The Croatian Academic and Research Network – CARNet launched a new online service for creating, publishing and using digital content applicable in teaching: multimedial digital documents, presentations and e-books in the EPUB and PDF formats. The service named Libar consists of two components: a web application available at https://libar.carnet.hr/, intended primarily for teachers and professors and enabling simple online creation of digital educational content, and a mobile application downloaded to mobile devices, designed to enable the use of published digital educational material and equipped with all the functionalities of an e-reader.
Access to the web application does not require previous installation to a computer and is based on the AAI@EduHr electronic identity, by means of which the users access the application. The application is adapted to primary and secondary school teachers and users without extensive prior technical knowledge and is unique due to its simplicity and intuitiveness of use. The basic functions of the web interface are: digital content creation, content and user group management and content publication in a mobile application. Digital content created using the Libar can contain: text, pictures, multimedia and short self-check tests.
An integral part of the Libar service is the mobile application through which the user can download and read EPUB and PDF content created within the web application. User login through the mobile application is done in the same way as that through the web user interface – via the AAI@EduHr electronic identity.
Available for download by the user is all the EPUB and PDF content created by them, along with the content of other users, provided this is permitted by the rights of access.
The mobile application is supported by the Android, Windows Phone and iOS operating systems.
The application was launched for a trial period in November 2015 at the CARNet Users Conference CUC 2015, during which an accompanying competition was organised for the conference participants, at which, amongst the 17 submitted e-books created using the Libar, the e-book of user Nastja Srok under the title "U potrazi za knjigom" ("In Search of a Book") won first place and the user herself was awarded with a tablet device.
From the moment of its placement in production, the web application has been accessed by 290 teachers who have, so far, created 72 pieces of digital content.
More information about the new service is available at http://www.carnet.hr/libar.
