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Goal. The goal of the paper is to show the implementation of library services in the homes for older adults in the city of Zagreb during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to June 2022. Approach/methodology/design. Library services in homes for the older adults in the city of Zagreb are implemented within the Books at your door programme of the 65 plus project at the Zagreb City Libraries. The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions have made it difficult to design and implement library services for older people in libraries. Due to the protection of health, particularly large restrictions have been placed on contacts with elderly people in homes for the older adults. As a result of this challenge, the librarians have devised ways to stay in touch and provide library services to the home users during periods of greater and lesser restrictions on access to the homes. Results. The paper describes in detail the implementation and the results of the Books at your door programme from March 2020 to June 2022. Library services and various cultural programs that were carried out during the pandemic in homes for the older adults, organized by the Zagreb City Libraries, are presented and described. The results are based on and supported by the statistical data from the annual reports of the 65 plus project. Originality/value. The cultural activities that are carried out for the older adults by the libraries, sometimes in difficult business circumstances, are examples of good practice aimed at sensitizing the public and increasing care for the well-being of the elderly people. The experiences gained during the implementation of the Books at your door programme in difficult conditions during the pandemic can help experts and practitioners in designing library services in times of crisis. The data recorded in this paper also represent a kind of public archive on the cooperation between libraries and homes for the older adults in the Zagreb area during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The paper presents the lending statistics of the Public Library and Reading Room in Klis in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic in the period from March 16, 2020, when the library was first closed for users, to March 16, 2021, the time of writing this paper. The analysis of statistical printouts and comparison with the first quarter of 2020 also raises the issue of adaptation of the library and its members to crisis situations as well as the success achieved in encouraging users to continue using the library despite new situation. Methodology. Quantitative methods (analysis of statistical printouts of the computer library program) and qualitative methods (analysis of the collected user impressions, monitoring of accumulated impressions and work evaluation) were used in writing this paper. The methodological approach is also reflected in the analysis of available literature related to the operation of libraries in new circumstances and crisis situations. The synthesis of statistical data and steps taken in communication with users and analysis of the literature on the ways of functioning of other libraries during the Covid era, but also after it, leads to the conclusions of this paper. The results. An insight into the statistics generated by the printout from the library program related to the researched period of the library's work, and the analysis of available information on the work of other libraries and valid recommendations and guidelines has shown an increasing trend in book lending. The increase in book lending is linked to promotional, creative and educational virtual and media activities, the meas ures taken by the library staff and the current ways of managing operations in the public library. Value. The paper emphasizes the importance of reviewing traditional library services, as well as ways of organizing them in times of crisis. The paper also highlights positive examples of other libraries as well as the library researched in this paper, but also emphasizes the issues discussed in the paper that have potential for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The research goal was to determine to what extent and in what way book clubs were affected by the COVID-19 disease pandemic. Methodology. The paper presents results of an online questionnaire survey conducted from November 10 to December 7, 2020. The research was conducted simultaneously in public libraries in the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Slovenia. It was aimed at book clubs that were active during 2019 and 2020, as a period that included the time immediately before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results. In Croatia, out of 62 active book clubs before the pandemic, 33 (53 %) continued to operate during the pandemic. In Slovenia, out of the initial 47 clubs, 19 (40 %) continued with their activities. These clubs quickly adapted to the new circumstances and continued to work in the virtual space or by combining online communication and remote meetings with live meetings whenever possible. Regarding the application of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) tools, the identical processes have taken place in both countries: book clubs were more focused on maintaining contact with the existing members than on promoting clubs and attracting new members. However, the pandemic caused the complete termination of activities for some book clubs: in Croatia 47 %, in Slovenia 38 % of the surveyed clubs. Social significance. The paper contributes to the overall picture of the adaptation of the cultural sector to pandemic conditions and complying