The Institute of Geosciences at Unicamp (IG) was awarded funding in the call for proposals for Support for Research Infrastructure in Museum, Bibliographic and Archival Collections of the São Paulo State Research Infrastructure Support Program (PAIP) of the São Paulo Research Foundation (Fapesp). The Unit received approximately R$ 2,8 million, which will be used to modernize the infrastructure for the preservation, digitization and dissemination of its scientific and historical collections, focusing on the reorganization and expansion of the "Conrado Paschoale" Library space over 48 months.
The project, a result of collective work carried out by the Library Committee, the Institute's management, the heads of the three Departments – Geography, Geology and Natural Resources, and Science and Technology Policy – and technical-administrative sectors, embodies a long-standing aspiration of the unit: to better preserve its scientific heritage and place it more broadly and inclusively at the service of research, education, and society.
The initiative will be coordinated by the Library Committee, led by Professor David Jozef Cornelius Debruyne, under the supervision of the Institute's management. The project will count on the collaboration of Frésia Soledad Ricardi Torres Branco and Carolina Zabini, professors from the Department of Geology and Natural Resources (DGRN) and curators of the paleontological collection; Aleix Altimiras Martin, professor from the Department of Science and Technology Policy (DPCT); Regina Célia de Oliveira, professor from the Department of Geography (DGEO); and librarians Fabiana Benine and Marta dos Santos, responsible for the technical coordination of library activities and the organization of the collections. Dailto Silva, supervisor of the Institute's laboratories, and Rafael Barros de Porto, technician from the Paleohydrogeology Laboratory, will support the implementation and management of a computed tomography scanner to be acquired. The project will also have Technical Training scholarship holders for continuous support, who will be selected throughout its execution.
According to Debruyne, “this is a very complex project because it involves many people, different collections, and demands within the Institute. The biggest challenge in this planning phase was aligning these interests and transforming everything into an integrated proposal with collective and long-term benefits.” For Emilson Pereira Leite, director of the Unit, “the main challenge will be to implement the infrastructure in an integrated and sustainable way, ensuring its effectively shared use and coordinating physical adaptations, preservation of collections, and operation of high-tech equipment. With this, the project will significantly strengthen research, teaching, and outreach at the IG, in addition to expanding public access to valuable scientific and historical collections.”
Project approved
Since the call for proposals focused on enhancing scientific collections, the selected proposal includes the creation of a new climate-controlled area in the “Conrado Paschoale” Library for the storage and conservation of the Unit's paleontological heritage, composed of more than 7.500 scientific and educational samples, with the installation of sliding metal filing cabinets. With the acquisition of the 3D computed tomography scanner, it will be possible to perform non-destructive analyses and digital documentation of fossils and rocks. Carolina Moreto, head of the DGRN, points out that the project should “expand the conditions for preservation, characterization, and digital documentation of its geoscientific collections.” The professor notes that the equipment should add new research possibilities and broaden the scientific community's access to these materials.
Tânia Seneme Canto, head of DGEO, highlights that accessibility and teaching equipment will also be acquired, such as 3D and Braille printers, which will generate tactile teaching resources for visually impaired people. In addition, the project foresees the recovery and digitization of the Library's cartographic collection – which includes 33 scientific and historical maps from the 19th and 20th centuries – as well as the digitization and integration of the collection of the Center for Documentation in Science and Technology Policy (CDPCT), composed of approximately 18,000 documents that portray the history of science, technology and innovation in Brazil, largely consisting of grey literature (proceedings, unpublished articles, directories, pamphlets, technical notes, patents, preprints, research reports, etc.). According to the head of the DPCT, Marko Monteiro, "with this project, our intention is to better organize the collection and make it even more available for research."
All digitized materials and resulting three-dimensional models will be made available openly and inclusively on institutional portals integrated into the Unicamp Library System (SBU). In this way, the “Conrado Paschoale” Library will be consolidated as a multi-user and digital center of reference in the preservation and dissemination of Unicamp's scientific and paleontological heritage. Debruyne highlights the Library team's work, especially in the conservation of collections, which earned them the 2025 Paepe Local Award . The awarding of the project is seen by the professor as a "recognition of the excellent work done in the library".
The call for proposals that selected the IG initiative included 37 other proposals throughout the state of São Paulo, totaling eight selected at Unicamp. Another call, focused on Biological Collections, selected 12 more proposals in the state, one of which was from Unicamp. The results of both are available on the Fapesp website.
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