Invited speakers

Joint IFLA MLAS meeting

Opening ceremony

Sandra Hirsh

Dr Sandra Hirsh is the Assistant Dean for Doctoral Studies at the College of Information, Data & Society at San José State University (SJSU). She previously served as an SJSU professor and director of SJSU's School of Information, and has worked at HP Labs, Microsoft, and LinkedIn in Silicon Valley.

Sandra Hirsh is a former president of two international associations: the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) and the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T). She currently serves as the Chair of the ALA International Relations Round Table, the Chair of the ALA Membership Committee, and is a member of the ALA International Relations Committee. Within IFLA, she is a member of the Education and Training Section as well as the Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning Section. She is also the co-founder and co-chair of the global conference series "Virtual Library 2.0."

Her recent books include "Blockchain (Library Futures)" and "Information Services Today: An Introduction, 3rd edition." Her latest book, "Library 2035: Imagining the Next Generation of Libraries," which explores the future of libraries, was published in March 2024.

Thematic sessions::

1. Libraries and artificial intelligence: opportunities and challenges

Mojca Rupar Korošec

Dr Mojca Rupar Korošec comes from the National and University Library (NUK). As head of the Research Department, she is a librarian consultant and NUK research group member. She was appointed representative of NUK in the Slovenian Community for Open Science and is a member of the Working Group for Open Science in the Commission for the Development of the Library System of the University of Ljubljana.
As the chair of the Commission for the Development of Professional Foundations for a Joint Catalogue (the new implementation plan for the RDA bibliographic standard), she was appointed as the EURIG representative for Slovenia.
She is a member of IFLA's Special Interest Group on Artificial Intelligence and serves on the committee of IFLA's European Regional Section.
She is a member of LIBER's Working Group on Research Data Management and a member of the EOSC Working Group on FAIR Metrics for Digital Objects.

  Tihomir Katulić

Assoc. prof. Ph.D. Tihomir Katulić, B.Sc. iur,professor of legal sciences at the Department of Information Technology Law and Informatics at the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb. He teaches courses in the fields of information technology law, the basics of information security, personal data protection, and intellectual property at the graduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels at the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the postgraduate specialist study in intellectual property at the University of Zagreb, and the doctoral program at the University of Mostar. 

He is the author of the e-textbook "Introduction to Intellectual Property" and co-author „of the textbooks "Legal Informatics and Information Law" and the Croatian edition of the "Kluwer Encyclopaedia of Cyberlaw." He has written more than thirty scientific papers and several dozen professional articles on topics such as the regulation of intellectual property, personal data protection, information security, electronic communications, and other areas of information technology law. Additionally, he has participated in several European scientific, professional, and twinning projects in the fields of personal data protection, information security, and intellectual property.

He is a member of the Croatian Internet Governance Forum, the Croatian Copyright Society, the Croatian Academy of Legal Sciences, and the International Association of Privacy Professionals, where he serves as co-chair of the Croatian chapter, a co-chair of the IAPP KnowledgeNet and a member of the IAPP Global Education Board. He is also a member of the European Data Protection Board External Pool of Experts, the president of the Expert Council of the State Intellectual Property Office, the program committee chair of the MIPRO ICTLAW conference, and a regular lecturer at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Summer School. Additionally, he is a registered expert in EU Cybernet, ISO 27001, and ISO 37001 Lead Auditor

Tomislav Stipančić

Assoc. prof. Ph.D. Tomislav Stipančić is a professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture at the University of Zagreb, specializing in artificial intelligence and robotics. He serves as the head of the Faculty's Laboratory for Design of Manufacturing and Assembly Systems. Additionally, he is the chair of the Faculty's E-learning Committee. He teaches several courses in artificial intelligence, robotics, cognitive and vision systems, and computer networks at the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels.

His research focuses on cognitive systems, affective robotics, and human-robot interaction. He has participated in several scientific and professional projects.

