Whilst much global research takes place in universities, many researchers in the sciences and humanities do not work within these institutions. Some citizen researchers run their own companies or provide independent consultancy, having left their roles in universities through a conflict of values, where they experienced hostile, hierarchical, or restrictive practices. In a world where many postdigital and biodigital challenges do not sit neatly under one discipline or sector, collaboration with community experts to research potential solutions is crucial, as demonstrated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Universities count knowledge exchange partnerships as a key part of their activities, linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, yet a closer look at how this works in practice reveals different forms of ‘lockdowns’ that prevent equitable research collaborations. In this collective article, we offer a postdigital perspective on citizen science and humanities research from the ground. This includes a provocation to knowledge-producing institutions via recommendations that emerged from our collective citizen researcher workshop held in Zagreb in Spring 2024. There is now a pressing need to review institutional policies and practices around citizen research, towards more inclusive knowledge exchange partnerships, if we are to collaborate successfully to address many global challenges.

Participating in collaborative scientific research through citizen science, a component of open science, holds significance for both citizen scientists and professional researchers. Yet, the advantages for those orchestrating citizen science initiatives are often overlooked. Organizers encompass a diverse range, including governmental entities, non-governmental organizations, corporations, universities, and institutions like libraries. For libraries, citizen science holds importance by fostering heightened civic and research interests, promoting scientific publishing, and contributing to overall scientific progress. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the specific ways in which citizen science can benefit libraries and how libraries can effectively utilize citizen science to achieve their goals. The paper is based on a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles that discuss the direct benefits of citizen science on libraries. A list of the main benefits of citizen science for libraries has been compiled from the literature. Additionally, the reasons why it is crucial for libraries to communicate the benefits of citizen science for their operations have been highlighted, particularly in terms of encouraging other libraries to actively engage in citizen science projects.

Citizen science has many definitions but it is commonly known as collaboration between professional scientists and the rest of society. Although there have been cases of its implementation in the past, the term became globally known in 2012. Citizen science activities cover a wide range of academic disciplines and vary widely in what is required of the activity participants in terms of knowledge, time commitment, travel, and the use of technology). For the past ten years, libraries have often introduced citizen science in order to encourage greater interaction between science and society as a form of their services or specially organized activities. The types of libraries that often conduct citizen science are academic, public, and research libraries. Each of these library types has a specific user population; academic libraries have students and scientific and teaching staff; public libraries have the local community; and research libraries have researchers. However, libraries usually carry out CS activities separately, and very rarely in cooperation with other types of libraries. Some collaboration challenges are related to its complexity, the uncertainty regarding research cocreation, and participant retention strategies. Such cooperation is one of the aspects explored by the LIBER project CeOS_SE Project—Citizen-Enhanced Open Science in Southeastern Europe Higher Education Knowledge Hubs. The main goal of the project is to raise awareness of mainstream Open Science and CS practices in Southeastern (SE) Europe. As a project partner, the National and University Library in Zagreb, in cooperation with the University Library of Southern Denmark, conducted a survey that included other European countries in addition to SE Europe to examine and collect good practices of civil engagement in university libraries.

Cilj: Ovim se radom nastoji definirati koncept građanske znanosti u kontekstu otvorene znanosti, ukazati na mogućnosti organizacije projekata građanske znanosti u knjižnicama i na primjere dobre prakse provođenja projekata građanske znanosti u raznim tipovima knjižnica. Pristup: U prvom dijelu rada opisuje se uloga građanske znanosti kao jednog od stupova otvorene znanosti uz potporu objavljenih programa i publikacija raznih svjetskih organizacija. Drugi dio rada usmjeren je na knjižnice kao potencijalne organizatore projekata građanske znanosti, a istaknuti su prijedlozi koji knjižnice mogu detaljno voditi kroz proces organizacije. Izdvojeni su načini regrutacije sudionika građanske znanosti: građana znanstvenika i profesionalnih znanstvenika. Praktična primjena: Rad može potaknuti provođenje projekata građanske znanosti u svim vrstama knjižnica u Hrvatskoj s obzirom na to da pruža jasne i pregledne smjernice, savjete i primjere prakse. Originalnost: Originalnost ovoga rada je u tome što na temelju najrecentnije literature hrvatskoj stručnoj i znanstvenoj zajednici donosi sveobuhvatni prikaz građanske znanosti s aspekta knjižničarstva.

This study explores the significance of librarian education on implementing citizen science initiatives in their own operations. The first part of the study is dedicated to reviewing global practices in certified librarian education on citizen science, highlighting the growing recognition of its importance within library education and practice. Drawing on examples from various countries, it emphasizes the importance of continuous education and training for librarians to effectively support citizen science initiatives within their communities. The second and central part of the study explores the experiences and insights gathered from a certified webinar titled Citizen Science in Libraries, organized by the Training Centre for Continuing Education of Librarians in Croatia (CSSU) from the National and University Library in Zagreb (NUL). A research study was conducted among the webinar participants to investigate their opinions regarding the content and effectiveness of the webinar and their attitudes towards the implementation of citizen science in libraries. A survey was conducted using an online questionnaire with the participation of 332 webinar attendees, which represents 69.31% of the total number of participants. The main conclusions highlight the positive attitudes of librarians towards the webinar and potential strategies for enhancing library participation in citizen science. The importance of continuous education and collaboration is emphasized to maximize the potential of libraries in promoting citizen science and raising awareness of its importance in the community. The findings can serve as an incentive for other libraries to implement similar educational programs and encourage librarians to participate in such initiatives. Additionally, the proposed research model can be valuable for libraries already conducting educational activities, as they can translate and incorporate it as an integral part of their program.

Cilj: Cilj istraživanja bio je dobiti uvid u dinamiku radnog okoliša djelatnika knjižnica s aspekta održivog razvoja te naglasiti potrebu za unaprjeđenjem njihovog radnog iskustva i osobnog blagostanja. Metodologija: Pregledni dio svjetskih i hrvatskih istraživanja izrađen je metodom sadržajne analize dostupne literature. Za središnji dio rada korištena je metoda ankete koja je provedena pomoću mrežnog anketnog upitnika. Uzorak istraživanja obuhvaća sve vrste hrvatskih knjižnica. Rezultati: Rezultati istraživanja pružaju uvide u održive navike zaposlenika hrvatskih knjižnica. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 400 ispitanika, a analiza otkriva da postoji svijest o održivosti među zaposlenicima knjižnica. Unatoč tome primjećuje se neujednačenost u implementaciji održivih praksi. Većina knjižnica pokazuje svijest o potrebi za očuvanjem okoliša, pri čemu su pojedini elementi zelene inicijative, poput razvrstavanja otpada, integrirani u njihovo poslovanje. Iako postoji interes za razvojem održivih knjižničnih usluga i uvrštavanjem ekoloških događanja u programe, istraživanje ukazuje na potrebu za dodatnom edukacijom knjižničara o konceptu zelene knjižnice. Također, utvrđene su prepreke koje u prvom redu uključuju nedostatak resursa i infrastrukture, što ukazuje na potrebu za podrškom i poboljšanjima kako bi se unaprijedila održivost u radnom okruženju knjižnica. Originalnost/vrijednost. Istraživanje o održivim navikama djelatnika knjižnica postavljeno je na nacionalnoj razini, a njegovi su rezultati upotrebljivi u razvoju i poticanju održivih navika djelatnika u svim hrvatskim knjižnicama. Predloženi model ispitivanja također može biti koristan knjižnicama za istraživanja o održivim navikama djelatnika na uzorku pojedine knjižnice.