Exploring the cultural heritage of the cross border region through a digital library and oral sources

Programme 2014 - 2020 Interreg IPA CBC Greece - Albania

Date of latest update: 2024-03-02

Description

Description (EN):

The project EXPLORAL builds on the successful project Balkaneana funded under the IPA Cross-Border PROGRAMME "Greece - Albania 2007-2013" that delivered a multimodal digital library with content from the Central Public Library of Konitsa and the Municipal Library of Gjirokastra. The overall objective is twofold: (i) to transform libraries into a reference point for all tourists visiting the cross-border area and (ii) identify and promote the common heritage of the cross-border region through the study and analysis of the oral history and tradition and their interconnection to the written sources. Thus, EXPLORAL addresses the programmes overall objective and the Specific Objective 2.1. The content of those oral sources have an inherent additional social value by contributing to the social cohesion, dynamic evolution, and durability of the cultural heritage. There is a significant interest, from an ethnographic, cultural and historical perspective, to record testimonies from oral sources in the cross-border area of interest. In the regions of Permet, Gjirokastra and Konitsa we can discover different sides of history and traditions and identify and promote common cultural characteristics that are associated with the areas of interest. To this end, testimonies will be recorded and connected to the digital content that is already stored in the Balkaneana digital library and the new Exploral digital repository will be an enriched version of Balkaneana in terms of content and functionality. Finally, EXPLORAL includes the development of an application for mobile devices (mobile app) that includes interactive information on a map of the wider border area. The interactive map will be interconnected connected with the content from oral sources and the digitized material of Balkaneana. Thus, this connection of the touristic information with valuable information acquired from oral and written sources, would result to transforming the Library, in its physical or digital form, to a reference point for all tourists in the area. The project also entails the digitization of a large portion of the Premet municipal library books and the extension of the digitized collection of books, documents and archives for the other two libraries. Last but not least Exlporal will implement three additional infrastructure activities: the reconstruction of the Premet and Gjirokastra municipal libraries and the creation of a tourist helpdesk at the public library of Konitsa.

Website: https://2014-2020.greece-albania.eu/

Expected Results (EN):

The direct and immediate effects resulting from the project are: (i) networking of libraries that could lead to an enhanced cross-rental service for visitors in the area of interest, which could be later expanded to the wider cross-border area. The collection of know-how & coordination among all the actors for the improvement and development of the tourism in the area and the exploitation of the natural and cultural resources is also possible. The network additionally guarantees the implementation of the project on a cross-border level, enabling joint approaches to common problems & opportunities. (ii) Training of the Libraries' personnel on the new technologies, but, also, on the historical, cultural and ethnographic framework of the area. Librarians could offer additional and quality services to visitors, while the Library could be transformed to a source of knowledge and a valuable reference information and starting point for all tourists visiting the cross-border area. The organization of seminars, networking and awareness raising activities could lead to sustainable local development in the cross-border area, bringing cross-border cooperation to a new level. (iv) Increasing the number of visitors to the cross border area. This could be reached due to two main reasons: a) easy access to information (through the Exploral Digital Repository, the mobile app and the Networks of Libraries) and b) curiosity of tourists to local legends and tradition that would be triggered by the content acquired through oral sources and connected to the written and certified content of the digital library. Over the long-term, the project, mainly through the boost to the tourism industry, will help to a) Increase tourism influx and also the permanent population of the area because of the increased job opportunities b) Capitalize on the experiences gained & lessons learned to enhance local tourism conditions and c) Improve local sustainable development.

