Citizen Science Library Project for a Sustainable Future in Balkan Countries

Abstract

Citizen-Enhanced Open Science in Southeastern Europe Higher Education Knowledge Hubs, broadly known as CeOS_SE, is an on-going project (2022-2025) funded by the EU Erasmus+ Pro¬gram. This project strives to raise awareness about Citizen Science (CS), mainstream practices in Southeastern European (SE) countries, monitor performance and processes in CS implementation, document and publicly share best practices in a FAIR way and engage non-expert groups. It also empowers academic libraries in SE countries to develop further as knowledge hubs by ups-killing staff in the area of building connections between OS and CS, transfer knowledge and promotion of good CeOS practices. In accordance with these objectives, CeOS_SE engages Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Cyprus and Serbia in the partnership. University Library Belgrade (UNILIB), as one of the 8 full-fledged partners, aims to assist the convergence among countries of this region, by networking with associated partners from Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzego¬vina and Republic of North Macedonia. Based on the conducted survey of academic librarians in the Balkans, UNILIB mapped the OS and CS landscape in terms of knowledge level, practices, and policies, as well as engagement with actors external to the HEIs. As a result, the Roadmap on CeOS in the Balkans was created.