage, accessibility and innovation rarely meet under the same umbrella. However, the project SHIFT: MetamorphoSis of cultural Heritage Into augmented hypermedia assets For enhanced accessibiliTy and inclusion, funded under Horizon 2021-2027, in which the National Association of Librarians and Public Libraries in Romania (ANBPR) plays a key role as a use case provider, does exactly that. With its bold ambition to make libraries and museums more inclusive and open up heritage to heterogeneous audiences, SHIFT proposes new ways to experience culture through technology-powered solutions and active community engagement.
To find out more about this European research-innovation initiative, we spoke to Ioana Crihana, Executive Director of ANBPR. Ioana Crihana, an expert in library science and organizational development with extensive experience in strategic management and cultural innovation has been actively involved in promoting the SHIFT project in national and European contexts. From public debates, solutions presentations, round tables, to workshops with vulnerable groups, technology demonstrations, tutorials and the organization of pilot events, her vision connects cultural marketing with social impact, innovation with user-centered service design and top-level research with extending the benefits of technology to the cultural and creative industries. Thus, the SHIFT project, based on a partnership between 13 organizations from 8 countries, is both a flagship project and a European cultural innovation approach that is a preamble to the future of accessibility in the cultural and creative industries landscape. In this interview for Marketing Focus, Ioana Crihana shares her thoughts on how SHIFT is redefining the way we think about culture, inclusion and accessibility in close connection with emerging technologies.
First, who is ANBPR and how does its mission relate to keeping public libraries relevant to today's challenges? How does your association succeed in attracting new generations of users?
ANBPR is a nationwide professional infrastructure connecting public libraries to digital transformation, mobilizing communities to get involved. As the most representative professional association of public libraries in Romania, we have shifted the focus from "traditional collections" to "services and experiences", developing capabilities in cultural marketing, data and inclusion, so that libraries become platforms for learning, civic participation and social and cultural inclusion. In SHIFT, our role is as a provider of use cases: we verify, with real users and diverse institutions, that solutions really do solve problems - access to cultural heritage in libraries and museums for people with disabilities, engaging young people, new exhibition formats and modern storytelling. We like to say that ANBPR is a professional network that transforms public libraries from mere repositories of collections into community service infrastructures. As a national association, we take on three key roles: representation of our members (the voice of libraries in public dialogue), modernization (projects, standards, training), and inclusion (equitable access to culture and education). This mission shines through in all our visibility and advocacy initiatives, but also in the programs and initiatives that bring new audiences to libraries - from our own events to strategic European projects that bring together many partners.
Today, library relevance means personalized services and experiences, not just funding and reading rooms
We are guided by the principle that authentic value is created through collaboration with users, in real contexts, and libraries become platforms for cultural, educational and civic co-production. For us, this translates into participatory service design - from accessibility to digital storytelling and the cultivation of long-term partnerships that connect cultural, educational institutions, SMEs, public authorities, the entrepreneurial environment, etc.
A concrete example of pursuing ANBPR's mission is the European project SHIFT, in which ANBPR is validating with users and cultural and technology collaborators AI/ML-based tools to make heritage more accessible, inclusive and engaging. At the event "SHIFT: Communication and Dissemination, Exploitation, Market Extension and Impact", hosted on September 17, 2025 at the County Library "I.H. Rădulescu" Dâmbovița, for instance, we presented some SHIFT solutions such as AI-assisted audio descriptions, dynamic image adaptations, examples of affectively enriched digital stories, narrative descriptions of static images in different styles, contemporary language translations and haptic interactions - exactly the kind of experiences that bring young and new users closer to libraries.
