The University of Sarajevo Celebrated the National Library Awareness Day in Bosnia and Herzegovina The University of Sarajevo Celebrated the National Library Awareness Day in Bosnia and Herzegovina | Green Libraries

A green and sustainable library is a library that respects the environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainability (IFLA Green Library Guidelines, 2022)

On the occasion of the National Library Awareness Day in BiH, this year organized under the motto “Green Libraries,” the University of Sarajevo organized two events on Friday, 27 October: Plant a Tree and the "Libraries and Collectors" Round Table

The event “Plant a Tree” was held at the UNSA Faculty of Criminalistics, Criminology and Security Studies, where the attendees were greeted by Nadina Grebović-Lendo, University of Sarajevo Library Director, and Markus Kedziora, director of the Goethe Institute BiH’s Library.

This was followed by a lecture by Eva Hackenberg from the Goethe-Institut in Warsaw, who spoke on the topic “Green and sustainable libraries.” The lecture, organized by the Goethe-Institut Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Library of the University of Sarajevo, was intended for librarians of academic and public libraries, students of library science, but also for all those who are interested and who want to approach the topic of sustainability of public institutions.

Along with the lecture, a workshop was organized for elementary school students who, together with librarians, drew on the topic of nature and green libraries.

After the lecture and workshop, Simone Voigt, director of Goethe Institute BiH and Nadina Grebović-Lendo planted a tree and sent a message that nature is equally important for everyone and that we are all responsible for nature.

The round table “Libraries and Collectors” was held at the University of Sarajevo Rectorate. This event provided an insight into the richness and importance of books, exploring the relationship between books and their owners, as well as the contribution of collectors to bibliographic heritage. The gathering was greeted by Prof. Dr. Dušanka Bošković, UNSA Vice-Rector for Quality. The presenter and moderator of the round table was Prof. Dr. Senada Dizdar (Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo.

At the round table, their professional knowledge and experience through presentations was shared by Prof. Dr. Asim Zubčević (University of Sarajevo), Dr. Sci. Enes Kujundžić, M.Sci. Narcisa Puljek-Bubrić (Bosniak Institute - Adil Zulfikarpašić Foundation) and Ejla Ćurovac, MA (Gazi Husrev-beg Library).

Prof. Dr. Asim Zubčević spoke on the topic “Books and their owners according to the Sarajevo Kasam Defter: 1707 - 1828,” while Dr. Sci. Enes Kujundžić introduced the audience to the extraordinary contribution of book collector Osman Asaf Sokolović to the bibliography of Bosniaks, exploring the importance of private collections in the development of cultural heritage. Mr. Sci. Narcisa Puljek-Bubrić, in her presentation “From private collection to public good,” presented the path from private collections to public good, providing an insight into the process of transformation of private collections into cultural heritage. In her presentation “Valuable private collections in the holdings of the Gazi Husrev-bey library,” Ejla Ćurovac, MA, shared with the audience the knowledge about valuable private collections that have become part of the wealth of the Gazi Husrev-Bey Library, emphasizing the importance of preserving and sharing cultural treasures.

The round table “Libraries and Collectors” brought a deeper understanding of the role of libraries and collectors in the preservation of cultural heritage.

Celebrating the National Library Awareness Day in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the University of Sarajevo is realized as a continuation of activities from the ERASMUS+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) project – “Library Network Support Services (LNSS): Modernizing libraries in Western Balkan countries through staff development and reforming library services”.