Introduction

Firstly, we would like to thank the organisers for the opportunity to share Croatian experience with our colleagues from Alpe-Adria region in regard to "reorganisation of services in public libraries" and what has been happening lately in public libraries' premises in sense of both, the content and the form.
Secondly, we would like to express acknowledgements to our Croatian colleagues who helped us gathering all the information and photographs of their libraries for the exhibition and data for our presentation:
Ivan Pehar and Mladen Masar from Zadar, Zadar City Library
Dijana Sabolović-Krajina from Koprivnica, "Fran Galović" Public Library
Iličić Marinko from Bjelovar, "Petar Preradović" Public Library
Milivoj Zelić from Šibenik, Juraj Šižgorić City Library
Nela Načinovć from Pula, Pula City Library and Reading Room

Before we come to the core of our presentation, perhaps we should explain how come, that we are here to present you the review of the situation in Croatia, when there are colleagues more qualified due to their successful and interesting realisations in reorganizing library services.
Due to our City government that hasn't solved our dramatically inappropriate space conditions for the central library; we had the longest period available to complete the exemplary Library Programme for the Building Project. The promised new library building should be located in the city centre of Rijeka and be the first library building in Croatia intended to be built as library from the foundations.
Unfortunately though, the location of the new Rijeka City Library is still dubious; naturally, because of all but library reasons. We are still struggling for the adequate library premises in regard to adequate space size, in regard to the appropriate library equipment and in regard to a good quality location of the building.
This explains how we chose the title of our presentation.

Review of Croatian public library examples

In our presentation, we would like to emphasize some common remarks specific for our country. Croatian librarianship has support of complete infrastructure of legislative: documents, laws, standards and regulations. Though, in realisation of the legislative librarians often bump on a list of obstacles. The founders of public libraries are cities and municipalities, in other words the local government. Accordingly, the initiatives on space, locations and library buildings are expected to originate form local authorities. Finally, construction or reconstruction is usually a matched budget between the Ministry of Culture and the local authority (50 %: 50 % share).
A common aim in reconstructing, adapting or building a new library building is to provide that libraries function in harmony with the completely changed concept of a library role (in contrast to the role some twenty years ago when libraries were mostly formed or moved in actual locations).

In each case, there are several objectives to be fulfilled:
- Insure larger space and better conditions for users (main function of the library: lending books and use of traditional library materials)
- Insure additional or new space, conditions (for instance installations) and the equipment for use of the new media - for users and library staff
- Insure adequate or new space for existing collections (especially domicile collection) and insure enough space for future enlargement and forming of new collections in the future
- Insure new additional space for storage and protection of library materials (especially of books, periodicals, and non-book materials)
- Insure additional new space for library staff (increase in librarians employed)
- Insure better facilities for organising cultural and animating activities
- Insure qualitative protection of library stock

The new services that are introduced in libraries include service of self-education (for instance learning languages, on-line education), services for the disabled (collections for visually disabled, physical obstacles removed for the physically disabled...), access to the Internet for users, electronic materials (CD-ROMs, on-line databases...), computers for word processing, business information, community information etc.
The need for inducing new services and programs and increasing requirements of library users dictate the amount, content and way of realizing building or renovation plans.
Public libraries have continued to function as cultural centres, but they have become information centres that provide access to knowledge sources, information and cultural contents, satisfy need for educational, scientific and professional work and lifelong learning as well as social inclusion of citizens with special needs.
Libraries that are still struggling for the appropriate space, improvise in given conditions by using their imagination and professional ability in order to insure quality library services and satisfy users needs (Pula - Multimedia Room, Rijeka - Department for self-education).

In order to be able to get an overall review in regard to library buildings in Croatia, we are going to group some Croatian examples in three basic groups. Firstly, we are going to present libraries in big cities, secondly libraries in county centres and thirdly, some smaller libraries in our county.

I. Today, the biggest cities in Croatia that used to be regional centres are in the same position as all the other 15 county centres.
- Zagreb - 779.145 inhabitants
- Split - 175.140 (188.694 with surroundings)
- Rijeka - 144.043
- Osijek - 90.411 (114.616 with surroundings)
In these cities it is the hardest struggle to solve library premises problems, particularly for the central libraries premises that should be positioned downtown as necessary logistic points for the city library net. As larger the town is, as more expensive it is to get the appropriate central location. Commercial interests often get in a way of imaginary common welfare.