On how to attract new generations, I would say, first and foremost, through spaces and programs based on co-creation, not just consumption: makerspaces, media labs, digital storytelling workshops, educational games and STEAM micro-projects. Research shows that such environments increase engagement, informal learning and collaboration between users. Through its programs, ANBPR, is committed to providing library professionals with appropriate training programs, guidelines and innovative working methodologies, and facilitating partnerships between libraries and schools, NGOs, creative start-ups and tech communities. Second, we attract new audiences by cultivating open access and connecting local collections to European ecosystems so that libraries' digital content circulates in apps, tours and third-party platforms, meeting the increasingly sophisticated demands of the public.
Finally, we remain relevant because we work with the realities of the community, not against them. SHIFT has helped us explore, at the grassroots level, how technology and narrative can empower people with disabilities and turn a visit to an accessible library into a memorable personal experience. This is the promise of ANBPR: libraries that grow with their people and become more creative, connected and open to the expectations of new generations.
How would you describe the SHIFT project - is it more about culture, inclusion or technology?
I would describe the SHIFT project as an alliance between culture, inclusion and technology, where each component only finds its meaning together with the others. For me, culture is the fusion of content, personal involvement and motivation. Technology is a privileged vehicle for disseminating culture, and inclusion is the success criterion. In simple terms, SHIFT is about enriching cultural heritage with new dimensions thanks to AI-based tools, with measurable benefits for all. SHIFT brings together a complex portfolio of solutions and tools that transform heritage into multimodal experiences - visual, auditory and haptic - accessible and engaging for a wide range of audiences. This triad of media was very clearly seen at the event of September 17, 2025, organized at the County Library "I.H. Rădulescu" Dâmbovița. We brought local decision-makers, academia, the Chamber of Commerce and the professional community to the same table to validate - with concrete examples - the relevance of SHIFT solutions: AI-assisted audio descriptions, dynamic image adaptations, translations of old texts into contemporary language to be understood by the digitally born. All these are not mere "gadgets", but essential parts of a complete curatorial experience, designed to empower users with sensory impairments and to increase the engagement of new generations with cultural memory institutions.
Technology is a means, but a very powerful one. As part of the SHIFT consortium, we have been working with AI/ML (Machine Learning) tools that can generate consistent descriptions of artifacts, visually "animate" static materials, and create personalized visitor paths. Haptics - developed and demonstrated using tactile gloves - change the interaction pattern: objects are "felt", not just looked at, and the experience becomes memorable, including for visitors with certain vulnerabilities.
So SHIFT is as much about culture, inclusion and technology as it is about new models of cultural consumption and innovative approaches to marketing cultural products. Together with our partners, we took a close look at the positioning of SHIFT tools in relation to heritage institutions, content creators, the tourism industry and European digital ecosystems. Part of the analysis of the project's outcomes explicitly focused on commercial sustainability, knowledge transfer and the adoption of business models that foster the good management of cultural assets in an accessible and sustainable way. In other words, beyond the research phase, SHIFT is about readiness for exploitation, licensing and scaling. Naturally, the market scaling dimension comes naturally from connecting content to open infrastructures and from the widespread use of SHIFT solutions and tools. Over time, by connecting to SHIFT, libraries and museums can create 'augmented' cultural trails, customized touring exhibitions and curatorial packages connected with integrated library software. If I had to choose one word for SHIFT, it would be 'together'. Together with our users - because we test and refine solutions based on probing real needs. Together with institutions and business - because we care about sustainability and market value. And with Europe - because we work in line with standards, ecosystems and networks that multiply impact. The result? A more dynamic cultural environment that moves at the pace of today's people, technologies that serve the mission of inclusivity and accessibility that is measured in autonomy, participation and the joy of encountering heritage for all.
SHIFT, one of the latest projects in which ANBPR is involved, seems to provide librarians with a veritable marketing tool to create cultural products attractive to different audiences. What is the added value of this research-innovation initiative and how does SHIFT facilitate the relations between the different entities forming the ecosystem of the cultural and creative industries - libraries, museums, galleries, archives, but also authorities, SMEs and other potential partners possibly interested in connecting with the results of the SHIFT project?
