Common efforts for added value Zdenka Sviben Zagreb City Libraries

1. Common efforts for added value Zdenka Sviben Zagreb City Libraries

2. Presentation of the tree joint programs / projects of public libraries in Croatia: • Croatian Books Month • Ask a Librarian • Portal of Public Libraries • organized or coordinated by Zagreb City Libraries

3. Croatian Books Month • national manifestation • every year from October,15th till November,15th • Zagreb City Libraries have organized the manifestation since 1995 • program committee: representatives of cultural institutions, publishers, journalists, associations and librarians • organization committee - Zagreb City Libraries staff

4. Objectives: • developing awareness of the role of libraries, books and reading • increasing public awarness(citizens, media, local authorities) • joint planning • learning from each other • sharing ideas • increasing the quality and quantity of programs in public libraries

5. Structure of the manifestation: • central programs • local programs

6. Central programs • opening and closing ceremonies, • professional meetings, • joint participation at the Interliber Book Fair (since 2002) – exhibitions oflibraries' publishing activities, workshops • National quiz to encourage reading (since 1998), • consolidating all the programs that occur during Croatian Books Monthin libraries, • printing booklet, posters and bookmarks; distribution to all public libraries Organization and realization in cooperation with local partners. • The central program is financially supported by the Croatian Ministry of Cultureand local partners.

7. Local Programs • Each library organizes its own events in accordance with the centraltheme and programs of local interest. • These programs are financed primarily from libraries' own resources, media, sponsors, publishers, etc.

8. Statistics 1995: 100 public libraries participated, 500 events (panels, presentations of new publications, exhibitions of new titles, marking the anniversary of important people, workshops, animation and educational activities 1999: 160 public libraries, more than 1200 events 2009: 190 public libraries, more than 2500 various events

9. 1995 Opening ceremony in Čakovec with a round table on leisure time ofchildren and young people in publiclibraries Island Korčula - meeting with the city authorities on the status of the public library Event in Požega celebrating 150th anniversary of the City library Exhibition of new books and literary meeting in Knin

10. 1996 Opening of the renovated City Library “Fran Galović” in Koprivnica and celebrating the 150th anniversary of librarianship there Symposium Libraries in the 21 centuryin the nearby town of Đurđevac Closing ceremony in Split celebrating the 1700th anniversary of the city and promotion of a theoretical book of our colleague Mira Mikačić

11. 1997 Opening ceremony in Vukovar: attended by threehundred librarians, publishers, journalists… Vukovar City Library got three thousand books as gifts from Croatian publishers, librariesand citizens, all editions after year 1990 New public library was opened in Okučani Literary meeting on the island of Hvar Osijek: round table about networking the public libraries

12. 1998 Opening of the renovated space in the City Library Franjo Marković in Križevci National quiz - Croatian Centre for Children's Book in cooperation with public and school libraries in Croatiaand in neighboring countries. Children read selected titles, answer questions, each library selects its winner, each winner is accompanied by his/her librarian to the finalceremony in Zagreb wherethe winner of all winners is announced. In 2009about 20.000 children participatedinthe National quiz.

13. 1999 The manifestation was opened in Pula with around table on the status of the book in Croatia. National quiz: Around the worldwith a book 2000 Opening ceremonies were held in severalcounties at the same time. Central ceremony took place in Rijeka celebrating the 150th anniversary of the City library with a round table Books and Libraries in the dawn of the third millennium - issues, priorities, signs, solutions The National quiz: Reading is an adventure

14. 2001 Županja City Library celebrating its 140th anniversary National quiz:Growing up witha book The closing event: round table Books in media in Zagreb

15. 2002 Opening of anew public library in Klanjec. In Petrinja we celebrated 160th anniversary of the City Library National quiz Books building bridges (UN Year of Cultural Heritage) 5th International Conference of Public Librariesin Countries in Transition: Impact of globalization and informatization (with Goethe Institute) Beginning of cooperation with the Croatian Association of Publishers and Interliber Book Fair

16. 2003 New public libraries opened in Krapina and Drenovci National quiz Tell me who I am Presence at the Book Fair 2004 In Ogulin we celebrated 130th anniversary of Ivana Brlić Mažuranić At the Book Fair: storytelling of her stories, presentations of school plays based on her stories, etc. National quiz: Ivana Brlić Mažuranić

17. 2005 Manifestation was devoted to 100th birthday ofDragutin Tadijanović, famous Croatianpoet. On his birthday, in every publiclibrary in Croatia and in many schoollibraries there were recitals of his poetry. New public library in Benkovac National quiz: 200th anniversary of Hans Cristian Andersen Round table The availability of information about books published in Croatia

18. 2006 Celebration of the famous scientistand inventor Nikola Tesla National quiz: Tesla and his work At the Book Fair lectures for children andyoung people, workshops and presentations byyoung inventors. New public library in Velika Gorica. Round table Accessibility in libraires- library services and computer equipment for blind, partially sighted and deafblind people

19. 2007 Opening of the new part of the City Library in Karlovac and new public libraries in Ilok andBabinaGreda. Celebrating Marija Jurić Zagorka, a famous and most widely read Croatian writer and the first female journalist in Croatia. Book Fair: workshops for young journalists conducted by professional journalists. National quiz was devoted to Astrid Lindgren. Central events - two conferences: The role of public libraries in the Communication strategy of the Croatian Government and AV materials and heritage. Celebration of the 100 anniversary of the Zagreb City Library with an international conference.

