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Round Table “Academic Libraries Between Their Critical Mission and Institutional Constraints”
Academic libraries today operate in a context of rapid change shaped by digital transformation, new technologies, market-oriented reforms and evolving expectations within higher education.
In a 90-minute dynamic format, this round table brings together scholars and practitioners from Croatia, Norway, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to discuss how these changes are reshaping the role and professional position of academic librarians within universities and how they can maintain a critical and democratic mission within increasingly commodified higher education systems.
The discussion will focus on the tensions between service-oriented expectations and the broader educational and societal roles of libraries, as well as on questions of professional autonomy, recognition, and working conditions. Particular attention will be given to everyday professional realities: how librarians navigate institutional constraints, how their work is (or is not) recognised, and how challenges such as artificial intelligence and digital transformation are affecting both practice and professional identity.
The panel will also reflect on the role of LIS education and curricula in preparing professionals for these changing conditions and explore possible directions for strengthening the position of academic librarians within higher education.
Panellists:
Dr Monika Batur, Department of Information and Communication Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Associate Professor Sunniva Evjen, Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Science, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
Assistant Professor Dejana Golenko, Head Librarian, Faculty of Law Library, University of Rijeka, Croatia
Professor Mario Hibert, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Moderator:
Dr Dijana Šobota, Project Research Associate, Department of Information and Communication Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Monika Batur
Dr Monika Batur is a Research Assistant at the Department of Information and Communication Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb. Her work focuses on bibliographic organisation, inclusive library services, and local heritage studies.
Dejana Golenko
Dr Dejana Golenko is an Assistant Professor and Head Librarian at the Faculty of Law, University of Rijeka. Her work focuses on academic librarianship, information literacy, and information behaviour.
Sunniva Evjen
Dr Sunniva Evjen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Science at Oslo Metropolitan University. Her research explores librarianship, library policy, and the societal role of libraries.
Mario Hibert
Dr Mario Hibert is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo, where he works at the Department of Comparative Literature and Information Science. His research engages with critical librarianship, information ethics, digital culture and media literacy.
Dijana Šobota
Dr Dijana Šobota is a Project Research Associate at the Department of Information and Communication Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, and a senior trade union professional. Her work bridges academia, public policy, and labour issues, with a particular focus on critical workplace information literacy, artificial intelligence, and workers' rights.
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