Foreword by the Editor-in-Chief

Abstract

Dear readers of journal Bosniaca,

It is our privilege and pleasure to present the new, 28th issue of the journal of the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosniaca, which, based on scientific and professional foundations and postulates, following contemporary intellectual and scientific trends and standards, continuously promotes information and library activity, which directly shapes and improves library conditions and awareness, especially within the BH and regional community.

We open the new issue with joyful news, as well as with encouragement and recognition for successful work and contribution to the scientific community. Starting with this issue, Bosniaca is indexed in the Scopus, multidisciplinary abstracts and citations database. Scopus is a large, worldwide bibliographic and bibliometric database and is among the most recognized indexing databases in the world. If the measure of a journal's scientific value is its indexing in large databases, then Bosniaca is certainly a journal of high scientific standards, as evidenced by its indexing, in addition to the aforementioned Scopus, in the databases Web of Science, ROAD, DOAJ, EBSCO, etc.

The original and initial idea of starting the journal Bosniaca was born as a reaction to the burning of the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 25/26 of August 1992. The need to explain to the academic, professional and wider community, with scientifically based arguments, the social repercussions of the destruction of an institution of state, cultural and national importance, then the burning of a immense and extremely valuable fund and written treasure, and, consequently, the weakening of a vast part of the library and heritage activities, led to the creation and profiling of the journal Bosniaca, which will eventually establish itself, in accordance with scientific imperatives and standards, but also the cultural and educational context of Bosnia and Herzegovina, into an information and library journal, which, in addition, as a journal of an institution of national character, a special attention pays to documentary heritage and heritage topics. Combining library and heritage issues, and tending and affirming an interdisciplinary approach, Bosniaca represents a unique phenomenon within the BH and regional scientific community.

The journal Bosniaca publishes theoretically and scientifically based original, review and professional articles primarily from the library and information field, but also from heritology and information and communication science, as well as reviews of scientific and professional monographic publications from the aforementioned fields.

In the new issue of the journal Bosniaca you will find twelve articles divided into three thematic blocks, and five reviews of monographic publications.

In accordance with the primary scientific orientation of the Journal, the first thematic block is called “Library-information system”, where are published articles closely related to information and library activity. This thematic block brings three professional papers. The first paper within this block is entitled “Libraries between censorship and information rights: impact on library practice in the segment of library material acquisition and creation of funds” and examines the problem of censorship in certain aspects of library operations such as the creation of funds, procurement policy and work with users. The second paper „Authority data in the COBISS system and why is its importance increasing” talks about the importance of authority control and data, as well as their implementation on the example of the COBISS system. The third paper “Subject analysis of component parts of serials and books in the National library of Serbia” talks about creating a bibliography of the component parts of serial and monographic publications in the National Library of Serbia.

The second part, in accordance with the nature and role of the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the founder and publisher of the Journal, it is entitled “Documentary Heritage” and, as a rule, it contains articles on documentary written cultural history and heritage, as well as articles on the library as a heritage institution of general cultural significance. This thematic block brings four papers, two review and two professional papers. The first paper within this block is entitled “Metamorphosis of the book” and represents the development of the book from its origin to the emersion of immaterial and intangible forms of the book. The second paper “History of book and reading: a new transdisciplinary field of scientific research” gives an overview of the emersion and development of the history of reading as a special approach to the text, where it is shown how the way of reading or the approach to reading or the reception depend on the socio-historical context. The third paper “Literary critical understanding of Šantić's ‘mythical’ fame with a contribution to the review of the Archive collection of Aleksa Šantić in the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina” gives a literary-critical review of the evaluation of Šantić's poetry with an attempt to critically assess the disproportion between Šantić's fame and the artistic reach of his poetry, and, in the second part of the paper, an overview of the Archive of Alekse Šantić, which keeps the National and University Library of B&H. The fourth paper “Conservation-restoration treatment of oriental manuscripts aṭ-Ṭāriqa al-Muḥammadiyya” presents the conservation-restoration process carried out on the manuscript in the Turkish language, aṭ-Ṭāriqa al-Muḥammadiyya, which is located in the library of the Mesudija tekke in Kaćuni (B&H).

The third thematic block titled “Information and Services in the New Technological Environment”, as a rule, it contains papers that understand the library and information activity as a service activity dominantly from the perspective of technological development and implementation of new technologies as an imperative of the modern technocratic age. This thematic block brings the largest number of papers, a total of five, of which three are review papers and two professional papers. The first paper within this block is entitled “The role of metadata in the presentation of türbe in digital environment” and talks about the possibilities of using metadata in the presentation of türbes as specific objects of cultural heritage, and the application of the Omeka Classic platform for publishing such content. The second paper “Monuments of the University of Zagreb in a digital environment” presents the historical sequence of publication of the monuments of the University of Zagreb from 1875 to 2019, analyzing their content and significance for history, culture and science, pointing out the advantage of the digital environment in the presentation of materials. The third paper “The Role of Academic Librarians in Providing Assistance to Postgraduate Students in the Information-Seeking Process” provides an overview of the role of higher education libraries in the doctoral research process, which can be a mutually beneficial process for both doctoral students and libraries in terms of work, organization and offering services. The fourth paper “Zagreb Library Association social media Editorial Board” provides an overview of the work of the Social media Editorial Board of the Zagreb Library Association, analyzing its contribution, functionality, advantages, and disadvantages. The fifth paper “The role of the University of Rijeka Library in the promotion of open science” talks about the importance of open science for the socio-scientific environment and the role of the Rijeka University Library in the promotion of open science, giving an overview of the entire activities of this institution in realizing the mentioned concept.

As in the previous issue, and in the new issue, at the end, we present reviews of recent monographic publications that are thematically interesting and complementary to the interests of the Journal. In this issue, we present the authors' reviews of five books: Poljičke isprave II. Iz Zbirke Aleksandra Poljanića (Poljica Documents II. From the Collection of Aleksandar Poljanić) edited by Mehmed Kardaš, O stanovnicima biblioteke: šta, zašto i kako čitati (About Library Residents: What, Why and How to Read) edited by Đorđe Pisarev, A History of Ottoman Libraries by İsmail E. Erünsal, Bibliografski doprinos naučno-istraživačkom radu (Bibliographic Contribution to Scientific Research Work) edited by Narcisa Puljek-Bubrić and Javne politike kulture: Kulturna baština i kulturni turizam (Public Policies Of Culture: Cultural Heritage And Cultural Tourism) by Esad Delibašić and Mirza Džananović.

We hope that the new issue will respond to your intellectual demands and interests and enrich your knowledge and experience. We wish you a pleasant and useful reading.