Follow this link to view a video of INFOBUS in action

Location
- Prijepolje, Serbia, Serbia & Montenegro

Population served
- 25,000

Implementer
- Vuk Karadzic Public Library

Primary Institutional Partner
- National Library of Serbia

Other contributors
- Fund for an Open Society-Serbia
- Ministry of Culture
- Ministry of Science
- National Library
- Vuk Karadzic Public Library
- Local NGOs
- Community writers, poets, teachers, and volunteers
- Next Page Foundation, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Tolmin Public Library, Tolmin, Slovenia

Operational
- Since 2003

Users:
- Students: Elementary, Secondary
- Teachers
- Adults
- Farmers and/or families of farmers
- Pensioners/Elderly
- Skilled workers
- Unskilled workers
- Unemployed: Men and Women
- Groups with special needs: Physical and sensory disabilities

Communities served
- Monday: Donje Babine, Jabuka, Brodarevo
- Tuesday: Seljasnica, Vinicka, Gracanica
- Wednesday: Ivanje, Velika Zupa
- Thursday: Ravni (Roma settlement), Petlja za Pljevlj, Mileseva
- Friday: Prijepolje

Languages
- Serbian
- Bosniac
- Roma

Collection
- 5,000 volumes
- Book publishers: 8 languages
- Periodicals: 5 titles
- Electronic publishers: E-books: 2 languages
- Electronic publishers: Job skills training software: 3 languages
- Electronic publishers: Educational software: English/Serbian
- News media: Special Programs: 3 languages
- News media: Documentaries and current affairs reports
- News media: Newspapers: Serbian
- Media: Magazines: Serbian
- Audio-visual media: Cultural programs Serbian
- Films: Fiction: 2 languages
- Non-fiction: 2 languages
- VHS: Serbian
- Computer-based programs: Serbian
- Non-Governmental Organizations: Programs and services: Serbian
- Schools: Projects ad announcements: 2 languages

Activities
- Reading and study space for students
- Reference service
- Lending library
- Family education
- Public health education and information resources
- General education
- Programs and services for human rights education
- Programs and services for civic education
- Special workshops, such as examination preparation
- Agricultural development
- Multimedia resource centre
- Introduction to the Internet
- Computer word processing and educational training

ICT Status
- Audio-visual media (cassette tapes, film strips, CD-ROM)
- Personal computer for keeping records
- Personal computer for educational and training programs
- Networked to main library
- Fully automated catalogue: (OPAC) Online Public Access Catalogue

Internet Connectivity Solution
- GPRS mobile technology

APPROACH

InfoBus has attracted much attention within the community and in Belgrade. Media have devoted special reports to its arrival and operation, and the general public is eager to access the full multimedia potential. National, regional and local media devoted airtime and print space to announce the launch of InfoBus.

The InfoBus team in Prijepolje invites teachers to bring pupils to the nearest points of service. Already interactive workshops have taken place to address concerns in public health and education.

The National Library of Serbia identified InfoBus as an operative library, making it eligible to receive books and other privileges given to regional libraries, including rights extended for the use of Microsoft software and other toolsets. Materials have been processed according to international standards for automated catalogue systems. Information exchange and other cooperation with the InfoBus-Montenegrin team are ongoing. Its content focuses, among other issues, on basic multicultural education, local information (job and health) and media distribution.

We had parents and children coming at once.
People were very happy about this.
Armina Spirtovic, Librarian, InfoBus

The book collection includes various subjects, illustrated creatively and informative to attract young readers as well as adults. Titles include agriculture, and psychology, among others. Videotapes and CD-ROMs aim to create a visually attractive learning environment for readers: picture books, audio books, musical games, poems, foreign languages, puzzles, and animation. The InfoBus has original cassettes of films and theatre plays. Reference literature is available in the form of Larousse encyclopaedia, dictionaries, lexicons, and science guides. Available newspaper and magazines cover issues related to health, agriculture, women, children, and education.


BACKGROUND

Sandzak region is placed in southwest part of Serbia, neighbouring with eastern Bosnia, northern Montenegro and Kosovo. The landscape is mountainous; villages are settled often at great distances. There are no public libraries in the villages. Few cities in the region are economically viable. Basic cultural needs have been neglected, especially in the last 10 years. There are frequent electricity blackouts. General levels of information and communication access are low. In the last two years the level of NGO activity has increased. InfoBus in the Sandzak region could work out part of these problems within its scope of educational and entrepreneurial functions.

According to the Užice Regional Chamber of Economy, leading companies are: Textile factory "Ljubiša Miodragović", Chemical industrial company "Elan", Footwear factory "Limka", Livnica (foundry), Factory for ready-made-clothes production "Iris", Building construction company "Rad", Factory for timber cutting and joinery "Javor", etc. The modern wood-processing industry has been developed in Užice region from old, traditional woodworking handicraft. Within the agricultural sector, the most important branches are: livestock breeding, fruit growing and crop farming. The region is famous for growing berries, especially raspberries which are dominant, and for products of live-stock breeding, like bacon, smoked beef, smoked mutton, Užice cream and cheese, etc. Apart from productive branches, some other service industries have also been developed, like trade, tourism, traffic, communications, banking, insurance, public utility services, etc.
 

Last update: October 2005