Science fiction at the Science Library, University of Oslo: how to actively use an SF collection as a sandbox for science

Abstract

The University of Oslo Science Library holds a large collection of SF literature. The collection is only 5 years old, but has a rapid growth due to donations. This article describes why the Science Library as an academic institution needs a collection of SF, the nature of the collection, how we use the collection in innovations, and how we want the collection to evolve in the future. Important aspects of the development includes focus on public outreach projects, both to our scientific colleagues and to the greater public. This also means new ways to view library metadata and user-generated metadata.