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Central regional libraries

Logotip osrednje območne knjižnice

Central regional libraries play an important role in the Slovenian library system, as they carry out special tasks for their respective regions. These are public libraries that, in addition to their primary mission of providing access to information, knowledge, and culture, also perform additional professional functions. Their key responsibility is to provide specialized information, professional support, and a broader and more advanced selection of library materials for the residents of the entire region.

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Mission of Central Regional Libraries:
Through networking, collaboration, and professional support, we co-create the future of public libraries and ensure their balanced and coordinated development for the benefit of an inclusive and sustainable community. We monitor societal needs and conditions and develop the services of the future.

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In addition, central regional libraries are responsible for coordinating the operations of libraries within their region, processing and preserving local history collections, and developing and implementing special programs for users. They also provide professional advice and support to other public libraries in their area.

There are ten central regional libraries in Slovenia, located in major urban centers: Celje, Kranj, Maribor, Ljubljana, Nova Gorica, Murska Sobota, Novo Mesto, Ptuj, Ravne na Koroškem, and Koper.

Srečko Vilhar Central Library Koper

Srečko Vilhar Central Library Koper is one of the ten central regional libraries in Slovenia and plays an important professional and coordinating role for library services in its region. Within the Coastal–Karst area, it covers the municipalities of Koper, Izola, Piran, Sežana, Komen, Divača, Hrpelje-Kozina, Postojna, Pivka, and Ilirska Bistrica. These ten municipalities, with a total area of 2,016 km² (9.95% of Slovenia’s territory), are home to 7.2% of the country’s population (152,500 residents). Within its region, the library connects and supports the following libraries:

Srečko Vilhar Central Library Koper strives to provide high-quality professional support to libraries in the region and offers residents access to a rich collection of materials, information, and services tailored to the needs of the local community. Through its activities, the library makes a significant contribution to strengthening the educational role of public libraries in developing information literacy, promotes the safe and critical use of information, and supports lifelong learning in the digital society. At the national level, it develops and enhances the professional forum Infoverzum, aimed at advancing media and information literacy in libraries.

Fundamental legal provisions, current strategic and programmatic guidelines that define the implementation of the special tasks of central regional libraries: