Visual Discovery through AI: Unlocking the Postcard Archive at the National Library of Sweden

This chapter provides an overview of the National Library of Sweden (NLS) as well as an overview of AI initiatives taking place at the library. Finally, the chapter presents details of a specific AI solution, Bildsök, a service developed to search the National Library of Sweden’s postcard collection. Bildsök is an AI-based service that makes ca. 17,000 digitalised postcards accessible to the broader public by using AI. The chapter provides insights into the needs for the project, the actors involved in the planning and implementation and the challenges encountered on the way. The chapter also provides insights into the value that such a project generates for different stakeholders, the lessons learned and the skills that national libraries need in the era of AI.