The overall objective is twofold: (i) to transform the 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 areas of interest through the study and analysis of the oral history and tradition and its connection to the written content. Thus, EXPLORAL’s objectives are:

• (O1) Enhance the navigation and reading experience of the visitor to the digital library. Expand its functionalities and result to the Exploral Digital Repository release. This release will include enriched content with optical character recognition and additional functionalities, such as (i) crowdsourcing for users’ upload of content and (ii) a recommender system to suggest resources to the visitor, based on his/her profile.

• (O2) Expand the content of Balkaneana, besides written sources, literature and magazines to oral sources, local tradition and legends.
This could attract new audience that are more keen to legends and testimonies than reading a book that has a stricter structure.

• (O3) Semantically connect the content acquired from oral and written sources and extract scientific conclusion on the connection and the mutual influence among the 2 nations, specifically on the population living in the areas of interest that are too close to the borders.

• (O4) Enhance and expand the Network of Libraries, which was established during the Balkaneana project, with additional functionalities and roles as well as with additional partners/libraries that could participate.

• (O5) Efficiently connect the Libraries and the Balkaneana digital library with a mobile app in order to: (i) enhance the experience of the tourist that visits the area of interest and (ii) attract new audience (i.e. tourists, young people) in visiting the Libraries and the Digital Library through the use of new technologies and the EXPLORAL interactive content.