{"id":37011,"date":"2021-04-22T09:15:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-22T06:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pavb.lt\/?p=37011"},"modified":"2021-04-26T18:05:33","modified_gmt":"2021-04-26T15:05:33","slug":"virtual-visit-of-croatian-librarians-strengthened-partnership-and-inspired-for-new-projects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.pavb.lt\/en\/2021\/04\/virtual-visit-of-croatian-librarians-strengthened-partnership-and-inspired-for-new-projects\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtual visit of Croatian librarians strengthened partnership and inspired for new projects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On the 29th<\/sup> of March\u20131st<\/sup> of April 2021 a virtual job-shadowing visit of the librarians of the Rijeka City Library (Croatia) under the Erasmus + program took place in the Panev\u0117\u017eys County Gabriel\u0117 Petkevi\u010dait\u0117-Bit\u0117 Public Library. Although we have already become accustomed to the virtual communication format, we always think about the lack of live communication, real walks around the library spaces, live conversations with our colleagues having a cup of coffee or tea. However, this four-day visit was lacking only physical space for the meeting, as everything else was full of warm communication, rich information about library services and projects, extremely sincere interest of Croatian colleagues in everything that happens in Gabriel\u0117 Petkevi\u010dait\u0117-Bit\u0117 Public Library in particular and in Lithuanian public libraries in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project ZELDA in a context of the city of Rijeka transformation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Croatian colleagues Andreja, Tanja, Emili and Donatella took part in this remote job-shadowing visit under the Erasmus + project ZELDA, \u201cGreen and Sustainable Library\u201d, run by the Rijeka City Library, with the main aim of adopting good practice in European public libraries in the field of a sustainable, \u201cgreen\u201d library development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rijeka City Library is one of the main cultural institutions of the city of Rijeka, which from 2018 to 2022 falls into a cycle of major transformation processes affecting not only the history of the library itself but also of the city of Rijeka in general. Rijeka City Library aims to become a modern, dynamic library, and its staff aims to incorporate good European library practices and new methods into their daily activities. In order to create attractive modern services for their users and become an ecological and sustainable library, Rijeka librarians have planned visits to European public libraries that create a sustainable environment for the \u201cgreen\u201d library and involve their various user groups in educations with a creative use of secondary raw materials. Following the good practice of European public libraries, Rijeka City Library staff will strive to implement these ideas in their library by creating innovative educational programs. Rijeka librarians will also share these ideas with their colleagues in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and librarians from all over Croatia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How we inspired our Croatian colleagues<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first visit of Rijeka City Library specialists under this project took place in 2019, visiting the Ljubljana City Library (Slovenia). The Croatians purposefully chose the Gabriel\u0117 Petkevi\u010dait\u0117-Bit\u0117 Public Library as their second host organization in their project: during the visit of the Panev\u0117\u017eys County Public Library staff to the Rijeka City Library in 2018, these libraries became partners and signed a cooperation agreement. Croatian colleagues got interested in the opportunity to participate in the Erasmus + program and submit a project application themselves, so after receiving support for the project from their national agency, our partners chose Gabriel\u0117 Petkevi\u010dait\u0117-Bit\u0117 Public Library as one of their partners in the project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virtual tour in Lithuanian public libraries<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the first day of the job-shadowing visit, a virtual tour of the Gabriel\u0117 Petkevi\u010dait\u0117-Bit\u0117 Public Library was organized for Croatian colleagues, the library’s Sensory Space, international and Erasmus + program projects and cooperation with other European public libraries were presented. Andreja Sili\u0107 \u0160vonja, the coordinator of ZELDA project, gave a presentation on it, emphasizing that the ideas of the “green” library have been chosen purposefully in the project. One of the Rijeka City Library\u2019s strategic goals is to create a “green”, sustainable library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the second day of the