The meetings focused on the advancement of the professional and cultural exchange between the NLB and NSK and on ensuring their long-term cooperation regarding both libraries’ mission to contribute to the preservation of European cultural heritage.
Hosted by the National and University Library in Zagreb, this exchange program accommodated five delegates from the National Library of Bulgaria, fostering the mission of heritage preservation and professional development.
Participants in the project from the National Library of Bulgaria:
The meeting participants representing NSK were:
The program began with an introduction to the National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK), led by the Director General and several departmental heads. They presented the institution’s mission, structure, and objectives, and showcased the library’s facilities and organizational framework, with brief overviews from department heads on their roles. The Director of the NLB then highlighted the strategic goals for 2025-26, with a particular focus on e-deposit, preservation of documentary heritage, restoration, and digitization. The working session continued with a presentation by Ms. Karolina Holub, who emphasized the importance of the Croatian Web Archive (HAW), which collects, preserves, and provides access to web resources deemed crucial for Croatian cultural heritage. Following this, Ms. Luiza Savcheva presented on the Bulgarian legal deposit system, outlining legislative requirements and the current state of an electronic archive. Ms. Renata Petrušić discussed the digitization of cultural heritage, covering selection criteria, document preparation, scanning, metadata creation, and conservation processes. She highlighted NSK’s responsibilities for digital deposit and the evolution of the Croatian Digital Library, and introduced the e-Cultura project, part of the “Digitization of Cultural Heritage” initiative, which facilitates centralized long-term storage and serves as a national metadata aggregator through a unified portal.
At the end of the day, participants toured the renovated NSK building and visited key library sections, including the reading room of the Special Collections Department and the Cataloging and National Bibliography Department. A discussion followed between representatives of the two institutions, with both sides expressing readiness for cooperation and mutual support in advancing and promoting library services.
The second day began with a visit to NSK’s Restoration Center, where Dr. Sanda Milošević presented an overview of the department’s history and responsibilities, noting student involvement in restoration and digitization activities. Dr. Boyana Mincheva followed with a presentation on cultural heritage preservation and the library’s special collections. Ms. Sevdiye Ali shared details about three manuscripts from the Bulgarian library’s collection that are included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Program. Dr. Tamara Štefanac then introduced a study on Glagolitic watermarks, describing the research, documentation, and analysis processes, along with the historical context of these watermarks. The final presentation was by Ms. Karolina Tumbas, who showcased the Glagoljica.hr portal. She explained that the portal digitally preserves Glagolitic manuscripts from Croatian and international collections, providing a comprehensive metadata repository with diverse digital content and facilitating access to Glagolitic heritage. The portal includes a browser that allows parallel viewing of original texts and transliterations, supported by the Indigo platform.
The two-day event concluded with discussions on potential collaborative projects between the two libraries. Both institutions expressed a strong interest in continuing their partnership and expanding the scope of future initiatives by including additional libraries. Specific ideas included creating a bibliographic index of publications and research on Glagolitic studies, to be developed jointly by both institutions.
“During my visit to the NSK in Zagreb I held numerous professional discussions with colleagues from the special departments of the National and University Library. In both formal and informal settings, we outlined directions for future collaboration in the field of manuscript and old and rare printed books. We discussed the possibility of creating a bibliography with full-text resources related to Glagolitic manuscripts and printed works. As a result of newly established personal connections and professional communication with Dr. Tamara Štefanac, Senior Archivist at the Manuscripts and Old Books Collection, we were also able to initiate contacts on specific topics in the field of documentary heritage and documentary sources studies.” – Dr. Boyana Mincheva, Head of the Preservation of Manuscript and Documentary Heritage Division, “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” National Library
“The working sessions were immensely valuable, providing insights into the structure and mission of the National and University Library of Croatia, along with best practices in digital preservation. It was inspiring to see how Croatian students are involved in restoration and digitization activities, contributing directly to cultural heritage preservation. Exploring the Glagoljica.hr portal and the Indigo platform offered a glimpse into Croatia’s advanced digital archiving efforts, especially in the preservation of Glagolitic manuscripts. The visit strengthened our commitment to cross-border collaboration in the preservation of Europe’s cultural heritage and in advancing library services for future generations. This exchange provided invaluable opportunities to connect with Croatian colleagues and share expertise in cultural heritage preservation and digitization practices.” – Sevdiye Ali, Archivist, Oriental Collections Department, “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” National Library
“The project’s scope aligned perfectly with my professional interests. The presentations and discussions with colleagues from the NSK showcased how the institution addresses challenges, making our exchange of library practices incredibly valuable.” – Luiza Savcheva, Deputy Director, Creation of Information Resources, “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” National Library
https://www.nationallibrary.bg/www/en/cross-border-collaboration-for-european-cultural-heritage-preservation-and-sustainable-development-of-library-services/
https://www.nationallibrary.bg/www/2024/09/13/%d0%ba%d0%be%d0%bb%d0%b5%d0%ba%d1%82%d0%b8%d0%b2%d0%bd%d0%b0%d1%82%d0%b0-%d0%bc%d0%b8%d1%81%d0%b8%d1%8f-%d0%b7%d0%b0-%d0%be%d0%bf%d0%b0%d0%b7%d0%b2%d0%b0%d0%bd%d0%b5-%d0%bd%d0%b0-%d0%ba%d0%bd%d0%b8/
https://nsk.hr/en/news/nsk-hosts-the-team-of-an-international-project-focusing-on-cross-border-cooperation-aimed-at-the-preservation-of-european-cultural-heritage/
