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Citizen science at the Kranj City Library in Slovenia

Juliette Chalant
Oct. 10, 2024, 10:15 a.m.

As part of the ECS project, 10 public libraries from Public Libraries 2030’s European network are organising citizen science-related events. These events aim to introduce citizen science to a wider public, ultimately broadening and strengthening the European citizen science community.


The Kranj City Library in Slovenia, together with Ljubljana City Library, became one of the first libraries in Slovenia to join the Citizen Science network. Both are also involved in the ECS project, and work to promote citizen science within public libraries. 


Why are you participating in the ECS project?

[My] personal interest in citizen science [comes from] my engaged attitude towards life, including the wider community and politics. Lately, I have been particularly concerned about the issue of climate change as a consequence of human greed and carelessness. I think citizen science projects can be instrumental in [engaging] people on this critical topic”, says Petra Puhar, Librarian at the Kranj City Library, Slovenia and coordinator of the citizen science activities.

Petra adds that, “As a member of our library, I am of course thinking about the institution's involvement in citizen science. Libraries are an ideal place to apply citizen science, as we already primarily promote science and knowledge, learning, [and] progress. In addition, libraries are public, accessible spaces that, with space, equipment and educated personnel, [can] easily connect residents with scientific institutions, scientists and their knowledge and research. Among the many possible contributions to the citizen science project, in the Kranj City Library we decided to focus on ecological issues.”

“Buzzing in the City”

In 2023 and 2024, the City Library of Kranj organised a series of seven lectures by experts in the field of natural beekeeping, dangers for bees, urban beekeeping, bee products, their medicinal properties and apitherapy, and wild pollinators and their irreplaceable role for biodiversity.


On the balcony of the library, together with the local beekeeping society and their expert, we established a so-called "hotel for wild pollinators" - nests for bumblebees and insect boxes for alternative pollinators - i.e. wild bees, solitary bees, fluttering flies, butterflies, beetles and wasps. We designed the nests in a workshop together with children, parents and other library visitors.



Recently, bumblebees have been particularly under attack, as they have found themselves in the grip of modern farming methods, as a result of which their populations are steadily decreasing. That's why in the library, with the "citizen science" project, we encourage the observation of bumblebees and the reporting of data to the association that deals with the protection of bumblebees.




Beyond the ECS project: Citizens science in Kranj

The city of Kranj, Slovenia is already quite active in environmental initiatives, green policies, and citizen science. In March 2024, Kranj City Library signed a climate treaty with partners to achieve the goal of climate neutrality by 2030. As a result, Kranj became one of the 112 cities selected by the European Commission for the Mission 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities 2030. In parallel to this, Kranj City Library joined a network of 19 public libraries across Slovenia that have a Seed Library. Aiming to promote and preserve biodiversity, as well as autonomous food production, a Seed Library consists of the free exchange of seeds, but also knowledge and experience on seeds and local vegetable production. 


Outside of the ECS project, the Kranj City Library is already involved in the Slovenian Citizen Science Network. Within this context, they promote events, organise trainings, and provide access to resources and infrastructure for partners and citizens interested in citizen science. 




More information

This article was written in collaboration with Petra Puhar, Librarian at the Kranj City Library, Slovenia. Contact: mkk@mkk.si 

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Images courtesy of Kranj City Library archive.


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