He spent eight months as a postdoctoral researcher at Kyoto University in Japan. He completed his doctoral training at KTH in Stockholm and URJC in Madrid.

With his team, he developed an affective robot and a virtual being named PLEA, which successfully participated in media events and festivals across the country and abroad. He has led and participated in numerous scientific and research projects. As an ICT specialist and e-mentor expert, he collaborated for many years with the Croatian Academic and Research Network (CARNET).

2. Libraries in a multicultural context: inclusivity, diversity and sustainability

Elisabet Rundqvist

Elisabet Rundqvist has been an employee of the National Library of Sweden since 2003. Since 2007, she has held the position of Executive Officer in National Library Coordination, primarily focusing on public libraries. Over the years, she has closely monitored the development of public librarianship, paying special attention to the communication of these libraries with refugees, newcomers, and minority groups.

Elisabet currently works part-time as a Special Advisor for Libraries, National Minorities, and the Indigenous Sami People at the National Library of Sweden. In this role, she provides support to all parts of the library and represents the library in various networks related to national minorities and the Sami people.

Elisabet has been active in the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) since 2016. She served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Indigenous Matters Section (2016-2021) and is currently a member of IFLA’s Standing Committee for the Library Services to Multicultural Populations Section. She has also been a member of the NAPLE Forum since 2018, and this year, she joined the CENL EDI network. Elisabet’s work has a strong international focus, and she actively participates in European discussions on libraries.

In her private life, Elisabet has been involved in various non-governmental organizations that deal with human rights, asylum, and refugee issues. As a long-standing board member of the Swedish Network for Refugee Support (FARR), she possesses deep knowledge of the refugee situation in Sweden. Since 2018, she has been a foster parent to two boys from Afghanistan.

Elisabeth Marinkovic studied Bohemian Studies and French Studies at the University of Vienna, with study visits at the Charles University in Prague and the University of Zagreb. She has worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria (BMEIA) since 2000. From 2008 to 2012, she was the deputy head of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Prague (Czech Republic), and from 2012 to 2017 she was the head of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Bucharest (Romania). After six years of work in the Press and Information Department of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from October 2023 she is the head of the Department for Austrian Libraries Abroad.

Ivana Hebrang Grgić i Ana Barbarić

Full Professor Ana Barbarić, PhD, is a faculty member in the Department of Information and Communication Sciences at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb. Since 2010, she has served as the Chair of Librarianship. She regularly presents at national and international conferences and publishes in domestic and foreign journals. She has collaborated in several scientific and professional projects, and is currently involved in the project "Croatian Emigrant Press." Her areas of particular scientific and professional interest include bibliographic organization and inclusive library services. She has edited several books, including the commemorative volume "80 Years of the Croatian Library Association: 1940-2020" (2020). From September 2002 to September 2004, she served as the Executive Secretary of the Croatian Library Association (CLA). Within the CLA, she was the chief editor of several publication series as well as the association's newsletter, CLA News. She is the recipient of the CLA's "Eva Verona" Award and the Kukuljević Charter. From 2005 to 2013, she was a member of the Standing Committee of the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) Cataloguing Section, and from 2009 to 2011, she served as the Secretary of that section. From 2012 to 2016, she was a member of the Governing Board of the National and University Library in Zagreb, representing the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia. From 2017 to 2023, she was a member of the Croatian Library Council. Since 2013, she has been the Chair of the Foundation Board of the Dr. Ljerka Markić-Čučuković Foundation.

