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Purpose. The objective of this research is to explore if and in what way Croatian public libraries mark Banned Books Week, an event that celebrates the freedom to read, usually in the last week of September. Approach/methodology/design. First, by searching the websites of the libraries as well as their Facebook profiles, we identified the libraries that celebrate Banned Books Week. In addition, Google was also searched according to the precisely defined keywords. Furthermore, a content analysis of the identified news and announcements was carried out. The research was first conducted in October 2021, and then repeated at the end of September and the beginning of October 2022. The goal was to determine if any new public libraries have commemorated this event in the meantime. Findings. The research has shown that only twenty Croatian public libraries (out of 234) celebrated Banned Books Week, which is only 8.55% of all public libraries. The oldest posted news available online about the celebration of this event in Croatia dates back to 2011, which leads us to the conclusion that Banned Books Week has only been celebrated for the last ten years, and often without continuity. The event has been cele- brated usually very modestly, with only a few examples that are more creative. From the above, it can be concluded that Banned Books Week in Croatian public libraries is still not celebrated to a greater extent, and that this project has not fully taken root. Limitations. Since the total number of libraries in Croatia is very large it would be difficult to cover all libraries in one research, so this research has been limited to public libraries only. In addition, it is very likely that neither the selected ways of identifying libraries that celebrate Banned Books Week nor the chosen search strategies are the only possible ones. Practical use. The paper presents various possibilities and ways of celebrating this event. It is also an invitation to other libraries to join in the celebration of freedom of reading and open access to information. Social significance. The paper points to the important role of public libraries, as well as libraries in general, in the fight against censorship of the written word, advocating the idea of freedom of reading and intellectual freedom in general, and thus emphasizes their role in building and development of a democratic society. Originality/value. The value of the paper lies in the fact that it presents the research of a topic that is insufficiently represented in Croatia. So far, no similar research on the Banned Books Week in Croatia has been conducted. [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 results of the research of users of the Library and Reading Room Bogdan Ogrizović, Zagreb City Libraries about the use of library resources in the crisis caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the COVID-19 illness it causes. Approach/methodology/design. A printed questionnaire was used as a principal method for research in the premises of the Library and Reading Room Bogdan Ogrizović, Zagreb City Libraries on a convenience sample of research participants. Findings. The results of the research have shown a continuing interest of the library users for the Library and Reading Room Bogdan Ogrizović, Zagreb City Libraries in spite of an emergency situation caused by Covid. The results have also shown an increased use of digital information resources in the period of time when the library was closed due to the pandemic. The results showed which library services were used the most when the library was closed also due to the pandemic. Furthermore, the results indicated a dominant orientation of the library users towards printed library material as well as the desire for the increased acquisition of this type of library material, together with the digital versions in the future. Practical implications. The results of the research of library users in the Library and Reading Room Bogdan Ogrizović, Zagreb City Libraries are applicable in the planning process of library material acquisition as well as for the development of annual programs in libraries and long-term plans of development of digital information resources in public libraries. Social implications. The paper indicates a stable position of public libraries in local communities and the constant need of users for public libraries in an emergency situation caused by the pandemic and an earthquake. Therefore, public libraries continue being a pillar of society in emergency situations and crises offering their information and related library services to the local community. Originality/value. The research of the library users of the Library and Reading Room Bogdan Ogrizović, Zagreb City Libraries was conducted during ongoing emergency situation and crisis which is a topic less researched in public libraries. The research in this article is a rare example of an investigation of public library users in a real emergency situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper presents the results of the pilot study of information needs and information behaviour of deafblind persons in eastern Croatia. The goal of the study was to identify information needs of deafblind persons in everday life, and find out how persons with such sensory impairements satisfy these needs. Special emphasis was put on their use of public libraries. The data were collected during November and December 2010 and January 2011 in structured interviews with nine respondents. The results confirmed that the respondents have diverse information needs and that they encounter numerous barriers when seeking information. The results have also shown that, as a rule, respondents cannot satisfy their information needs in local (public) libraries. Since there have not been similar studies in Croatia before, the paper can serve as theoretical and methodological initiative for future studies of this kind, and also encourage public libraries to start thinking about inclusion of deafblind persons into their (potential) user population, and help them by providing library services and building collections for persons with such sensory impairements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the emergence of library services for children in countries with a developed public library system, Croatian public libraries started developing special sections and services for children. This paper provides a review of the development of children's library services in Croatia from 1950's to 2005, describing the situation in children's libraries based on the data presented in 2004 by the Commission for Children's Libraries of the Croatian Library Association. The latter indicated a significant difference in the development of children's libraries in Croatia, both in terms of specific activities and in terms of the context in which they operate. This suggests a need for setting the basic standards which would define in more detail the conditions for performing activities focused more on the needs and rights of the users of children's libraries. The development of a clear operating strategy for children's services, as part of the general public libraries strategy, is yet another precondition for the development and successful operation in the field of children's library services in Croatia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]