Olivera Nastić was born in 1972 in Belgrade, where she graduated from the Philological High School. She graduated from the Faculty of Education in Sombor in 2013 with a degree in school librarianship, and in 2015 with a degree in librarian-informatics. She completed her Master’s degree in Librarian-Informatics in 2019 and is currently in her final year of Doctoral studies in librarianship at the same faculty.
She worked in the Art Documentation Department of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade from October 1998 to May 2017. She participated in the creation of a large number of biographies and bibliographies of artists in the catalogs of individual and group exhibitions, published by the Museum. Since May 2017, she has been employed at the Belgrade City Library as a subject analyst in the Department for Procurement and Processing of Publications.
She has been a member of the Serbian Museum Association and Serbian Library Association since 2007, and since the same year, she has been the president of the Section of Museum Librarians of the Serbian Museum Association. As president of the section during her twelve-year mandate, she organized several seminars and lectures in various areas of librarianship and informatics in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Subotica, Zlatibor, Kraljevo, Inđija and Zagreb. She actively participated in the work of several commissions and working groups, as well as in a large number of professional and scientific seminars and conferences. Member of the SLA Board for the term 2019-2023.
Active participant in various commissions and working groups of domestic associations: member of the commission for drafting Guidelines for Special Libraries, member of the Commission for Free Access to Information and Intellectual Freedom of SLA, and member of the working group for drafting the FOI Program Declaration, member of the commission for selecting the best librarian of SLA for several times, member of the Commission for drafting the SLA Statute, president of the Supervisory Board of the Serbian Museum Association in two mandates, member and reviewer of the National Body for Accreditation and Quality Control in Higher Education, etc.
As a grant winner, she participated in several international conferences with papers: “Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation” scholarship for participation in “Future Library 2013 un-conference” in Athens, Greece; “Getty Fondation” scholarship for participation in ARLIS+VRA/NA (Art Library Society of North, America) in Seattle, USA; “Samuel H. Kress Foundation for International Travel” scholarship for participation in the “47th Annual Conference of the Art Libraries” Society of North America in Salt Lake City, Utah” and “52nd Annual conference ARLIS/NA” in Pittsburgh; volunteering at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress. 83rd IFLA General Conference and Assembly”, Wrocław, Poland; IFLA World Library and Information Congress. 85th IFLA General Conference and Assembly, Athens, Greece; 88th IFLA General Conference and Assembly, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Thanks to participation in international conferences, she became a member of several international associations: “The Athens Institute for Education and Research” (ATINER), “The Open Access Funding Board in OA Journal De Gruyter Open”, ARLIS/NA (Art Libraries of North America), “IFLA Art Libraries Standing Committee” as a corresponding member and part of the project “Basecamp3” (2019-2021) and a permanent member of the “IFLA Art Libraries Standing Committee” for the term 2021-2024; Commission for standards in the field of information and documentary of the Institute for Standardization of Serbia, and others.
Published over 40 professional and scientific works in the field of librarianship and participated in a large number of conferences in the country and abroad.
