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research field or even a High school level graduated one to gain a certificate of a librarian after a week
long course of librarianship organized by the state National library. Those persons get the same rights to
work at the libraries at all levels as the properly educated librarians. The implementation of that law cause
the lack of Information Literacy skills in librarianships in Bosnia and Herzegovina and some other
Western Balkans’ countries. There were many studies written about as attempt to put the law out of force
but without success.

Although great steps forward have been achieved, there are still obstacles that need to be addressed, such

as the lack of professional staff in libraries, for example in the University Library of Bihac, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, there are only two graduated librarians working. That was the reason to continue with
further education of libraries’ staff and development of libraries network support system in the area of

Western Balkan through another Erasmus+ project (LNSS-Library Network Support System in Western
Balkans) providing staff development in the libraries. Academics also need to develop curricula on
Critical Literacy so that, together with librarians, they can face the difficult challenges of developing

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critical thinking for the evaluation of information.
The first project was called “Information Literacy Development – Knowledge Economy in the Western
Balkans” (Tempus 517117). Tempus was the European Union’s program which supported the
modernization of higher education in the Partner Countries of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Western

Balkans and the Mediterranean region, mainly through university cooperation projects.

Specific objectives of the project were:

- development of IL programs for lifelong learning and their use in curricula as appropriate;
- development of innovative online IL modules for lifelong learning;
- harmonization of the IL programs with those currently active in Western Balkan countries

- strengthening the capacities of Western Balkan higher education institutions for strategic planning
and implementation of IL programs, in order to instil transferable skills for a competitive,
dynamic, knowledge-based economy, as well as to develop IL policy, guidelines, goals and
mission.

Main outcomes of the project were to make:
- guidelines for planning IL programs,

- harmonised contents for the teaching of IL
- training of IL practitioners,
- development of innovative online IL modules
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- implementation of IL programs, dissemination and sustainability of IL programs.
- The achievements of the project have been making a huge impact at the universities level
libraries and the implementation was done in 2011-2015.

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The following project was called “Library Network Support Services“ with the aim to do modernizing
libraries in Western Balkans countries through staff development and reforming library services. Apart
of the leading universities from Ireland, Romania, Greece both projects included partner universities’

libraries from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo under UNSC Resolution
1244/99.

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Conference-WBIMLC”. The participants in the last decade came from all continents and 54 countries.

The participants in the last decade came from all continents and 54 countries.

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