The library of the Highway Institute JSC Belgrade was established on 30 September 1985. As a special library it focuses exclusively on roads and transportation engineering. Its primary role is to provide the scientific community and technical experts with publications and information on roads engineering issues. The library implements a systematic collection, processing and storing of data, provides for the use of entire library material and of all information necessary to develop and advance the research and technical activities of the Institute.
The library has a growing collection of over 5,000 items – monographs and serial publications pertaining to transport planning and design, construction of infrastructure projects, traffic management, airports and highway pavement maintenance and performance, geotechnics and building materials, as well as the economic and environmental aspects of urban and inter-urban transportation systems. It has a reference collection of publications (dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.), as well as the collection of theses and dissertations prepared by the prominent associates of the company.
Over the years, the library has been continuously renewing its data base with latest issues in highway engineering, transport and environmental protection, information technology, etc. Our goal is to expand the bibliographic records and holdings not only through purchase but, through exchange, donations, cooperation with other local and foreign scientific and educational institutions.
In addition to editing of books and journals, a special focus is on the preparation of bibliographic records of professional articles developed by the Institute’s experts. All library activities are automated.
The library is subscribed to a large number of foreign and domestic journals in the area of Institute’s primary activities. It participates in publishing activities of the company and regularly assists in the publication of the collection of papers from congresses, scientific and professional meetings and conferences, as well as the publication of the journal Институт за путеве (Highway Institute) and various professional monographs prepared by the Institute’s experts and associates. The journal, launched in 1970, is intended exclusively for professionals in the field of road engineering. It presents up-to-date methods and techniques, as well as modern application of building materials in the construction and maintenance of roads. Additionally, the journal has an educational purpose, aimed at improving the knowledge of engineers, technicians and all technical personnel.
Since our library represents an open and accessible database, the access is available not only to the members of the Institute but to all interested external users as well – associates of other institutes and scientific associations, teaching personnel at the University, professors, teaching assistants, doctoral candidates, students and other interested individuals. The effective use of the library holdings is supported by free access to the book catalog, searching by authors’ names or using the Universal Decimal Classification – UDC.
The library of the Highway Institute belongs to the Belgrade University Library Association, that in addition to the University Library “Svetozar Markovic“ and academic libraries, encompasses all libraries within the associated scientific institutes. The library cooperates closely with most similar libraries but in particular with the University Library “Svetozar Markovic“ (UBSM) in Belgrade, which is the central and main library. All users of the Highway Institute’s library have free access to the entire UBSM holdings, based on the collective membership which is updated annually. Via the SUBITO system within the UBSM, we regularly achieve the interlibrary lending of books and journals with foreign countries.
In addition, we closely cooperate with the Department of Scientific Information at the National Library of Serbia. Specifically, through the Serbian Library Consortium for Coordinated Acquisition (KoBSON) we have 35,000 available international scientific and professional journals in electronic form as well as 90,000 available full-text books (Ebrary System). Most of the Institute’s researchers have a password for accessing these services.
We present our publications every year at the International Belgrade Book Fair, at the exhibition space of the Center for the Promotion of Science.
The library is open on weekdays from 7:30 to 15:30.
Contact person is Dr Jelena Dobrilović Dragović.
The official record on establishing the library in 1985