Citizen science allows participants to directly contribute to research, increase their understanding of science, and learn about issues facing the entire community. However, a significant concern related to practising citizen science is the ability of amateur scientists, i.e., citizen science volunteers, to provide quality and accurate data. From a societal angle, it is essential to engage with societal actors in various formats that suit participants, evaluate two-way learning outcomes, and develop the transformative role of science communication. (3) Public libraries and their digital collections have an important role in fostering citizen science. By curating and providing access to verifiable sources of information public libraries empower citizens and non-academic researchers to collaborate on research projects, thereby democratising knowledge and promoting a culture of lifelong learning and scientific inquiry. (1)
We will present the history of the Digital Library of the Belgrade City Library (BCL) and its implications for citizen science. The first steps and plans for digitization were made in 2000, but it only started to be realised much later. BCL became a partner in the two-year project AccessIT (Accelerate the circulation of culture through exchange of skills in information technology), which was funded by the European Commission, from the “Culture 2007-2013” Program. The duration of the project was from May 1, 2009 to April 30, 2011. The project coordinator was MDR Partners from London, the partners were PSNC (Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center) from Poland, Hacettepe University from Ankara – Turkey, the Central Public Library from Veria – Greece and the Belgrade City Library.The project is designed to encourage intercultural dialogue, international connection and cooperation of cultural workers, as well as transnational presentation of cultural treasures. The result of the work on this project is the “dLibra digital library” (dLibra, 2016). (4) The Digital Library of the Belgrade City Library has been available to users since August 2012. The total number of views since the beginning of the Digital Library of the City of Belgrade was 3,274,389 or 163,927 views in 2012, that is, 449 views per day. (2)
However, due to the development of new technologies and the lack of space for storing digital objects, at the end of 2018, the Library’s management decided to switch to the new ResCarta platform (ResCarta, 2019) for the creation of the Digital Library. Therefore, from January of 2019, it moved to the new ResCarta platform. This professional software for creating and organising digital collections can be loaded on a stand-alone system or on a shared network. An unlimited number of users can share the tools or unlimited copies can be uploaded to the server Although relatively small in size (728 items), the Digital Library of the Belgrade City Library contains diverse materials, including digitised books, periodicals, geographical maps, and annual reports. (5) Most of the digitised material is associated with Belgrade’s history or library programs, making the collections highly relevant for those studying the history and culture of Belgrade and its surroundings. All researchers, including academic and non-academic researchers, as well as citizen scientists, can access collections and can get the support of the Beogradika Department if the required resources are not available in the digital library. Thanks to the increasing amount of digitised material, the materials are available to a considerably wider audience and potential researchers, helping them overcome the physical boundaries of the library space and any financial constraints limiting access to materials..
The Digital Library of the Belgrade City Library stands as a testament to the power of digitization in preserving cultural heritage and supporting research, including citizen science. Citizen science is a versatile concept, adaptable to a wide range of situations and disciplines. The Digital Library of the Belgrade City Library (BCL) provides a rich resource for non-academic researchers and citizen scientists to engage in meaningful research.
On the poster, a number of use cases where the Digital Library’s materials have been used in research conducted by non-academic researchers and citizen scientists will be presented. The Beogradika Department plays a pivotal role in collecting and curating materials related to Belgrade, ensuring that researchers have access to a comprehensive archive. This collection is particularly valuable for those who are not affiliated with academic institutions but are passionate about researching Belgrade’s past. These use cases demonstrate the flexibility and applicability of citizen science, showcasing how the Digital Library of the Belgrade City Library supports a diverse range of research endeavours. By providing access to curated resources, the library empowers non-academic researchers, journalists, and educators to contribute to the broader understanding of Belgrade’s history and culture. This structure will highlight the practical applications of the Digital Library in supporting citizen science and non-academic research.
The majority of researchers utilising the Digital Library of the Belgrade City Library (BCL) hail from cultural institutions. Although they employ scholarly research methodologies, their primary goal is to produce outputs for non-academic audiences. The presentation will focus on a number of use cases illustrating this kind of collaboration, including:
The collaboration between the Digital Library and cultural institutions exemplifies how scholarly research can be adapted to serve non-academic audiences. Through these use cases, the presentation will underscore the importance of such partnerships in making cultural heritage accessible and engaging for the wider public. The examples discussed illustrate the significant impact that well- curated digital archives, such as the Digital Library of the Belgrade City Library (BCL), can have in supporting citizen science. By making historical and cultural resources accessible to a broader audience, these archives empower non-academic researchers and foster public engagement with scholarly research. In addition to the examples covered in the presentation, further illustrations of this impact will be displayed on the poster. It will feature photographs and additional use cases, providing a visual and comprehensive overview of how the Digital Library’s resources are being utilised. These examples are just a glimpse into the broader potential of digital archives. As digitization efforts continue to expand, so too will the opportunities for collaboration between cultural institutions, researchers, and citizen scientists. The future holds even more possibilities for making history and culture accessible to all.
The Digital Library of the Belgrade City Library serves as a vital repository of the cultural heritage of Belgrade and its surroundings. Through its evolution across two different platforms and continuous upgrades, it has become an essential resource for researchers, educators, and the general public. This presentation will highlight the significant strides made by the Belgrade City Library in the field of digitization. From the early days of digitization efforts to the adoption of more advanced platforms, the Library has consistently prioritised the preservation and accessibility of its valuable materials.
