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NSK staff gain valuable international experience as part of Erasmus+ programme

NSK Curator Iva Perinić at the Royal Library of Belgium.
NSK Curator Iva Perinić (centre) at the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR).

In 2026, the staff of the National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK) completed several Erasmus+ job shadowing programmes focusing on heritage interpretation.

Making the most of this unique form of professional training, which enables direct observation of work processes and the related immediate exchange of professional experiences with regard to the presented practices, based on NSK’s 2025-2027 Erasmus+ accreditation between March and May they visited several major heritage institutions all across Europe.

How heritage is promoted at the national libraries of Belgium and the Netherlands

The Head of the NSK Marketing, Public Relations and Publishing Division Maja Priselac and Curator at the NSK Manuscripts and Rare Books Collection Iva Perinić completed the programme at the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR), whose staff introduced them to the approaches which they use in heritage interpretation and heritage promotion practices.

Iva Perinić and Maja Priselac at the Royal Library of Belgium
Curator at the NSK Manuscripts and Rare Books Collection Iva Perinić and Head of the NSK Marketing, Public Relations and Publishing Division Maja Priselac (first and second left) at a medieval dance workshop at the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR).

Gaining direct insight into how the Belgian national library’s operations are organised when it comes to promotional activities, its special collections and the work of the conservation experts, they also learned many useful details about the Library’s digitisation programme, digital services, contemporary printed resources management and the Library’s projects. Having enriched them on both the professional and personal levels, this valuable experience has prompted them to consider new ideas and approaches in their work at NSK.

The programme which the Head of the NSK User Services Department Dorja Mučnjak and Head of the NSK Preservation and Storage Department Dr Sanda Milošević undertook at the National Library of the Netherlands (KB) primarily focused on the methods for printed and digital heritage interpretation, but also included their learning more about the Library’s user services, its closed stack management and its plans for relocation.

Sanda Milošević and Dorja Mučnjak at the National Library of the Netherlands.
Head of the NSK Preservation and Storage Department Dr Sanda Milošević (left) and Head of the NSK User Services Department Dorja Mučnjak (right) at the National Library of the Netherlands (KB).

They also visited the Delft University of Technology Library and public libraries in Delft (DOK), Amsterdam (OBA) and the Neude public library in Utrecht. Giving them revealing insight into some of the most advanced library practices in Europe, the programme also brought closer to them Dutch culture, proving the Erasmus+ programme true to its slogan and able to really “enrich lives and open minds”.

Invaluable professional exchange with our Italian and Czech colleagues

The Head of the NSK Information Centre Ivo Tokić completed his career development programme at the National Central Library of Florence (BncF), one of altogether nine Italy’s national libraries, where he got acquainted with how the Library organises its work and exchanged experiences with the Library’s staff. Focusing on the Library’s established practices brining positive results, the programme also spotlighted challenges common to all large libraries. Eager to apply his insights to NSK’s operations, he has already shared his impressions with the NSK team under his management.

Ivo Tokić and Caterina Guiducci at the National Central Library of Florence.
Head of the NSK Information Centre Ivo Tokić with a member of the staff of the National Central Library of Florence (BncF) Caterina Guiducci.

During her training at the National Library of the Czech Republic, Senior Librarian and Curator at the NSK Print Collection Vesna Vlašić Jurić closely followed the daily activities of the Library’s staff. She was particularly impressed by their professionalism and modern approach to collection management and user services. Apart from acquiring new knowledge and finding inspiration for her future work as part of the programme, she has also greatly benefited from it by making valuable new international contacts.

Vesna Vlašić Jurić at the National Library of the Czech Republic
Senior Librarian and Curator at the NSK Print Collection Vesna Vlašić Jurić at the National Library of the Czech Republic.

Libraries and museums – partners in the protection and promotion of heritage

Also Curator at the NSK Print Collection, Maja Karić visited the Art Museum of Estonia. Learning about the Museum’s innovative programmes for the public, she spent time at four locations making part of its five-museum network, including the KUMU, Kadriorg, Mikkel, Niguliste and Adamson-Eric museums. In addition to getting an up-close perspective of the Museum’s curation processes, she also learned about its collections and modern collection digitisation programme.

KUMU Art Museum, Art Museum of Estonia.
KUMU Art Museum, Art Museum of Estonia.

We thank all the partner institutions in this programme whose efforts and availability to our staff have made possible this valuable professional experience and provided the opportunity for international cooperation which will certainly prove useful in the development of their career.

Their taking part in this Erasmus+ programme has once again proved the importance of international cooperation in staff development, enabling exchange of experiences across national borders, bringing inspiring new insights and taking lifelong learning and continuing professional development to a whole new level.

Dedicated to further strengthening the competencies of NSK’s staff vital for the preservation and promotion of heritage and improving their professional skills, we look forward to continuing this Erasmus+ and similar training programmes as a way to foster innovation and in this way advance the Library’s work.