with the new requirements in order to communicate with its public. The paper identifies the impact of the pandemic on accelerating the process of applying new technologies for Internet communication. Originality/value. The paper offers a comparative analysis of the impact of the pandemic on the continuity of book clubs' activities in Croatia and Slovenia and how they have adapted to new circumstances. It is based on the hitherto unpublished research results on book club activities during the pandemic, with special emphasis on the use of ICT tools as possible aids to overcome the restrictions prescribed for live meetings as part of anti-epidemic measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to present libraries' accepting and using the social networking service Facebook as a response to the extraordinary circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Like most European countries, Croatia went into full lockdown during the COVID-19 outbreak in the spring of 2020. All public services in Croatia, including public libraries, were closed for 38 days, starting on March 19th. Croatian public libraries faced major changes as they had to transform their traditional library services into virtual ones, creating and sharing various digital content on Face-book, often on a daily basis. Approach/methodology/design. This paper is about libraries' activities on Face-book as a way of serving communities during the lockdown. The presented research is based on the analysis of the posts created on public libraries' Facebook pages. It was conducted in July of 2020 on 208 Croatian public libraries, i.e. 146 of them that had a Facebook page during the research period. Findings. The research shows that the Croatian public librarians have proved to live up to the challenges of new and unknown situations, demonstrating they can quickly adapt and appropriately use digital technologies. Libraries have been developing new innovative practices, becoming more and more creative. The result was handful of content on Facebook, but also on other social networks, like, workshops for children and adults; streamings of online events, organization of virtual exhibitions and collecting verified reference sources for research and learning. The public response was greater than expected, including following, commenting and sharing digital content created or shared by public libraries. Another impact of the crisis was the accelerated development of new digital library services, like online membership registration and e-books lending. Originality/value. The research is the first overview of the Croatian public libraries' Facebook activities in extraordinary circumstances caused by lockdown and can encourage other libraries to implement the best practices presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The Zagreb City Libraries offer their users a variety of online services and content, the importance of which was even more strongly emphasized during the period of physical closure due to the pandemic of the COVID-19 disease and additional difficulties caused by the Zagreb earthquake. The aim of this paper is to use the analysis of the services and content available to the Zagreb City Libraries' users during the lockdown, to corroborate the premise of the importance of permanent investment in the following areas: the quality online services and content, the e-book acquisition, employee education for the skills and knowledge required for remote work from home, and in the technological equipment that supports both the remote work and the increased user access to the online services and content. Methodology. The use of online services and content was analyzed through statistical data collected by the Google Analytics online tool and by tracking the use of digital content of the Zagreb City Libraries in public media and society. The 2020 data are provided for the periods before, during, and after libraries full closures in order to draw conclusions about changes in access to and use of online services and content. Also, as a supplement to the data from 2020, a comparison was made with the 2019 data for some of the digital contents and services. Findings. The importance of the Zagreb City Libraries' online services and content (Digital collections, e-books, catalog, Anniversary calendar, social media channels, Ask a Librarian service), which record significant changes in use during the period of physical closure of libraries, is the basis for the further planning of priorities in development of the Zagreb City Libraries and an incentive for a comprehensive analysis of the consequences of these exceptional events, in order to effectively influence the further operations and development of libraries. Originality and value. In addition to presenting the only modes of the library services and content available to users during the lockdown of a large library network, the paper supports the premise of the crucial importance of the library services and content based on information and communication technologies and the importance of a continuous investment in the libraries' digital activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim/purpose. The aim of the paper is to point out the social impact of public libraries in the crisis situation caused by the COVID-19 disease pandemic in the context of their position within the contemporary concept of smart cities, whose starting point is that information, knowledge, digitalization and technology (intellectual capital) are drivers of the economy and overall social development. Approach/methodology. The benchmarking method is used. The Croatian practice in which libraries are, for the most part, not yet recognized as an integral part of