The role of libraries in exercising the right of access to information from the perspective of Croatian regulations and international documents

Abstract

Starting from the understanding of libraries as public-oriented institutions, the paper discusses their role in exercising the right of access to information in order to determine what it consists of and to question the coherence of the legal framework.
The paper uses relevant literature to determine the importance of libraries for the functioning of a democratic society, and legal interpretation of relevant provisions of Croatian regulations, but also international agreements and other documents. It is concluded that the mentioned role consists of publishing and enabling access to information, but it does not end there, especially bearing in mind that
the constitutional right to access information is not absolute; its counterbalance is the constitutional guarantee of security and confidentiality of personal data. At the same time, such a role should not be viewed in isolation from certain complementary
services covered by the legal notion of library activity, but is really related to education, helping citizens understand various segments of the digital society and representing their rights in public debates that require a two-way relationship
between citizens and the government. The analysis of the relevant provisions did not reveal antinomies, nor the incoherence of the legal framework that legally, institutionally, and substantively follows international standards. Unlike previous research on this topic, the focus of research in this paper is on the role of libraries in exercising the right to access information from a legal perspective, but also on
the coherence of the legal framework, and the results of this paper can serve as a basis for further research, especially in comparative law and practice.