Objavljeno dne Avtor: Mirlona Buzo, Academy of Sciences of Albania

The Establishment of the Center for Coordination and Dissemination of Scientific Information in Albania

The Academy of Sciences of Albania (https://akad.gov.al/) as an important institution for the organization and development of scientific activity in our country, in cooperation with the Institute of Information Science (IZUM) in Slovenia (https://izum.si/), assessing the growth of interest in research information at the national and international level in aid of scientific research, enabled the establishment of the Center for the Coordination and Dissemination of Scientific Information at the Academy of Sciences of Albania (QKPISH).

The contribution of the Academy of Sciences is the creation of this open environment for all users, scientific researchers, academic staff, students and any other users interested in scientific information.

The Institute of Information Science, Slovenia continuously contributes to the infrastructure and the development of knowledge and experiences for the organization and administration of the Current Research Information System in Albania (E-CRIS.AL, https://cris.cobiss.net/e-cris/al/sq) and the Co-operative Online Bibliographic System & Services (COBISS.AL, https://al.cobiss.net/) necessary for the operation of this center.

To achieve digital access, the center will work with integrated information systems built on international standards connected in common networks.

Motivation

We are working on the development of a strategy for the most efficient dissemination of scientific research information, creating the possibility for scientific researchers to have the most modern methods for accessing information and to stimulate cooperation between Albanian scientific researchers by getting to know each other’s achievements.

There is an increase in awareness of the need to strengthen scientific research through the law for science in Albania. One of the fundamental aspects of this strategy is the dissemination of scientific information and faster access.

Another strategy is the institutionalization of platforms and information systems for digitization, growth and enrichment with information for indexing and access to content related to scientific creativity in Albania.

Also important is the consolidation of the common network for scientific research and the inclusion of scientific information centers in Albania through the platforms COBISS.AL and E-CRIS.AL. The benefit of this strategy for COBISS.AL network will significantly increase scientific researchers and their activity in these systems, and therefore, even more users will access this information.

The goals and objects for the establishment of the center are:

    1. the creation of the network of Albanian scientific researchers in Albania and abroad.
    2. the expansion of the E-CRIS.AL research activity base in Albania, as a database for scientific researchers, organizations and research projects.
    3. the promotion, transparency, monitoring and evaluation of scientific research results, as well as compilation of personal scientific bibliographies.
    4. the expansion of information centers in scientific institutes, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), public libraries included in the COBISS.AL cooperative online current research information network and in the COBISS.net network.
    5. the implementation of international standards in the preparation of scientific information in the digitization process in these institutions.
    6. the inclusion of online full-text resources (free of charge) of information in support of scientific research and academic activity.
    7. raising awareness of decision-makers of scientific research institutions for their involvement in scientific information networks.

 The center will perform the following tasks:

    1. Coordination, organization and administration of the COBISS.AL system.
    2. QKPISH takes care of the inclusion, planning and harmonization of activities related to the connection of information centers (I.A.L. libraries, scientific institutions and public libraries) in the COBISS.AL system, creating a common network of scientific information. In the center, workshops and meetings will also be held to present the continuous updates of the platforms, to consult and solve problems and work dynamics in the program.
    3. The Center establishes cooperation and interaction between these institutions through agreements.
    4. It will develop professional qualifications and test the ability of specialists to use the COBISS software, providing them with licenses to use the program, in person or online.
    5. 5. It will provide professional assistance to information centers, libraries and other users of the COBISS software and services, monitor the work of the information centers and help solve their problems following the relevant procedures.
    6. QKPISH provides and organizes scientific information in accordance with the requirements of scientific researchers for the development of scientific research in Albania.
    7. QKPISH affects the transformation of the needs of scientific researchers in adaptation to the tools and applications to fulfill its mission and promotes the integration of digital content in websites and mobile devices and adapting them to the needs of users.

 Collaborative experience

The establishment of the center was achieved through a long cooperation process including bilateral meetings, meetings with rectors of universities, heads of scientific institutions and directors of libraries, the organization of conferences, workshops, meetings and professional qualifications.

We faced some challenges during the process:

    1. Efforts to formalize the creation of the center
    2. Meetings with the Ministry of Education
    3. Meeting with the rectors of the universities
    4. Efforts to include information systems in the science law
    5. Staff management issues
    6. Financial budget problems
    7. Difficulty in finding a suitable environment for the center

 Achievements of experience

The center focuses on the consolidation of the platforms that are already there and that most libraries have already been using for more than 10 years, such as the current research information system (E-CRIS.AL) and the union catalog COBIB.AL.

About 800 scientific researchers (including members of the ASH assembly, scientific researchers of universities and research centers, as well as members of the ASH youth academy) participate in the system of scientific researchers.

Through this platform, It is possible to prepare online bibliographies of scientific researchers that can be accessed online by users (fig. 1).

Fig. 1 Number of prepared scientific bibliographies from the E-CRIS system
Fig. 1 Number of prepared scientific bibliographies from the E-CRIS system

About 28 university and 12 public libraries are included in the COBISS.AL system, which is 40 libraries in total (Fig. 2). 87 catalogers have been qualified and received the relevant permits to work in the COBISS.AL system. The number of records in the COBIB.AL database is about 158,000 bibliographic records (fig. 3). These libraries are continuously presented with system updates and new platforms.

Fig. 2 Libraries included in the network COBISS.AL
Fig. 2 Libraries included in the network COBISS.AL

 

Fig. 3 Number of bibliographic records in the COBIB.AL database
Fig. 3 Number of bibliographic records in the COBIB.AL database

 The following results were achieved through the COBISS.AL system:

    • The application for storing digitized content – the COBISS.AL digital repository (dCOBISS, https://al.cobiss.net/en/digital-repository/) has been implemented. The digitization process has begun in the libraries with scientific journals published by the institutions. The journals are full-text and integrated into the dCOBISS platform.
    • Digital library membership cards have been prepared.
      The Virtual Library of Albania on mobile devices (mCOBISS application, https://m.cobiss.net/al/), a smartphone application, was launched, from which users can download materials and use the online library.

Outcomes:

    1. The cooperation between Albanian libraries and the QKPISH center should be increased by formalizing agreements to consolidate the COBISS.AL network in Albania.
    2. Qualitative increase of the number of bibliographic records in the union database COBIB.AL
    3. Repository of scientific publications (monographs, serials, and articles) in dCOBISS
    4. Increase of scientific researchers in the E-CRIS.AL database and the evidence of their activity in the COBISS.AL system

Strategy for the future 

    • Standardization of scientific serials including scientific articles in Crossref and their inclusion in the Scopus ranking database
    • Awareness of decision-makers and heads of institutions for their involvement in scientific information networks
    • Developing a strategy for the dissemination of scientific research in the most efficient way, creating the possibility that scientific researchers have the most modern methods for accessing information.
    • New innovative ideas and further collaborations in the dissemination of scientific information

The future of information is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) which is rapidly transforming the way of access and use of information.

This format will bring together leading experts, researchers, librarians and technology enthusiasts to share knowledge, exchange ideas and predict the future of libraries in the new era.

The center welcomes colleagues and researchers for new innovative ideas and further collaborations in the dissemination of scientific information throughout the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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