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PhD in Technologies for Cultural Heritage - since XXXVI Cycle

Logo di PhD in Technologies for Cultural Heritage - since XXXVI Cycle

Roberto Testa

Phd thesis

"Library collections in transmedia and narrative perspective". The objective of the project is to develop a conceptual model for the physical and digital organization of collections in public libraries. The original aspect lies in the integration of transmedia and digital storytelling to engage users and create a new way of accessing and experiencing various media within the collections through a web and immersive interface. The research will focus on the narrative and fictional resources housed in the newly established Central Library of Turin, aiming to enhance user engagement and provide innovative guidelines for collection management.

Research activities

Roberto Testa has completed his master's degree in Historical Sciences at the University of Turin in 2020. He has gained substantial experience in the field of librarianship through his work and research at the Library of the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Turin and the Libraries of the Renato Einaudi College in Turin. In 2023, he was a fellow at the Luigi Einaudi Foundation in Turin, where he made significant contributions to a web project dedicated to Luigi Einaudi. His research primarily focuses on the integration of digital tools within cultural institutions, such as archives and libraries. He's the co-founder of the research group Transmedia Library Shelf Experience.

"Library collections in transmedia and narrative perspective". The objective of the project is to develop a conceptual model for the physical and digital organization of collections in public libraries. The original aspect lies in the integration of transmedia and digital storytelling to engage users and create a new way of accessing and experiencing various media within the collections through a web and immersive interface. The research will focus on the narrative and fictional resources housed in the newly established Central Library of Turin, aiming to enhance user engagement and provide innovative guidelines for collection management.

Methodology: The project involves studying library science literature, benchmarking against libraries like the BEIC in Milan, and evaluating collections for transmedia narratives. It will develop a transmedia storytelling system within a web interface guiding users through books, audiobooks, movies, music, and games. A prototype AI system based on RAG technology will assist in resource recommendation and personalization. The AI will create personalized recommendation pages based on user input. User interactions with the new interface will be evaluated using social science methods to improve the system.

Outcome: Expected outcomes include an engaging interface for exploring collections, a physical organization that encourages browsing, a community through the interface, collaborations with cultural and technological entities, and AI integration to enhance user experience. This project aims to transform public libraries into innovative, community-focused spaces.

Supervisor: Sara Dinotola, Historical Studies Department.

 

  • PhD T4C courses (2023-2024), Trans-disciplinarity through the digital sciences, course coordinator: Vincenzo Lombardo, 6 ECTS; 
  • PhD T4C courses (2023-2024), Materiality, course coordinator: Monica Gulmini, 6 ECTS; 
  • PhD T4C courses (2023-2024), Humans Vs Geoenvironments, course coordinator: Marco Giardino, 6 ECTS 
  • PhD T4C courses (2023-2024), Preservation Strategies, course coordinators: Dominique Scalarone; Sergio Favero Longo, 6 ECTS 
  • PhD T4C courses (2023-2024), Imaging Techniques, course coordinator: Alessandro Re, Vito Messina, 6 ECTS
  • PhD T4C courses (2023-2024), Workshop: China and chinoiseries, Coordinator: Eliano Diana, 6 ECTS;

  • Participation (paper accepted) at Summer School "CDN Digital Narrative PhD Summer School" (University of Bergen) Bergen (Norway), June 10-14, 2025 (5 ECTS).
  • Participation as speaker at "The research lines of the DISH Center: A selective presentation", University of Turin, November 7, 2023 (1+0.5 ECTS); 
  • Participation as speaker at "Tre anni dopo: bilanci e rilanci di risorse, ricerche e progettualità", DISH - Centro di Ricerca in Digital Scholarship for the Humanities 2021-2023. February, 29, 2024 (1+0.5 ECTS); 
  • Participation as speaker at "IV Congreso Internacional en investigaciones aplicadas. La Inteligencia Artificial desde una perspectiva multidisciplinar y avances contemporáneos en ciencia, tecnología y sociedad", Bello, Antioquia (Colombia), October, 19, 2024 (1+0.5 ECTS); 
  • Participation as speaker at "Convegno delle Stelline 2025" ("Per una biblioteca transmediale e transdisciplinare"), Palazzo della Regione Lombardia, Milan, March 13, 2025 (1+0.5 ECTS); 
  • Participation at "Convegno delle Stelline 2024", Palazzo della Regione Lombardia, Milan, March 20-21, 2024 (2 ECTS); 
  • Participation at "62. Congresso nazionale AIB. Biblioteche e tecnologie al tempo dell'intelligenza artificiale", Florence, November 16-17,2023 (2 ECTS);

Period abroad: 15/11/2024-30/04/2025 (166 days) – Universidad Carlos III de Madrid; coordinator: Miguel Ángel Marzal.