the concept and strategy of smart cities has been compared with the library practice in Singapore, the world leader in libraries' involvement in the national strategy of a smart nation. The analysis of social media posts compares the business strategies used by the Singapore's and Croatian public libraries in public relations during the first wave of the COVID-19 disease pandemic in the first half of 2020. Their goal was to maintain the social impact of libraries after the closure of physical spaces during quarantine (lock-down) in order to continue to perform informational, educational, cultural and social roles and tasks in digital or electronic form. The subject of the comparison is the posting on Twitter from February to September 2020 in the case of libraries in Singapore, and two public libraries in Croatia on Facebook from March to September 2020. The two Croatian libraries operate in the two leading Croatian smart cities - in the category of large Croatian cities it is The Rijeka City Library, and the category of medium-sized Croatian cities it is The Fran Galović Public Library in Koprivnica. The results. The paper results provide new insights into the business operation of libraries in crisis situations in Croatia and abroad with regard to their place in the strategic-developmental and political-management concepts of their countries and communities. Practical implications. An insight into the activities of libraries during the COV-ID-19 disease pandemic is a contribution to the consideration of library practices in a crisis situation on the one hand, and a basis for planning systematic crisis management in Croatian libraries both nationally and locally. Originality/value. This paper, for the first time in Croatian library discourse, analyzes the importance of libraries in a crisis situation, and their position in the economic-developmental and political-management concept of smart cities / smart societies / smart nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The aim of the paper is to present the way in which the Public library "Juraj Šižgorić" Šibenik responded to a crisis situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic by transferring the events organized within the Book Night manifestation to a virtual environment. Approach/methodology/design. The first part of the paper demonstrates the significance the Book Night manifestation holds for the Public library "Juraj Šižgorić" Šibenik. The next section discusses the experience of the Public library "Juraj Šižgorić" Šibenik in organizing the events under Covid lockdown by engaging the patrons through social networking. Findings. Organizing the Book Night 2020 manifestation in a virtual environment has shown the full creative potential of the Public library "Juraj Šižgorić" Šibenik in responding to the unforeseen challenges which limit regular social interaction. Practical implications. The paper lists good practice examples and experiences that the Public library "Juraj Šižgorić" Šibenik has had in organizing virtual events and tackling copyright restrictions related to music online Social significance. Holding events such as arts and creative writing competitions, workshops, virtual arts exhibitions, evenings with an author, even music concerts, represents continuity in the work of the Public library "Juraj Šižgorić" Šibenik. Organizing them within the Book Night manifestation meant providing library services that go beyond accessing library collections so it was crucial to make an effort and organize these activities online during the period of restricted social interaction. Originality/value. The paper demonstrates the adaptive abilities the Public library "Juraj Šižgorić" Šibenik displayed in the special circumstances by transferring Book Night manifestation events online. These experiences can help other public libraries in tackling future similar situations as well as in organizing events online in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The paper presents the Public Library "Ivan Goran Kovačić" Karlovac online services, which enabled more efficient work in a pandemic circumstances caused by the COVID-19 virus. Virtual programs that have been held from March 2020 until today are also presented in more detail. The aim of this paper is to show possibility of continuing the production of library programs in exceptional circumstances as well as to present a new way of organizing library operations. Approach. The first part of the paper analyzes the theoretical framework of the library work at the global and national level in the circumstances of the pandemic of the COVID-19 virus. The second part of the paper provides a detailed overview of the Public Library "Ivan Goran Kovačić" Karlovac virtual services and programs for all ages, which include literary meetings, creative workshops, presentation of online library services and user education, quizzes, virtual exhibitions, and reading recommendations. The results of the user satisfaction survey with the mentioned services and programs are also presented. Results. The review of innovative programs and services designed to encourage reading, develop creativity and acquire new skills in the new circumstances shows how the Public Library "Ivan Goran Kovačić" Karlovac in its work continuously seeks to redefine the role of the library in light of upcoming changes and how its approach contributes to local community development. Originality. The examples of good practice in the Public Library "Ivan Goran Kovačić" Karlovac emphasize the importance of changing the way of working as well as the way of thinking in the age of coronavirus and can serve as a model for other libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]