Introduction

Bosnia and Herzegovina has 8 universities where 90% of research takes place, largely funded by government. The Electronic Information Consortium of Bosnia and Herzegovina (EICBIH) is a 64 member organisation representing the university, public, national, special and NGO libraries. It has a partnership with eIFL.

As of March 2021, there are 27 OA journals published in Bosnia and Herzegovina which are indexed in DOAJ. 02 OA digital institutional repositories are registered in OpenDOAR: (i) The Digital Repository of the University of Tuzla (PHAIDRA) and (ii) E-theses of the University of Tuzla (PHAIDRA). No OA policies registered in ROARMAP.

Enabling Environment

COBISS.Net, the cooperative systems of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Montenegro is the platform for the virtual library of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ViBBiH) with 41 participating libraries.

Key Organizations

Electronic Information Consortium of Bosnia and Herzegovina (EICBIH)

Overview:  A consortium of 73 libraries with EIFL membership, EICBIH aims to improve access to electronic and other information in libraries in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as sharing resources among members, through cooperative work of the consortium, is the welfare of all members and their beneficiaries. EICBIH offers access to global databases such as SCOPUS, Web of Science,ScienceDirect, Emerald and the EBSCO research database. Communication address: c/o National and University Library BiH, Zmaja od Bosne 8B, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosna i Hercegovina; e-mail: nubbih(at)nub.ba

ViBBiH (Virtual Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina) Centre

Overview: The Centre aims to plan and co-ordinate activities related to the computerised interconnection of libraries in BiH; provide COBISS software and manuals for shared cataloguing, local library functions and other services; manage the COBIB.SR shared bibliographic database and the COBISS.BH system; provide professional help to libraries with the acquisition, installation and maintenance of computer equipment; organise and carry out training for and offer professional help to libraries and other COBISS software and service users; provide and maintain common computer and communications capacities for the operation of the system and central service; help libraries with the data conversion and download from other systems; verify professional qualification for working in the shared cataloguing system. Communication address: ViBBiH Centre, Zmaja od Bosne 8B, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia i Hercegovina; e-mail: vibbihservis(at)vibbih.ba

COBISS.Net is an important initiative in extending online access to information.

There are thematic collections at the following special libraries, all of which are participants in the ViBBiH Centre and full members of COBISS.net although not OA mandated.

Academy of science and arts of BiH.

Library for the blind and visualy impared of BiH.

Library of IMIC, Sarajevo (International Multi-religious Centre "Zajedno") .

Parlamentary Assembly of Bosnia and and Herzegovina, Sarajevo.

Publications

• Duc, N. M., D. V. Hiep, P. M. Thong, L. Zunic, M. Zildzic, D. Donev, S. M. Jankovic, I. Hozo, and I. Masic. 2020. “Predatory Open Access Journals Are Indexed in Reputable Databases: A Revisiting Issue or an Unsolved Problem.” Medical Archives (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina) 74(4):318–22. doi: 10.5455/medarh.2020.74.318-322.

• Comba, V (2004) Trends in digital libraries and scholarly communication

• among European Academic Research Libraries. California Digital Libraries Discussion Group.

• Madacki, S (2001) From Dusty storage to library without walls: librarian in Wonderland. Paper presented at ALA Conference, San Francisco, 14-20 June 2001. 

• Pellizzer, V and Amila, A Bosnia and Herzegovina. Oneworld.

• UNESCO (2006) Accessing and disseminating scientific information in South Eastern Europe.