From my perspective, SHIFT is the 'bridge' that transforms the potential of libraries into real, market-ready cultural ecosystems. As a Horizon Europe initiative, the SHIFT project has led to the production of a complex set of tools and solutions based on AI/ML, multimodal experiences (visual-audio-haptic) and inclusive design methodologies - exactly what GLAM institutions needed to create relevant offerings for diverse audiences.
Added value? I would identify at least three distinct components. The first component: accelerated creative production. Using the SHIFT tools, librarians and curators can generate AI-assisted descriptions for artifacts, dynamize static images, extract 3D elements and create customized curatorial trails, translate ancient texts into contemporary language - content that can be reused in exhibitions, tours or educational platforms. At the September 17, 2025 event, hosted by the "I.H. Rădulescu" Dâmbovița County Library, we demonstrated some of these capabilities.
Second component: measurable inclusion, not just declarative. Haptic and multisensory technologies increase audience engagement, including the visually impaired, and the literature indicates positive effects on immersion and memorability of the experience. This approach - experiences that are 'felt', not just looked at - reinforces our public mission and broadens audiences.
Third component: connectivity with European digital ecosystems for scaling and monetization. SHIFT is designed to link to infrastructures such as the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage and Europeana, which means that products developed in the library can circulate in third-party apps, themed tours or local tourist offers, with clear indicators of impact. Basically, we pave the way for virtual exhibitions or licensable curatorial packages and digital micro-services that authorities and SMEs can integrate into their own offerings.
In terms of relationships in the value chain of cultural and creative industries, SHIFT creates a common language between libraries, museums, galleries and archives (content and curatorial expertise), authorities (policies, infrastructures and co-funding), academia (methodologies, evaluation), and SMEs/creative industries (product, distribution, user experience). This framework was clearly seen in Târgoviște: together with the County Council, universities, Chamber of Commerce, software developers and integrators, local SMEs and host library employees, we discussed the integration of SHIFT solutions with the shared catalogues of library consortia, further digitization and linking project results with county-funded digital competence centres - i.e. precisely the mechanisms that take the tools from the demonstration phase to the operational one.
Finally, SHIFT proposes viable models of collaboration. We, as ANBPR, are using the results to launch accessible curatorial kits, licensing programs on various levels, staff training and partnerships with public or private entities directly interested in connecting with SHIFT results and solutions. In short, SHIFT is, all in all, a scientifically grounded, field-validated marketing tool anchored in European infrastructures - ready to connect local content with regional, European and global audiences and transform cultural impact into usable, sustainable, long-term value.
The project brings Romania's cultural heritage to the forefront through digital storytelling and technology empowered books. How do you think these outcomes contribute to promoting Romania's cultural identity and how visitors connect with libraries?
For me, SHIFT is about giving heritage a voice, rhythm and personality - through digital storytelling and technology-empowered books that meet you where you are: in the library, in the museum or online. In Târgoviște, on September 17, 2025, we showcased how contemporary language translation, AI-assisted audio descriptions, or static image animation can transform old objects and texts into vivid, authentic and memorable experiences. We have worked with Romanian materials - from Miron Costin to the 1688-1888 Bible - precisely to show how our cultural identity can be circulated, accessible and attractive to contemporary generations.
These results give substance to the idea that the library is a space of encounter with the cultural self. When a young person hears the story of an artifact in words they recognize, when they can 'feel' the shape of a piece through haptic solutions or navigate an exhibition with a personalized route, the connection becomes emotional, not just cognitive. It is known, for example, that digital storytelling increases immersion, presence and the willingness to recommend, while multimodal interfaces (audio-video-tactile) increase the perception of information and the autonomy of visually impaired visitors.
For Romania, the stakes are twofold: visibility and continuity. Through SHIFT, local content can be orchestrated on a unified platform and prepared for reuse - in thematic exhibitions, virtual tours or educational resources - and then distributed and maximized through European infrastructures. This means that our stories can circulate naturally in apps, guidebooks, tourist platforms and school curricula, including to the diaspora.