Rijeka City Library example will be given in detail because it is paradigmatic and as working there we have lived it through. For a decade, to be more precise since 1994, Rijeka City Library has set its strategic goal: getting the appropriate location for the new building - new library premises.

Two parallel tactics were chosen:
- To be noticed by the results and professional achievements like for instance coordination of the international projects (PULMAN), continuing education of librarians, applying at national and international bids for support, recognition and awards at City and librarian community level
- To constantly push local authorities to finally come to a decision of building a new library building

We have done everything by the book. It should be the best way to go, but reality of transitional mentality is specific, unpredictable and definitely not by the book.
We have constantly been stirring the atmosphere by the help of the media and library community through various actions.

The actions that we took were agreed at brainstorming gatherings of librarians that work at Rijeka City Library. We produced leaflets, posters and a brochure. We announced them publicly with a clear message why the new library building is needed and what it means to public with reference to our users as well as potential users.
In several occasions the interviews were given to the newspapers and local TV stations and public has become aware of the problem. Citizens started raising their voices.
The Round Table was organized in the City Hall and participants were representatives of the local authorities (in urbanism and ecology, culture etc.), library professionals, library users, non-governmental organizations, entrepreneurs, parents, people with special needs and citizens of Rijeka. To our expectation and satisfaction, the result of the Round Table was promise made by the city authorities that location will have been decided by June 2002.
We organized one international brainstorming session when we invited professionals from Croatia and Slovenia that have knowledge and experience within the field of library buildings to help us recognize the trends and produce the qualitative Programme for the Building Project.

It seemed that decision was definite in July last year and we were quite happy with the chosen location, although sceptic because of river running under the site and garage that should be built under the new library building.
Unfortunately, it is still not a sure fact that this is a firm decision because the authorities have changed their minds since then couple of times. What we have for sure is only our Program for the New Library Building Project, in a new, a bit "beautified" edition.
The key words in the concept of our new library are VISIBLE, USEFUL, FEXIBLE, FORMAN and INFORMAL, EXCITING, MOTIVATIONAL, INNOVATIVE, FREE, OPEN, ACCESIBLE, ATTRACTIVE. It should be the meeting place, information-communication junction, where different people can meet other ideas, experiences or people. Individuals, groups, debate groups, non-government organizations and families could meet there and enjoy the inspirational environment, practice new technologies, lifelong learning and spend quality leisure activities. Interior and exterior design should be significant and authentic; showing cultural, historical, Mediterranean' features of the City of Rijeka; attracting users and inciting intellectual and other openness.
The new library building should rehabilitate the meaning of public in contrast to aggressive pseudo public.

The concept of the program for the new library building expresses some major organizational changes:
- Significantly stronger technological support than the existing one, especially larger number of user workstations in open library space
- Program and meeting spaces (rooms) intended for some particular users groups and particular services (like program rooms for the children, for the young, for film and music listening) together with multi-cultural corner and multimedia room that will enable Library to became true community centre
- Department for adults will be significantly changed
--- Collections will be organized in two main entities: Fiction and Non-fiction
--- Number of seats for users will be enlarged greatly (for studying and browsing)
--- Reference collection, non-fiction collection and periodicals will be gathered according to thematic and content entity (subject orientated collections)
--- Shelves for the library materials in the Non-fiction Department should be of a mixed type (books, periodicals, CD-ROMs...)
- New Departments would be formed offering some new services
--- Department for the Young (separately form Children's Department)
--- Music and Film Department (new collection and service)
--- Electronic Room - education, self-education, access to the Internet (20 workstations)

Our building programme specifies how much space of what kinds and in what juxtapositions Library needs.
- Rijeka City Library Building Programme consists of the following elements:
--- Choice of site
--- Mission and objectives of Library
--- Review of the Rijeka City Library today and existing facilities
--- Service population and their needs as basis for library long range plan
--- Space calculations
- Service population growth
- Public electronic workstation space and automation needs
- Projecting collection space
- User sitting space
- Staff work area space
- Meeting room space
- Special use space
- Non assignable space
--- Building tasks
- Architecture and construction
- Installations
- Protection
- Basic Library Interior Design
- Signage
- Surroundings