Associate Professor Ivana Hebrang Grgić, PhD, s a professor and scientific advisor at the Department of Information and Communication Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, where she also serves as the Head of the Chair of the Book and Publishing. She is involved in teaching courses at all levels of study. She is the editor and author of several scientific books, as well as numerous papers published in domestic and international scientific journals and conference proceedings. Her latest book, titled Their Faraway Home, co-authored with Ana Barbarić, focuses on publications by Croatian emigrants in New Zealand. She is a member of editorial boards of journals, program and organizing committees of scientific and professional conferences. Within the Croatian Library Association, she has edited the publication series Croatian Librarianship and CLA Editions. Her areas of interest include scholarly communication, publishing, the history of the book, and library collections. She is also the author of several manuals, online courses, and an exhibition. In 2018, she initiated an institutional project at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, titled Croatian Emigrant Press, aimed at gathering the publishing output of Croatians abroad and digitizing selected publications. In May 2022, as part of the project, she launched the thematic open-access repository Croatian Emigrant Press to store digitized publications and other objects, thereby connecting her two most significant research interests—studying Croatian emigrant publications and promoting openness in science, culture, and education. She is a recipient of international and domestic awards and recognitions.

3. Green transition – the role and contribution of libraries and library services to the sustainable development of society

Ivana Keser

Dr Ivana Keser, since 2011, has been employed as a researcher in the Department of Resource Economics, Environmental Protection, and Regional Development at the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO). She earned her PhD from the international joint doctoral program in Sociology of Regional and Local Development at the University of Zadar and the University of Teramo, with a dissertation titled "Urban Area Management: The Potential of an Integrated Approach in the City of Zagreb." Keser holds a Master of European Law, LL.M. (European Legal Studies, Europa-Kolleg, Institute for European Integration, University of Hamburg). She graduated in Political Science from the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb and completed a one-year Peace Studies program, an informal education in peace and civic activism at the Centre for Peace Studies, Zagreb.

Her research primarily focuses on sustainable local, regional, and urban development, as well as participatory governance. Keser has experience in knowledge transfer to society, conducting lectures, workshops, and professional training sessions that involve various stakeholders, including the public sector, civil society, and the private sector. She has contributed to the development of numerous strategic documents and studies in the areas of regional and local development and strategic planning. Additionally, Keser has participated as a researcher in competitive scientific research projects and has been involved in the implementation of applied scientific research and professional activities, including projects in collaboration with industry, the public sector, and civil society.

Vjeran Piršić

Vjeran Piršić, B.Sc. Eng,by vocation is a mathematician, and by profession, a computer scientist-programmer. For his work in computer science, he has received several national and international awards

Since his high school, he has been actively involved in the environmental movement. He is one of the founders and the first president of the Eko Kvarner Association. He initiated the establishment of the Blue Forum – a network of environmental and local associations from the Adriatic (2004), the Solar Cluster (2009), and Croatia's first energy cooperative, EZOK – Energetska zadruga otok Krk (2012). He also initiated the founding of the Croatian Climate Change Panel (CCCP) in 2014, which includes around thirty mostly Croatian scientists. 

In addition to his environmental activism, he systematically educated himself on environmental protection and sustainable development through several months of training at ecological institutes in Germany (2004), Sweden (2006), and Malta (2008). He has also actively participated in many environmental conferences, primarily in the Mediterranean region, and in various environmental actions.

Ivan Kraljević

Ivan Kraljević, library advisor,employed at the University Library in Pula since 2002, and since 2022, he has held the position of Director of the University Library. He has served three terms as the president of the Istrian Library Association. Since 2011, he has been the initiator and leader of the first and most active Green Library project in Croatia, with around 200 activities (lectures, panels, film screenings, and book promotions). He is the founder and first president of the Working Group for Green Libraries of the Croatian Library Association and is currently the Vice President of the Commission for Green Libraries.

He is the author of several professional papers, a member of the editorial board of the Croatian Library Association's website, and the editor of the websites for the University Library in Pula, the Association of Librarians of Istria, and the Green Library project.

He received the Tibor Toth Award in 2018 for his overall contribution to the field of information sciences. Outside of his professional work, he is involved in creating original rock music, and for several years, he hosted and produced a radio show about the urban music scene in Istria called "Istarska scena." rock-glazbom, a nekoliko godina uređivao je i vodio radijsku autorsku emisiju o istarskoj urbanoj glazbenoj sceni pod nazivom „Istarska scena”.