Expected Outputs (EN):

The main outputs are: Publicity material development (leaflets and a website with translations in Greek, Albanian and English). Organization of 2 Information Days (one Greece and one in Albania) to inform citizens, tourists and professionals in the tourism sector (i.e. hoteliers, tour operators, touristic agents) on the benefits of the Exploral Digital Repository and the EXPLORAL mobile app that will be connected to the content of the library. 2nd release of the digital library (v2.0) including enriched content (i.e. applying optical character recognition analysis on existing content) and increased functionalities. It will include a crowdsourcing functionality and a recommender mechanism resulting to the implementation of an innovative recommending mechanism for users to receive suggestions for similar content based on their searches, their interests and profile. Recorded testimonies from residents of the border region and connection with historical and cultural elements and events that would be a valuable asset of the Balkaneana and could be exploited in future initiatives. A mobile application for Android and iOS that includes interactive information projected on a map of the cross border area. The map will be connected to the recorded testimonies and the already digitized material of Balkaneana Library. An improved and enhanced Balkaneana Network of Libraries including additional members (Municipal Library of Permet and other Libraries that will be invited and joined during the program) and capabilities (i.e. cataloguing of the Albanian Libraries' in order to have easy access to the content and facilitate the cross-rental service that EXPLORAL will incorporate). Renovated Libraries, including major renovation activities (i.e. Municipal Library of Gjirokastra to address the standards specified by UNESCO and Municipal Library of Permet, since the building is too old) or minor interior renovation activities (i.e. Central Public Library of Konitsa).

Thematic information

Cultural heritage and arts Tourism

Specific Objective: Preserve cultural and natural resources as a prerequisite for tourism development of the cross border area

Thematic Priority: (d) Encouraging tourism and cultural and natural heritage

Partners (4)

Lead Partner: University of Ioannina - Research Committee

Address: University Campus, 45110 Ioannina, Greece

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.rc.uoi.gr

Total budget: EUR 252 970.60

IPA2 budget: EUR 215 025.01

Public Central Library of Konitsa

Name: Public Central Library of Konitsa

Address: New Municipal Market,, 45445 Konitsa, Greece

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.libkon.gr

Total budget: EUR 112 508.50

IPA2 budget: EUR 95 632.23

Bashkia Gjirokaster

Name: Bashkia Gjirokaster

Address: Sheshi Cerciz Topulli, 6002 Gjirokaster, Albania

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 108 752.56

IPA2 budget: EUR 92 439.68

Municipality of Permet

Name: Municipality of Permet

Address: SQUARE "ABDYL FRASHERI",PERMET, Albania

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 77 347.40

IPA2 budget: EUR 65 745.29

Partners map

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Exploring the cultural heritage of the cross border region through a digital library and oral sources

Project acronym: EXPLORAL

Project start date: 2018-04-01

Project end date: 2020-12-31

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 551 579.06

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 468 842.20

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 85.00%

Co-financing sources:

IPA/IPA II/IPA III: Amount, EUR 468 842.20.

Documents

Documents on this project are listed below, and organised by category. Please note field "Data source", attached to each document. Keep.eu users are free to use these documents as long as they mention the data source and keep.eu.

Presentations

Project Presentation

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Presentation

Data source: http://exploral.eu/kick-off-meeting/

Publication date: 2021-10-07

Document date: 2018-06-15

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Τεχνολογίες αιχμής για την εξερεύνηση της πολιτιστικής μας κληρονομιάς

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Presentation

Data source: http://exploral.eu/information-day/

Publication date: 2021-10-07

Document date: 2020-11-12

Languages: el, en

Attachment file: Download

Γεφυρώνοντας με αφηγήσεις τις δύο πλευρές των συνόρων. Προφορικότητα και αναπαραστάσεις του τόπου στη διασυνοριακή περιοχή Ελλάδας – Αλβανίας.

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Presentation

Data source: http://exploral.eu/information-day/

Publication date: 2021-10-07

Document date: 2020-12-31

Languages: el

Attachment file: Download

Videos / films

eXPLORAL - Greece / Albania 2014-2020

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: http://exploral.eu/information-day/

Publication date: 2021-10-07

Document date: 2020-11-11

Languages: el

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 Interreg IPA CBC Greece - Albania

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2020-07-22

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

65 / 65 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

293 / 293 (100%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme.

The financial data featured in keep.eu for this programme, it's projects and its partners is not exact and should be taken as a reference only.

Languages

Contact Form

Exploring the cultural heritage of the cross border region through a digital library and oral sources

Description

Thematic information

Partners (4)

Partners map

Summary

Documents

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Disclaimer