20. 2008 Opening ceremony in Dubrovnik: celebration of the 500th anniversaryof Marin Držić, a Croatian Renaissance playwright National quiz devoted to Marin Držić Book Fair: exhibitions, workshops, performances

21. 2009 National quiz: astronomy (Year of Astronomy) Librarians visited the famous Croatian observatory in Višnjan, Istria Celebrating 100th anniversary of the City Library in Pazin. Book Fair: lectures on astronomy, workshops etc.Open discussion Cooperation between Croatianlibraryfor visually impaired and public libraries October, 23th - throughout Croatia libraries organized the event Let´s read under the stars 2010 UN declared Year of Biodiversity

22. Ask a Librarian - online reference service of public libraries Don’t google – Ask a Librarian valuable initiative knowledge partnership trust a lot of good will a little money =remarkable results

23. Objectives: • access to a wide range of selected and organized information • free of charge for all citizens • service provided by librarians from county libraries, experts in particular areas • educating librarians in finding, selecting and providing the use of electronic sources • educating the public to use e-services

24. Facts and figures: • initiative of two young librarians in May 2003 • group of 8 librarians from public libraries • pilot project offered to directors of county libraries • 3.000 € provided by the libraries to implement service • coordination of theproject was entrusted to the Zagreb City Libraries • Service structure: • question form with some additional information • (interview) • communication via e-mail • evaluation questionnaire • database of selected and anotated sources from Internet • searchable database of answered questions

25. Facts and figures (2): • opened for public in February 2004 • joined by new librarians every year • seminars for librarians every year • individual education for librarians • financial support from the Ministry of Culture and the City of Zagreb (hosting, web master, education)

26. Statistics: Answered questions 2004-2010: 26.500 Evaluation: 4500 The average age: 26 25% M 75 % F 47% seminars 28% professional work 16% something else 6% homework 3% hobby

27. 60% secondary school 25% university degree 9% primary school 3% incomplete primary school 3% postgraduates 54% nonmember 46% member

28. Evaluation (15%) 72% totally satisfied 22% partly satisfied 4% partly dissatisfied 2% dissatisfied 91% totally satisfied 7% partly satisfied 4% partly dissatisfied 1% dissatisfied

29. 75% yes 22% probably 2% do not know 1% no 58% the Internet 33% from friends 7% in school 1% from media

30. Some comments: The service seems to be like an older brother from whom you can get always an answer. Good luck! This service was created for me and I will be very boring Although I am an expert in IT field and I know how to use search engines, I failed to find any sources that you did… I'm not satisfied because you did not find the origins of my family I was looking for more information on nanotechnology in Croatian…

31. Portal of the public libraries • The Strategy for development of public libraries in the Republic of Croatia (2005) proposed building a functional network of public libraries • A joint web portal of Croatian public libraries was among the priorities • 2006 the Section of public libraries of the Croatian Library Associationlaunched the initiative of creating the portal for public libraries • Support from the directors of county libraries and from the Ministry of Culture • Coordination of theproject was entrusted to the Zagreb City Libraries

32. 2006 • the editorial board from different county libraries was formed, • the content and structure of the portal was defined, • design and other elements of visual identity (colors, navigation, elements, etc.) were developed, • the CMS was implemented. • 2007 • the domain was obtained, • hosting services secured, • data collected, • the individual web sites for libraries that did not have them previouslywas made, • the directory (adresses) suitable for printing in different formats (HTML, XML, CSV-Excel) was created. • Since early 2008 the portal has been accessible online.

33. Criteria: • quality and richness of content • Content: • map of Croatia with cities and municipalities that have public libraries, • links to existing web sites of public libraries, organized by regions • the database of events • documents related to the work of public libraries • links to national and international professional meetings • directory of public libraries • examples of good practice • joint projects, actions, events…

34. http://knjiznica.hr/home.php

37. The most important task: • creation of an initial library web site for those • that did not have it • Content (the basic information) • address, • responsible person, • working hours, • link to the e-catalog, • activities, • photograph of the library building, • data on space, collections etc., • general information about the history of the library, etc.

39. Part of the Portal is: Information about the European Union in public libraries • continuously enriched with new content • links to sources about the European Union: available online at the official website of the EU and the Republic of Croatia, pages of information intermediaries (the EU information centers), research institutions and associations of civil society.

40. Public libraries in the Republic of Croatia were connected evenbefore these projects, but the national manifestation,online service and the portal and the projects that are a part of it contribute by providing insight on public libraries in theRepublic of Croatia, as well as serving the communitiesin which libraries operate.