libraries

When you think of a library, what comes to mind? Row after row of books? The Dewey Decimal System? Kids but no adults? Those stereotypes are outdated. Around the world, libraries are on the front lines of innovative development.

I was recently given the honor of being named Romania’s Digital Champion by Ms. Neelie Kroes, Vice President of the European Commission for the Digital Agenda. The nomination is a direct reflection of the professionalism, selfless contribution, determination and heartfelt devotion of the entire staff at IREX’s Biblionet Romania program, and to all of the public librarians who work with us on a daily basis to empower Romanians by providing free access to information at the nation’s public libraries. This accomplishment is not about one person, but rather the collective efforts we have brought about to improve the lives of Romanians through access to the internet and improved library services that reflect community needs.

IREX has been working with public access to information / telecenters for more than 15 years. In that time we’ve encountered many of the difficulties. How do the telecenters continue operation after outside funding dries up? How do you embed the telecenter into the community? As our thinking on this topic has evolved over the years, we’ve begun focusing our efforts on the one existing public institution that is owned by the local community and can provide a variety of information services: the public library.

Donors and implementers who assisted Chileans in the aftermath of the 2010, 8.8-magnitude earthquake recently stood on stage at an event in Santiago organized by the Telecentre.org Foundation in front of representatives from 50 telecentre networks of 100 countries, to share ways information and communication technologies (ICT) helped ease the pain of the disaster. As is typical in crisis situations,utilities and communications were down, government offices were closed, if not destroyed, and media outlets were not broadcasting, leaving a field of misinformation open and alarming an already distraught population.

I just came home from Rwanda, Liberia, Romania and Ukraine. What do these countries have in common you ask and why is IREX focusing on them right now? Each one of these countries is in transition from a difficult past to a hoped-for brighter future. Each one of these countries is in a better position now than in over a generation to make genuine progress toward the goals they’ve set for themselves. Each has its own unique set of challenges, naturally.

In September, 17 young librarians from nine public libraries in Romania successfully graduated from Biblionet’s first Summer School for Young Librarians.

When schoolteacher Tetyana Nishkur was laid off in 2005 after 33 years of service, she had difficulty finding a new job. With the help of the local public library, she learned to write a business plan and started a business renting kayaks and leading tours.

When the White House released its New Approach to Advancing Development earlier this summer, I was struck by two of its key points, tailoring development strategies and underscoring local ownership.

A survey of the latest discussions in the library blogosphere quickly reveals that public libraries in many parts of the world are struggling with an identity crisis. But in the countries where I work – Romania and Ukraine – where more than 65% of the population lack access to the internet, there’s no question about the ongoing relevance of public libraries.