The event at the "I.H. Rădulescu" County Library also showed the collaborative mechanism behind the scenes: libraries, museums and other memory-preserving institutions providing content and expertise; academia calibrating methodologically; creative SMEs producing scalable experiences; authorities and chambers of commerce creating the context for local integration. The common conclusion: the SHIFT technologies are ripe for extensive piloting, and the next steps are to document the concrete benefits for libraries and users and to integrate the tools into an operational platform, interconnected with the shared catalogs of library consortia and European heritage ecosystems.
In short, Romania's cultural identity becomes experience. Digital stories and accessible books do not "beautify" the past, but humanize it, making it clear, relevant and participatory. For libraries, this translates into younger and more diverse audiences, an improved service offering - from semantic audio guides to tactile pathways - and a network of partners with whom we can build sustainable cultural products. For visitors, it means the freedom to choose how they connect with cultural heritage: through sight, sound, touch and, above all, a narrative that recognizes you. And for us, as ANBPR, it means a clear commitment: to move from digitization to enlivenment and from access to belonging, with tangible benefits for our libraries' audiences.
Libraries are often seen as knowledge centers. With SHIFT, do you think they can also become even more active players in communities and that this enhanced knowledge and services could be monetized?
Yes, with SHIFT, libraries can make the transition from "knowledge centers" to active community service platforms and, where appropriate, providers of sustainable cultural products. The event at the County Library "I.H. Rădulescu" Dâmbovița demonstrated exactly this transfer: librarians are interested in working with AI tools for audio descriptions, dynamic image transformations, haptic interactions - i.e. a new set of tools with which the library can build accessible exhibitions, thematic tours and ready-to-use educational resources.
SHIFT's added value is complex. On the one hand, access and relevance: multimodal (visual-audio-haptic) experiences that empower visitors with disabilities and increase engagement with young audiences. On the other hand, operability: a unified platform on which the tools are integrated, with clear workflows for curation, editing and publishing, so that the content created circulates easily between libraries, museums, other info-documentary institutions and local partners. In Târgoviște we set out the steps "for the future": widely disseminating SHIFT technologies, documenting the concrete benefits for libraries, museums and users, and cultivating partnerships with stakeholders.
We turn technology into real experiences for people, the financial side also becomes natural and transparent, without betraying our public mission. Imagine this: a library offers subscription-based access to its curatorial-digital tools
In short, when we turn technology into real experiences for people, the financial side also becomes natural and transparent, without betraying our public mission. Imagine this: a library offers subscription-based access to its curatorial-digital tools; it delivers turnkey exhibitions that museums or cultural centers can easily take over - with content, audio guidance and tactile components included; the library can also provide the small user community with digital services and APIs for tourism sites, and so on.
In Targoviste we clearly sensed the appetite of library service users for such solutions. Discussions went in the same direction: to work in consortia between libraries, to connect to existing networks and to think sustainably in the long term. Basically, we sketched together a path where the library remains a public institution but, through the right partnerships, can produce cultural value - and, where it makes sense, economic value - for the benefit of the community.
My conclusion, as Executive Director of ANBPR and SHIFT expert , is that I am convinced that libraries can become even more active players - true hubs that produce relevant cultural experiences, measure impact (access, participation, autonomy) and diversify their revenues without compromising their public role. With SHIFT support, we are moving from 'digitization' to complex cultural service offerings that can be delivered, evaluated and, where it makes sense, commercialized for the benefit of our communities. And what we have started in Târgoviște shows that the market for cultural products - from authorities to creative SMEs - is ready to embrace them.
An important component of this project was also the inclusive approach, meaning the development of products and services for people with visual or hearing impairments. Could you tell us more about this?
