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Short Abstract

The planing and development of the Slovenian Citizen Science Network. Building a network of more than 60 partners, from universities, institutes, libraries, museums, societies, to individuals which contributed to the catalogue of more than 70 citizen science projects.

Abstract

Over the past year, citizen science in Slovenia has seen notable progress, particularly with the establishment of the national portal https://citizenscience.si/ and the Slovenian Citizen Science Network. These developments reflect a broader movement that includes not only research institutes and universities but also public libraries, museums, associations, and individual contributors.

Although public participation in research has a long history in Slovenia, it was only in recent years that the term "občanska znanost" (citizen science) gained general acceptance as the most suitable translation. Since 2017, the Central Technical Library of the University of Ljubljana (CTK) has been a key actor in shaping the citizen science landscape in Slovenia. Initially by organizing presentations and expert meetings and later by providing direct support to citizen science projects, CTK has played a bridging role between researchers and the general public. It has also fostered partnerships across institutional and disciplinary boundaries and engaged actively with international networks.

This presentation outlines CTKs efforts to promote citizen science in Slovenia and offers an in-depth look at the content and structure of the citizenscience.si portal. A review and analysis of the citizen science projects published on the platform will be presented, offering insight into current trends, themes, and forms of participation in Slovenian citizen science initiatives.