Third mission events:

  • Speaker at “Una notte in biblioteca”, EDIH – European digital innovation hub, Polo bibliotecario di Potenza (Basilicata), May 7, 2024;
  • Video presentation at "Patrimonio delle biblioteche AFAM. L’esperienza del Conservatorio di Torino tra conservazione, digitalizzazione e prospettive dell’intelligenza artificiale", Salone Internazionale del Libro di Torino, May 11, 2024; 
  • Speaker at “OLTRE IL CATALOGO: La biblioteca musicale oggi tra patrimoni da descrivere e passioni da trasmettere” - IAML, Associazione Italiana Biblioteche Musicali, Biblioteca Musicale Armando Gentilucci del Conservatorio di Reggio Emilia e Castelnovo ne’ Monti (Reggio Emilia), May, 18, 2024; 
  • Speaker at “Chi vuole essere public engager?”, UNIGHT – European Researchers’ Night 2024, Giardini Reali (Torino), September 28, 2024; 
  • Speaker at "Più libri più liberi 2024" ("Lo scaffale transmediale") - Più Libri più liberi (Roma, in collaboration with Biblioteche di Roma and AIB), December 7, 2024; 
  • Speaker at “Musicology and Music Librarianship in Cultural Context in Honour of Stephanie Merakos”, IMS Study Group "Music and Cultural Studies" and The Friends of Music Society, The Athens Concert Hall, Athens, Greece, February 20-21, 2025; 

PhD courses:

  • Introduction to public engagement (A.A. 2023-24), Scuola di Dottorato, Università di Torino (0.5 ECTS); 
  • Lavorare in gruppo nelle organizzazioni (A.A. 2023-24), Scuola di Dottorato, Università di Torino (0.25 ECTS); 
  • Prepararsi alla selezione: dal CV al colloquio di lavoro (A.A. 2023-24), Scuola di Dottorato, Università di Torino (0.25 ECTS); 

  • Progetti di Dottorato: dall’ideazione alla submission. A lecture for the course of Bibliographic culture in digital environment (Master Degree), Università di Torino, February 28, 2024 (2h).
  • Lo scaffale narrativo e transmediale: un nuovo modello per le biblioteche. A lecture for the course of Library, Dipartimento di Studi Storici, Università di Torino, October 22, 2024 (2h).
  • Transmedia Library Shelf Experience: verso lo scaffale narrativo e transmediale. Online courses (collaboration agreement with libraries), March 4, 2025 (2h).

  • Testa, R. (2025). Le collezioni delle biblioteche e le biblioteche pubbliche contemporanee: un approccio sul confine, Culture del testo e del documento, 76(40), pp. 205-216.
  • Dinotola, S., Testa, R. (2025). Transmedia library shelf experience: Innovative research approaches, Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 0(2025), 0, DOI: 10.1177/09610006241310908.
  • Testa, R. (2024). Storytelling e narratività: traiettorie digitali e transmediali. In S. Dinotola & A. M. Marras (Eds.), Un incontro di sguardi: Biblioteche, libri e lettura come nodi di un reticolo di possibilità creative e generative. Scritti in onore di Maurizio Vivarelli (pp. 427-434). Roma, Italy: AIB
  • Dinotola, S., Testa, R. and Vivarelli, M. (2024), ‘Verso lo scaffale narrativo e transmediale’, Biblioteche Oggi, 42(5), pp. 26–36. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3302/0392-8586-202405-026-1
  • Testa, R. (2021), ‘Percorsi digitali di narrazione negli archivi: il caso di 9centRo’, Biblioteche Oggi, 39 (4), pp. 30-36. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3302/0392-8586-202103-030-1
  • Testa, R. (2021), ‘Models, Field and Perspectives of Digital History’. DigitCult - Scientific Journal On Digital Cultures, 5(2), 73-88. doi: https://doi.org/10.53136/979125994120638

 

Last update: 21/04/2025 15:54
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