Inclusion is not just a "chapter" in SHIFT, it is the red thread. At the SHIFT event in Targoviste, we showed concretely how we turn barriers into bridges: audio descriptions for exhibitions, dynamic image adaptations for contrast and clarity, haptic experiences where you "feel" objects with a tactile glove. They are all designed together, not separately, so that visitors with visual or hearing impairments have real autonomy in interacting with cultural artifacts - from orientation to interpretation.
What does it mean in practice? It means audio guides that describe the visuals without "faking" them, texts translated into contemporary language for manuscripts or old chronicles, automatic subtitles and transcriptions for video material, plus tactile/haptic micro-interfaces for understanding the shape and texture of heritage objects. In the SHIFT consortium, we developed a unified platform that enables curators to edit, validate and publish accessible content. It's an architecture designed for the GLAM domain (galleries, libraries, archives, museums) and tested by use case partners such as ANBPR.
This approach is not only "generous", it is desirable. We are in an era where accessibility is no longer optional: the European Accessibility Act became applicable on June 28, 2025 and requires digital products/services accessible throughout the EU. For cultural institutions, this translates into user-oriented design. SHIFT helps exactly here: turning standards into practices and practices into innovative products.
On the impact side, SHIFT scores again. Well-constructed audio descriptions enhance the orientation, presence and memorability of the experience, not only for blind but also for sighted visitors. Multisensory approaches - combinations of audio, video and touch - increase engagement and help form a mental map of the space. And haptics, integrated into virtual tours or on-site installations, add a decisive interactive plus.
The co-design with user groups - people with visual, hearing and mobility impairments - led us to appropriate and user-centered technological solutions
For us, as ANBPR, the lesson from Targoviste is extremely valuable. First, the co-design with user groups - people with visual, hearing and mobility impairments - led us to appropriate and user-centered technological solutions. Then, the feedback collected throughout the organization of the SHIFT pilot series guided us in optimizing SHIFT solutions and applications. Finally, in Târgoviște, we had the opportunity to discuss and agree with local partners (County Council, universities, Chamber of Commerce, software developers, etc.) how we will take the SHIFT results further in the post-implementation period.
You have been directly involved in these projects with people with hearing, vision and mobility impairments in testing SHIFT solutions. What feedback from these groups has impressed you most so far?
I have been most impressed by the way people have told us that they have regained "control" over their interaction with the library. When we tested the audio solutions, adapted images and tactile interactions, the feedback could be summarized in a few key ideas: 'I want to choose my own pace', 'I need simple, predictable commands', 'I find it easier when the story starts with what I feel and then explains what I see'. This is exactly what SHIFT tools do: they give autonomy, not just access. And for us, as librarians, this is the most valuable kind of feedback - confirming that technology is a means, not the end, and that the narrative needs to be shaped with the user.
From visually impaired people we consistently received two messages. First: audio descriptions are useful when they are concrete, spatially ordered and not overloaded with detail; they help with orientation and forming a 'mental map' of the exhibition. Second message: simplicity of interfaces matters a lot. Few buttons, good contrast, clear haptic feedback. When you 'feel' an object (or its outline) and at the same time listen to the story at a pace you control, the experience becomes memorable. In organizing the SHIFT pilots, we relied precisely on this multisensory mix.
For the hearing impaired, the demands were equally clear: open subtitles, transcripts and, where possible, sign language interpretation. Those who use hearing aids appreciated when audio-visual spaces were well signposted and when video content had synchronized text versions. It's not just a preference; good practice shows that subtitles increase comprehension and are useful for the general public, not just the hearing impaired community.
That AI-assisted translation is powerful when it stays true to meaning and is curatorially reviewed with human validation from librarians
Perhaps the most exciting thing was seeing how contemporary language applied to old texts opens up dialog with young audiences: 'now I understand what it's about without losing my patience'. This confirms that AI-assisted translation is powerful when it stays true to meaning and is curatorially reviewed with human validation from librarians.
