The Library and the Documentation Center is a specialized library of a semi-closed type, which systematically collects (by way of purchase, exchange or donations), professionally processes, stores and lends the library materials for use and provides information necessary for doing and advancing scientific-research work in the process of designating properties as national monuments.

The main task of the library is to ensure the availability of all kinds of information (scientific, professional, educational and alike) in any form required (printed materials: books, magazines, audio/video materials, multimedia, electronic materials and alike).

The library is primarily intended for the associates of the Ministry, and is also available to other users under special conditions and on request: graduates, postgraduates, PhD students and heritage experts.

The book fund has 2, 500 titles in the field of architecture, history, art, archeology, civil engineering, art-history, information technology, management in heritage, ethnology, legal protection and librarianship, etc. The special part of the fund is documentary-graphic materials: technical documentation (design projects), photographs, hemeroteca/press clipping, posters, geodetic and topographic maps and petty materials. This part of the fund has about 15, 000 units.

Since the establishment of the library in 2003, the book fund growth has been helped by book donations from the ICCROM Library, Historical Archive of Sarajevo, Islamic Conference Research Center (IRICICA), Global Librarian Project, the British Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Archeological Institute of America, the Museum of Herzegovina Mostar, the Musem of Semberija Bijeljina, the Bosnian Institute, the Foundation of Adil Zulfikarpašić and the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Apart from donations, the library has been helped to develop its fund by exchanging editions with related institutions such as: the Oriental Institute Sarajevo, Historical Archive of Sarajevo, the Archeological Museum of Split, the Ministry of Culture of Croatia, the Republic Institute for the Protection of Monuments Belgrade, the National Museum Belgrade, the Institute for Archeology Slovenia and alike.

The special collection of the library fund is a theme collection Monument File, which keeps a complete documentation on the designated national monuments. A special service that the library offers on request to an external user is a digital collection of the documentation on national monuments. The users of the library have access to the internet and professional data bases all the time.

Since 2008, the library has been actively involved in publishing a professional magazine “Heritage”, licensed by the scientific bases EPSCHO and CEEOL. Following the modern technological advances in compiling digital collections, since 2006, the library has been intensively working on the digitalization of the materials from the funds.

The digital library fund – Heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina has about 5, 000 digital contents (texts of decisions, photographs, presentations, project documentation, maps, posters, e-books and newspaper articles)

Mission

The library ensures for the Ministry associates access to the library funds, information and all the contents necessary for professional work in the process of designating a property as a national monument. In addition, the scientific community has the library at its disposal. The main mission of the library is to enhance an interdisciplinary approach to studying heritage by means of the funds and professional-scientific data base.  

Vision

Act in such a way that the Library is recognized at local, regional and international level as one of the leading specialized libraries in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which offers information and documentation on national monuments to the professional-scientific public. The basic goal of the Library is to raise awareness about the importance of studying and preserving heritage, which is of special importance for the development of a society in general.

Services

o   use of the reading room;

o   borrowing the library materials for use;

o   on-line catalogues access;

o   e-mail reference service;

o   copying services;

o   on-line browsing of the library funds and available bases;

o   preparing the documentation from the Monument File collection;

o   innovations bulletin.

Values

o   users' satisfaction with services;

o   affirmation of the monument collection – as a unique homeland collection on national monuments;

o   diversity of the library materials and programs;

o   quality of services;

o   availability of large numbers of digital contents;

o   partnerships at local and international level with related institutions;

o   promoting the importance of spreading the knowledge on heritage;

Tasks

The main task is related to an interdisciplinary approach to studying heritage because of the importance of heritage in the cultural, historical and social aspect of society:

o   develop information services as a democratic right of each individual;

o   raise awareness about the importance of homeland heritage;

o   develop a dialogue between cultures and entertain cultural diversity;

o   create and enhance the habit of academic community on the importance of studying heritage;

o   promote the importance of life-time learning in the context of preserving heritage of one country;

o   easy access to information and contents of the library funds;

Activities

The activities taken by the Library in accomplishing these tasks are:

o   enhancing the professional library fund;

o   shaping the collections to suit the needs of the Ministry;

o   developing modern library services and ensuring better accessibility to the information on the internet;

o   developing a data base on heritage;

o   digitalizing the materials and compiling digital collections;

o   providing digital catalogues;

o   ensuring easy access to the fund for users;

o   providing information about publishing activities;

o   developing services for the needs of professional and scientific public;

o   developing programs and projects to encourage spreading the knowledge on heritage;

o   popularizing relevant sources of heritage knowledge;

o   assessing the library services with a view to providing a continual assessment of how informed about the offered services the users are and how satisfied with their quality they are;

o   developing and broadening the professional network with the institutions which keep the materials on heritage;

o   continual education of librarians and users.

Working hours

The working hours of the Library is in tune with the working hours of the Ministry.

The working hours for external users of the Library are from 9.00 to 12.00.

The Library is managed by

Almedina Salihagić, degree in comparative literature and library science, B.A.

E-mail: almedina.salihagic@kons.gov.ba

Tel.: +387 33 / 276-795

Associate

Mak Bećirbašić, degree in sociology, B.A.

E-mail:  mak.becirbasic@kons.gov.ba

Tel.: +387 33 / 276-771