CERN Scientific Information Service

13/09/2026

We had the pleasure of hosting Katie Mack who presented her new book "How to Build a Universe". She gave an engaging presentation about what the universe is made of and - more importantly - all the lies we're being told about it. The question of what exactly is "fundamental" in physics is a very tricky one: Is it particles? Is it fields? Or is it something even more abstract, like symmetries?
If you want to learn more about these topics and also read Katie's rant about why the proton is such a mess, get her book coming out in March: You will find it in the CERN Bookshop and Library.

09/09/2026

Back from the summer break, we hosted another "Meet the author" event in the library where we followed André Rubio, a long-time visitor guide presenting his book "Follow the Guide at CERN" and listened to his anecdotes which spark his audience's curiosity.
André also shared insights about his own journey while writing this book.

04/08/2026

🎉 Big congratulations to Solène Mougin! 👏

We are thrilled to share that Solène has won the AGBD* Award for receiving the top grade on her final apprenticeship project (TPI**)!

During her 3-year apprenticeship at the CERN Library, Solène has been a vital part of our team. This award is a fantastic recognition of her hard work, dedication, and professionalism.

As she completes her apprenticeship and embarks on her next adventure, we want to thank Solène for her outstanding contributions to CERN and wish her the absolute best in her career! 🌟

CERN AGBD - Association genevoise des bibliothécaires diplômés

* AGBD (Geneva Association of Librarians & Information Specialists) is the regional professional body for information management.

** TPI (Travail Pratique Individuel) is the intensive, hands-on final project required to earn vocational certification in Switzerland as an Information & Documentation Specialist.

23/07/2026

On the 11th of June we co-organised a very special "Meet the author" event together with Società Dante Alighieri Genève: The book "I conquistatori dell’invisibile: Amaldi, Rubbia e i geni italiani del CERN" by Giovanni Carpara shed light on the many Italian physicists who have shaped the history of CERN, among them one of its founding fathers and first Secretary-General Edoardo Amaldi, winner and later Director-General Carlo Rubbia, as well as Directors-General Luciano Maiani and Fabiola Gianotti, the latter being the first woman to lead CERN.

The event, moderated by science communicator and CERN senior staff member Paola Catapano, included a discussion among the author, Gianotti, and Edoardo Amaldi's son, Ugo Amaldi, who among many other achievements has been spokesperson of the DELPHI collaboration and founded the TERA Foundation, introducing hadron therapy to Italy.

More information: https://indico.cern.ch/event/1687719/

16/07/2026

This weekend, we were present at the Future Explorers event, CERN's summer science festival where we sold books to young and old explorers. It was really fun to take part in this event!

08/07/2026

What does the moon landing have to do with the development of particle detectors?

On Wednesday, Giacinto De Cataldo and Vladimir Peskov presented their book "How a Brilliant Idea Can Transform the Field of Particle Detectors", telling the story of detector physicist Georges Charpak. In 1992, Charpak won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on particle detectors, above all the invention of the multiwire proportional chamber, an invention that went on to revolutionise detection not just in particle physics, but in medicine and industry too.
The authors traced that story from the first gaseous detectors to systems with thousands of read-out channels, electronics that only became possible once space travel pushed the field forward.
But Vladimir Peskov, who worked with Charpak himself, could also tell the human stories. If you want to know why Charpak used his Nobel Prize money to buy new shoes, you'll have to read the book.

26/03/2026

We will host Open Research Europe, a diamond open access platform initiated by the European Commission in 2021 and now being relaunched by a new funding consortium of national research funders from 11 European countries with continued support by the EC.

The new platform will launch in autumn of this year under https://ore.eu

Learn more: https://home.cern/news/news/cern/cern-host-europes-flagship-open-access-publishing-platform

CERN to host Europe’s flagship open access publishing platform

In an important step for , CERN has been selected to host a new phase of Open Research Europe (ORE), an initiative supported by the EEuropean Commissionand a new funding consortium of European national funding agencies and research organisations.

Find out more: https://home.cern/news/news/cern/cern-host-europes-flagship-open-access-publishing-platform

12/03/2026

In collaboration with Arts at CERN, the CERN Library was delighted to host the inaugural session of the new talk series "Meet the Artists" on 5 March. The event featured artists Céline Manz and Juan Sorrentino, recipients of the Arts at CERN Connect Argentina Residency. The discussion explored their artistic research at the intersection of art and science, reflecting on projects developed in collaboration with scientists and inspired by phenomena such as cosmic rays and subatomic processes.
Following their research at the Pierre Auger Observatory and their arrival at CERN, the artists shared insights from their residency and engaged in a stimulating exchange with the CERN community.
A big thank you to the artists and to everyone who joined us for this inspiring dialogue between artistic practice and scientific exploration!

12/03/2026

Last week, the CERN Archives & Library had the pleasure of welcoming our colleagues from the International Committee of the Red Cross Archives and Library. We were delighted to host them for a guided visit of the CERN Library and Bookshop, where we presented our collections and services and exchanged ideas on topics such as open science, library and archives management, and collection curation.
During the visit, we also showcased a selection of archival documents and photographs highlighting different moments of CERN’s history, including the signature of the founding agreement and the laying of the first stone, early sketches of the campus and its first experiments, the work of the “scanning girls” in identifying particle tracks, and a visit from Pope John Paul II in 1982.
It was a real pleasure to connect with fellow information professionals and share perspectives on preserving and providing access to knowledge. Thank you to our colleagues from the ICRC for the inspiring visit!

11/03/2026

Join the CERN Archives and Library team! 🗃️📚
Application deadline is 9 April 2026

HomeJob offersSupport Services (Finance, HR, Legal, Procurement)Library and Archives Specialist Library and Archives Specialist Geneva, Switzerland OSI-SIS-AL-2026-55-LD Ideal start date: 01/06/2026 Apply now Before 09/04/2026 at 23:59 (Geneva Time) What you'll do You will engage in the cataloguing,...