The implementation of the SHIFT project has involved collaboration between several international partners and know-how exchange interactions between cultures, countries and geographical areas over the last three years. How competitive do you think we are as Romanian software developers and as professionals in the public and cultural sector?
In short, through SHIFT we have demonstrated that Romania is competitive exactly where it matters: in real applications, in technology integration and in public-private collaboration. The fact that a Romanian partner (SIMAVI Romania) is coordinating a European Horizon consortium and delivering a unified platform with AI, visual and haptic tools says a lot about our technical and management maturity. And the finalization and presentation of the results at Digital Heritage 2025 confirms the European scope of this mixed team of GLAM developers and specialists.
In Târgoviște, we saw first-hand how the pieces are connecting: librarians, museographers, universities, County Councils, Chambers of Commerce, entrepreneurial environment, etc. in the process of operationalizing SHIFT solutions: integrating tools into the platform, documenting the benefits for users and scaling through county digital competence centers.
From the perspective of private business entities, Romanian developers have two strengths that can be seen in SHIFT: prototyping speed and integration discipline. We don't just create AI models or processing tools, but we put them together in a coherent architecture, with editorial trails, auditability and export options for external partners (libraries, museums, cultural operators, edu-tech, etc).
On the other hand, if we refer to the public and cultural component, Romanian librarians have proven applied digital literacy: from curating audio descriptions to haptic testing and translating old texts into contemporary language, Romanian librarians have demonstrated flexibility and adaptability.
Of course, there are challenges: cumbersome acquisition procedures, institutional fragmentation, talent migration. But SHIFT has shown us the antidote: open standards, consortial partnerships and common impact indicators (access, autonomy, involvement). When we connect the technical force with the public mission, Romania not only "keeps up" with Europe, but proposes replicable models. From this perspective, my answer is clear: we are competitive - both as developers and as cultural professionals - when we work in a network, on a common platform, with measurable and reusable results.
Beyond the current project timeline, how do you envision the SHIFT project continuing to add value to Romania's cultural, technological and even economic landscape?
Beyond the project implementation timeline that is coming to an end, I see SHIFT as a living infrastructure that we want to take forward. In Târgoviște, we brought together all categories of local stakeholders and agreed together on possible post-implementation developments. In other words, we shifted the focus from research to operationalization within the network.
On the cultural front, SHIFT remains an absolute first: enlivened digital stories, audio descriptions, contemporary language translations, tactile components and customized curatorial paths for heritage. What we tested in the library environment and with stakeholders - including people from vulnerable groups - becomes a turnkey curatorial product for libraries, museums, etc., ready to tour the country and Europe. This logic of exploitation of results is anchored in the European ecosystems: Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage and Europeana. Technologically, SHIFT's continued value comes from the openness and internationalization of results. SHIFT has built AI/ML tools for visual interpretation, assisted presentation and tactile integration. SHIFT partners are "fixing" them into an architecture operable by librarians, curators and tech partners etc.
Finally, from my role at ANBPR, I see SHIFT governance as the piece that guarantees continuity and efficiency: a common "operating framework" (methodology, impact KPIs - access, autonomy, engagement, touristic conversions), consortial agreements between libraries, and unitary models for digital skills growth and inclusive design for workers in the cultural and creative fields. The Târgoviște event showed us that we have critical mass: county councils, universities, chambers of commerce, creative SMEs, ready to take the platform forward and feed it with content and projects. This means, in simple terms, cultural value that produces economic value, and libraries could take on the role of facilitators of this new ecosystem of technology-enabled services.
Through SHIFT, Ioana Crihana and ANBPR remind us that cultural memory is not only about preserving the past, but also about making it accessible, attractive and inclusive for the future. As libraries take on a new role in cultural asset management, the SHIFT project demonstrates that modern software solutions, artificial intelligence tools and an innovation-centered approach to making cultural heritage accessible can successfully combine to open doors to knowledge for all audiences.