visit, colleagues from Croatia were pleasantly surprised and impressed by the creative eco educational activities of the Panev\u0117\u017eys County Library, the active and inclusive activities of the Open Space for Youth, and the special mission of the library taking care of the Juozas Miltinis\u2019 Heritage Study Center. The guests got interested in the abundance and variety of the library\u2019s e-services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Librarians of Rijeka were told about the services and projects of Panev\u0117\u017eys region public libraries. Presentations were given by managers and specialists of Anyk\u0161\u010diai L. and S. Did\u017eiuliai, Panev\u0117\u017eys E. Mezginait\u0117, Kupi\u0161kis and Mol\u0117tai District Municipal libraries. The activities of the Association of Lithuanian Municipal Public Libraries were presented by the President of this association Danguol\u0117 Abazoriuvien\u0117.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the third day of the visit, colleagues from Croatia were also introduced to the activities of the Gabriel\u0117 Petkevi\u010dait\u0117-Bit\u0117 Public Library\u2019s clubs. The guests were especially interested in the activities of the Bit\u0117 Book Club, presented in detail by its moderator J\u016brat\u0117 Baltu\u0161nikien\u0117. Rijeka librarians were introduced to the activities of the Mums’ Club, the Seniors’ Club and the Youth Book Club. Croatian colleagues participated in a virtual meeting of the English Conversations Club Let\u2019s Talk, where the club members told about their activities and easily involved guests from Croatia in a live chat about their favorite leisure activities. On the fourth day of the visit, colleagues from Croatia were introduced to the project \u201cResponsible Reader\u201d, which had just started on the 1st<\/sup> of April. In this project Gabriel\u0117 Petkevi\u010dait\u0117-Bit\u0117 Public Library has been participating since 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impressions of participants and further plans for cooperation<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the closing session, the Croatian librarians and the Panev\u0117\u017eys County Library\u2019s staff members discussed the benefits of a job-shadowing visit. The participants of the visit emphasized that the only disappointing thing was that they could not come to Lithuania and see the whole wide range of activities of the Gabriel\u0117 Petkvi\u010dait\u0117-Bit\u0117 Public Library and other public libraries in the Panev\u0117\u017eys region and Lithuania on-site. Rijeka librarians thanked for the rich program, interesting topics and great experience. Donatella was impressed by the fact that the library masterly brings together the community. According to her, this is the main goal of a modern library. The participant of the visit mentioned that first of all she would like to implement the ideas of the English Conversations Club, the Mums\u2019 Club and the idea of the project \u201cResponsible Reader\u201d in her library. Andreja was interested in the successfully implemented infrastructural projects of Lithuanian libraries, modern environment and cozy and warm atmosphere in library spaces. Andreja came up with many useful ideas for the emerging youth space in the Rijeka City Library. “We will definitely apply many of the ideas observed during the visit, modifying them according to our situation,” said Emili, the participant of the visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The benefits of the visit for both collaborating libraries were perfectly summed up by Tanja: she said that she and her colleagues were extremely interested to see our perspective, our approach, the ways in which we build our library. \u201cI liked seeing openness in your library the most. It is amazing that so many people in your library do such a great job and all of this helps you become a valued, active member of the community.\u201d Looking at the further perspective of cooperation between Gabriel\u0117 Petkevi\u010dait\u0117-Bit\u0117 Public Library and Rijeka City Library, it was decided to look for particular funds to support joint cultural activities (giving priority to youth projects). Rijeka City Library was invited to participate in regional cultural heritage research conferences organized by Gabriel\u0117 Petkevi\u010dait\u0117-Bit\u0117 Public Library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2018, the visit of our library staff to the Rijeka City Library greatly impressed its participants, both in terms of professional development and warm communication with our Croatian colleagues. It is gratifying that, relying on the feedback from Rijeka librarians, our library team managed to organize an enriching professional visit for their colleagues. \u201cWe inspired each other. This is the most important aspect of our cooperation,\u201d said Tanja, a participant of the visit, on behalf of herself and her colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n