While thousands of European libraries close, Croatia is moving in the opposite direction

Rab library 

ZAGREB, 24 July (Hina) – A new report by the European Union’s Open Method of Coordination (OMC) expert group has recognised the success of Croatia’s cultural policy in promoting reading literacy, libraries and access to culture, the Ministry of Culture and Media said on Thursday.

The examples of best European library practices cited in the report include the nationwide Month of the Croatian Book programme, the Dalmatina Library, a specialised department of the Marko Marulić City Library in Split, and the national “I Want to Read, Too!” campaign, which promotes the right to read for people with reading difficulties and dyslexia.

While around 3,000 libraries have closed across Europe since 2012, Croatia is one of only four countries, alongside France, Portugal and Slovenia, to have increased its total number of libraries during the same period, according to the report.

The report notes that libraries today act as centres for knowledge-sharing, laboratories for creation and innovation, sanctuaries and information and communication hubs for their communities.

In this context, the EU has identified successful national and regional initiatives that connect local communities, cultural development and sustainable societies. The Ministry of Culture and Media plays a strategic and driving role in the long-term development and stability of such cultural policies at the national level, the ministry said in a statement.

The Month of the Croatian Book, organised by Zagreb City Libraries, was praised as a model for promoting reading culture and literacy. In the context of European efforts to improve access to culture and promote a rich and diverse cultural ecosystem, The Dalmatina Library was recognised for preserving the literary and musical heritage of Ljubo Stipišić Delmata and Jakša Fiamengo, while “I Want to Read, Too!”, led by the Croatian Library Association, was cited as an outstanding example of fostering social inclusion.

The Ministry also highlighted major government investment in library infrastructure over the past decade, funded through national and EU sources. Through the Efficient Human Resources programme and two Reading to an Inclusive Society calls, it has financed 30 mobile libraries and two library vans, as well as projects supporting reading and literacy among vulnerable groups.

The report was prepared with contributions from Croatian OMC members Ivona Despot of the Ministry of Culture and Media and Dorja Mučnjak of the National and University Library in Zagreb.