October 8, 2021 - Croatian Libraries in the digital climate was the topic of a conference held in Lovran.

The pandemic and earthquakes of 2020 opened a lot of questions of handling everyday institutions in the not-so-usual times.

One such institution is the library, and Hotel Excelsior in beautiful Lovran (near Opatija and Rijeka on the Western Istrian coast) played host to the 17th edition of the Specialised and Higher Education Library Days. The event lasted from September 30 to October 2. It was organised by the Croatian Library Association (HKD), the National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK) and the University Library in Rijeka with the support of the Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media.

As reported by the University of Zagreb's official website, the focus theme of the conference was the ''Digital Transformation of Libraries in Special Circumstances'' which is divided into four parts and regards digital circumstances.

These topics explored copyright laws, librarian competency, roles, positions, services, and the content of Croatian libraries in the digital era.

''On the last day of the conference, visitors could hear all about the changes in university and higher education libraries in the digital context, not just in terms of the offer but in terms of the legal framework too. These topics were covered by Dr. Tatijana Petrić, while the trends on the development of Croatian universities from a scientific perspective were presented by dr. Miroslav Rajter,'' said the University of Zagreb's website.

Zagreb's NSK has already adapted to digitalisation with the digital library where users can search literature by authors, title, topics or metadata.

Aside from the fact that its faculties have libraries with titles relevant to the field students can study, the University of Zagreb also launched the Hrčak website that offers readers to enjoy Croatian scientific journals and papers, thus allowing access to the scientific content.

Speaking of libraries, any book published in Croatia is required to have an International Standard Book Number (ISBN), which is accessible for free by contacting and filling out the form at NSK, the ISBN is obligatory for every hard copybook. When it comes to digital books, the current law in Croatia states that an ISBN isn't obligatory if the electronic book has no intention of earning commercial money and if it isn't going to be on sale. However, if the author wishes to sell an electronic book and make money from it, then they're obligated to get an ISBN which is assigned for free.

While the development of digital technologies is something that poses a challenge to old reading habits from the library's perspective, the pandemic is also something that limits the physical activities of Croatian libraries. Libraries may no longer hold a vital position for accessing literature, but here in Croatia, they're still valuable for hosting book presentations of Croatian authors (particularly new and lesser known ones who need help in reaching their potential audience).

As TCN covered earlier, the difficulties of 2020 also inspired the country's civil protection services to analyse and adapt to ensuring security ans safety in unexpected situations at a conference in Vinkovci. With the fast-changing day-to-day reality we live in thanks to technology, and the ever uncertain future, it seems 2020 was the wake-up call Croatia needed to be better prepared for what lies ahead in all possible scenarios.

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March 28, 2020 - Croatian libraries may have closed their doors, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop reading. A look at the e-book collections available around Croatia.

Looking for more ways to pass the time at home? Croatian libraries have you covered. While their doors may be closed during the coronavirus crisis in Croatia, you can still explore a variety of book collections from the comfort of your home, thanks to the e-books made available.

Here’s a look a part of the offer in Croatia’s three largest cities -  Zagreb, Split, and Rijeka.

Zagreb

The National and University Library in Zagreb is allowing everyone interested in heritage and collections of other heritage institutions in Croatia to explore exhibitions as part of the Library’s online exhibitions portal. Three of the exhibitions are available in English (Croatian Glagolitic Heritage, Marko Marulić and Faust Vrančić) and one in German (Marko Marulić).

“The exhibitions present valuable digitised heritage using an interactive approach, while their varied dynamic additional content, such as quizzes and jigsaw puzzles, is aimed at bringing that heritage closer to younger generations. Coordinated by the Library’s Croatian Digital Library Development Division, operating as part of the Croatian Institute for Librarianship, several Library’s departments participate in the preparation of the exhibitions. Technical support is provided by the Library’s IT Department, and, as of recently, the Blue Factory IT company, participating as an outside collaborator,” the National and University Library said on its website.

You can also find a list of digital collections, from old Croatian journals to historic newspapers here. Visit the National and University Library website.

Split

The Marko Marulic Split City Library has recently introduced e-books, making it easy for users to read while library departments are closed.

Those interested will have to download the mobile app ZaKi Book, which is available for free download through the Google Play, Apple store and Microsoft store online. Reading is thus available on Android, iOs and Windows 10 devices.

The application is logged in with a membership number and PIN.
Users can borrow the e-book for 21 days, without the possibility to extend. A member has the right to rent two titles at a time, or a maximum of five titles within one calendar month. The e-books can be read on four devices at a time.

If you do not have a PIN, please contact GKMM by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., send your first name, last name and ID number and you will receive it as soon as possible. Visit the Marko Marulic Library website.

Rijeka

While measures are underway to protect and prevent the spread of coronaviruses, the Rijeka City Library is closed until April 14. But thanks to modern technology, library users can also rent books through the ZaKi Book app. There are more than 700 titles available, and there are currently 587 members using the application. The City Library also reports that 1,236 rentals have been made so far: in January 214, in February 446, and in March, for the time being, 576. 

The five most-read e-books so far are: "The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Recognize, Understand, and Use the Gift of High Sensitivity" by Elaine A. Aaron, "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles, "My Not-So-Perfect Life" by Sophie Kinsela, "Anatomy of Love: A Natural History of Mating, Marriage, and Why We Stray" by Helen Fisher and "20 Steps Forward" by Jorge Bucay. As the director Niko Cvjetkovic pointed out, the Rijeka librarians are active on the web and have prepared a list of recommendations for journalism and fiction, reports Novi List.

Visit the Rijeka City Library website.

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