From 20 to 22 January 2026, students Kristina Gagulić, Inga Pemper, Stella Edl, Klara Krnjić and Roman Šimunović, together with Ines Horvat, a faculty member of the Department of Information Sciences at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek, participated in the international conference BOBCATSSS 2026 – Thinking for Tomorrow: Redefining Information Networks in the Digital Age, held at Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu in Romania. The conference was organised by Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Universitat de Barcelona and the UNESCO Chair on ICTs in Library Studies, Education and Cultural Heritage – ULSIT, Sofia, providing an opportunity for the international exchange of knowledge and experience among students and researchers. Most of the presentations by students and faculty members of the Department of Information Sciences took place on the second day of the conference, 21 January:
- Inga Pemper presented the findings of the study Dementia-Related Materials in Osijek-Baranja County Public Libraries, in which she analysed the availability of dementia-related materials in local libraries. The research was supervised by Prof. Sanjica Faletar, PhD, and student Kristina Gagulić also contributed to the study.
- Stella Edl presented the paper Open Educational Resources – Tools for Cultural Heritage Education, introducing tools for preserving cultural heritage in an educational context. The research was supervised by Prof. Damir Hasenay, PhD, and Ines Horvat, PhD, Senior Assistant.
- Kristina Gagulić presented the preliminary findings of the study Perceptions of Gender Inclusivity in Information Science Education – A Preliminary Analysis of Student Perspectives, which she developed in collaboration with her colleague Hajrija Osmanhodžić from the University of Sarajevo, highlighting students’ views on gender inclusivity in information science education.
- In a parallel session, student Roman Šimunović conducted the interactive workshop Information Access: Libraries and LGBTQIA+ Inclusion for Tomorrow, using an interactive approach to highlight the importance of inclusion and presenting challenges such as the censorship of content by LGBTQIA+ authors in an academic context.
On the final day of the conference, 22 January:
- Klara Krnjić presented the paper Automatic Transcription Versus Expert Interpretation: 16th Century Monument Through Algorithmic and Human Perspectives, in which she demonstrated the use of AI tools for text recognition using the example of “Meštrija dobra umrtija”, highlighting the differences between digital transcription and expert human interpretation. The research was conducted under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Tomislav Jakopec, PhD, and Asst. Prof. Vera Blažević Krezić, PhD.
During the conference, participants had the opportunity to explore the city of Sibiu, visit various parts of the University and attend a group lunch organised by the hosts. Participation in the conference was particularly valuable for the students, who addressed current and socially relevant topics through their presentations and workshop. The participation of our students and faculty members in BOBCATSSS 2026 demonstrates the importance of international collaboration, interdisciplinarity and promoting an inclusive approach to information in the digital age.
Text: Roman Šimunović
