After three years of intensive preparation, the CARDS (Czech Academic and Research Discovery System) project is entering its final phase, which will result in the introduction of a new joint library platform. More than 30 universities and research organizations across the Czech Republic, led by the National Technical Library, are involved in the collaboration. The project will open up modern, efficient, and interconnected access to information, which will facilitate the daily work of researchers, teachers, and students.
CARDS represents a significant milestone in the development of national data and information infrastructure and an important step towards a connected, interoperable, and sustainable environment for education and research in the Czech Republic. The project complements IPs EOSC-CZ and significantly supports the objectives of the EOSC CZ initiative.
The key output of the project is the Next Generation Platform (NGP) – a central system that will unify the management of the library collections of participating institutions and offer a modern common search interface. This will greatly facilitate access to professional literature, electronic resources, and selected research data, and contribute to better availability of information across institutions. "The benefit of the New Generation Platform is not only technological change, but also a new way of operating scientific libraries, which will use a single, centrally managed system with shared cataloguing and other jointly operated services for both the library community and library users," explains Miroslav Bartošek, project expert for Masaryk University.
Masaryk University and the Institute of Computer Science have also been involved in the project since its inception. The multi-year project included many activities, such as compiling and recording contractual documents, consolidating existing data sets, and analyzing and planning the details of a joint operating model. The transition and launch of the new library system at Masaryk University is planned for the first implementation wave in the summer of 2026, with all participating institutions gradually transitioning to the new system by the end of 2028.
For more information, see the press release.
Masaryk University’s cybersecurity team warns against installing and using proxyware applications. At first glance, they may seem appealing, but in reality they pose a security risk, as they are actively abused for cyberattacks.
The Institute of Computer Science at Masaryk University, in collaboration with leading private sector companies, is participating in the DORI project, which provides intelligent solutions for cyber security management. The platform automates key processes, facilitates compliance with legislation, and helps organizations protect their data, all thanks to the combination of academic research and the practical experience of companies in the field.