II. County centres examples include: Zadar, Koprivnica, Bjelovar, Pula, Šibenik, Dubrovnik, Karlovac, Sisak, Varaždin, Bjelovar, Slavonski Brod, Požega, Vukovar, Gospić...
Among these head county libraries we can find the most recent examples of reconstructed and reorganised libraries. Some of them you have probably seen in the Exhibition. Public libraries in Vukovar, Slavonski Brod, Vinkovci were damaged during the last war and immediately after war actions they were reconstructed and renovated. Šibenik and Zadar got the former army military premises to move their libraries in. Pula got old publishing manufacture premises for the library.
Zadar City Library is an exceptional case. Therefore we shall present it as the exemplary Centre of Excellence in Croatia and wider. Today, it is a model of librarianship in Mediterranean that other libraries would like to follow. Before 90's, Zadar City Library was not significant or special from other public libraries. During the last war actions it was directly hit and destructed by bomb shelling. Therefore, it was given a new location, out of old city walls (Zadar is founded as Roman colony, situated on a peninsula), but with good transport communication not so far away. Actually, this circumstance significantly increased the edge of the city centre. Not only in Croatian measures, Zadar City Library is special because the building is not overloaded with determined construction elements, it has a great communication flow, enriched surroundings with planned horticulture, summer stage, atrium, many parking lots etc. See the ZCL presentation at http://www.gkzd.hr/. We would underline that it has a very rich music collection, great number of computer workstations, creative children's premises, well equipped multimedia hall which is a centre of versatile happenings. As far as we know, it is the only Croatian library that has toilets for the handicapped. What distinguishes ZCL as well is the web portal and organized recent information that can be found there (Mriža). Librarians of ZCL really have succeeded in their goal that library has become a real Community Centre.
III. Smaller city and municipality libraries will be shown on examples from Primorsko-goranska County that we are best familiar with.
Since the new Library Law is in act, the changes have been occurring even in small municipalities. Because of the legislative local authorities are changing their attitudes towards libraries, and librarians are slowly learning how to be successful in achieving the set goals. Libraries are given larger premises; they are being renovated, refurnished and equipped with information-communication technology. Fresh examples in our county are libraries in Viškovo and Bribir, where local authorities have shown their willing to collaborate with county head librarians and provide for the research of their community citizens' needs.

Conclusion

Library space facilities nowadays are not getting smaller due to the digital revolution. On the contrary, new libraries are being built and older ones are being renovated all over the world and ever greater. Libraries are constantly under demand to answer the challenge of change in technology development on one hand and to continue providing traditional service on the other.
At the beginning, the digital revolution seemed to promise less space requirements for library buildings than traditional services and step by step decrease traditional library materials. Obviously, that has not happened. Moreover, the paper format collections are ever expanding as well as the space intended for computer workstations, network servers, scanning equipment, and all other user driven technologies required to provide access to digital information. There is no doubt that it is really necessary that the digital and traditional resources coexist in libraries.
Information-communication architects (electro-technical engineers, software programmers, net administrators) perhaps are almost as much important as construction architects when planning a library building.
Development of information and communication technology definitely did not result with less need for the library space. The social role of library is growing and libraries have not become redundant.
Basically, library space planning depends on a triangle of relations among decision makers, librarians and library users. Library users have their needs and requirements that can be expressed in communication to librarians, surveys that are made in a library, through newspapers and magazine letters of readers, organized petitions etc. Librarians have to recognize their users' needs, articulate questionnaires in order to make appropriate analysis; express users' needs to local government i.e. decision makers. It is a great responsibility that decision makers have to consider library premises seriously because, in a long run, a good library service might result with the prosperity of the local community in many different ways.

But no matter how many obstacles found in a way, it is still up to us, librarians, to articulate users needs appropriately and, above all, reach the decision makers and convince them that appropriate library buildings are a worthwhile cause.
Arguments why local authorities need appropriate library are following:
- because it is an image of democracy of the local community,
- it promotes local authority and its results
- it enables successful and efficient achievement of local authority aims
- it promotes and enables literacy
- it satisfies social needs of community members and groups (informational, research, educational, cultural, social, economical, leisure)
- it encourages IC technologies and electronic publishing
- it is efficient saving of time, money, psychological and physical efforts for individuals and groups
- it is rational access to domicile history
- economic protection of materials in a long run
- wide access and choice to information
- better searching tools and systems
- copyright issues

In Croatia, we have not experienced the so called 'silent revolution' like it occurred in Portugal, but things are moving forward. There have been many reconstructions and renovations of libraries and more are expected, even completely new library buildings. By strengthening the economical power and library professional community as well as successful transition in minds of decision makers, we believe in prospective future for public library users, hopefully through some international bid for the library building project.