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Lung Testing at the Library Increases COPD Awareness and Support December 22, 2011 For more than 60 residents of Carpinis, Romania, a recent visit to the library was far from typical. Instead of checking out books or looking for information on the Internet, a doctor and a spirometer were waiting for them. This was a rare opportunity to receive medical care and advice without having to travel to urban areas and an innovative use of the library to improve community health.	Librarians and Medical Professionals Support Cancer Patients December 9, 2011 Every year, 98,000 Romanians are diagnosed with cancer, but there is little awareness of the needs of cancer patients in many communities. Approximately 3100 residents of Tulcea and Constanta counties are coping with cancer, where the public health system has only one onocology department with six doctors, and most nurses have little experience or training in supporting the unique needs of these patients. Now, nurses are receiving that training as part of a two year project called “Learn, Share, Live Better,” using libraries and librarians to create resource centers with reliable information, cultivate community with support groups, and improve oncology education.
A New Library Creates New Hope In Romania December 6, 2011 Building a library from scratch requires an enormous amount of creativity and hard work. In Vulcana Pandele, a village in Romania, the library was crammed into a tiny space with little room for the resources that community members needed. Biblionet offers computers and trainings to libraries across Romania, but there has to be a place to put the new technology. Luiza Barbu was eager to bring modern services to her patrons, and inspired by a fellow librarian to take action.	Fostering Community Development Through Public Libraries December 3, 2011 “A dead end is the best incentive to look for new avenues of possibility,” says Olha Pomyluyko, the head of the local council in Bar Rayon in Ukraine and a graduate of a project management training offered at her local library. “I’m learning to write project proposals in order to raise additional funds for the local community.”
World Disability Day: Ukrainian Library Brings Mobile IT School to People with Disabilities December 1, 2011 One of the core principles of librarianship is to ensure access to information for everyone – including those who can’t come to the library. In Ukraine, people with disabilities are at risk for being left on the wrong side of the digital divide, and librarians realize that these patrons require a different approach: “Limited accessibility to transportation and the vast majority of buildings prevents people with special needs from using the benefits of innovative technology. Meanwhile, modern Internet services…provide valuable information, necessary goods and services, and communication,” states Nina Lokot, Head of Information Resource Center at Luhansk Oblast Universal Scientific Library (OUSL).	IREX Releases 2011 Annual Report November 14, 2011 Our work today reaches and helps more people than ever before in our history. These stories highlight just a handful of the 300,000 people IREX has helped this year.
Romanian Libraries at the Forefront of E-Government November 11, 2011 This year, 400 public libraries in Romania helped 17,000 farmers successfully receive farm subsidies of over $54,000 per library.	How Do Public Libraries Around the World Help Migrants? August 17, 2011 by Matej Novak I recently had the opportunity to contribute to the Impatient Optimists blog, sharing my observations on the role of rural public libraries in supporting the families of migrant laborers. What follows are my thoughts as they appear on Impatient Optimists.
An Unexpected Meeting with VP of the European Commission July 20, 2011 by Paul-Andre Baran A week prior to the Romania Digital Agenda conference, the Biblionet training manager feverishly called to tell me that the Vice President of the European Commission, Ms. Neelie Kroes, was going to visit Bucharest and that I should be ready to attend the conference. That Monday, I met with Sanda Foamete, Manager for Microsoft and Gabi Barna from EOS (Educating for an Open Socienty) Foundation to discuss how to best approach a 25-minute private meeting they had organized with Ms. Kroes. I knew my unexpected meeting with such an openhearted EU official would grant IREX the platform to detail the imperative work of libraries in reaching large numbers of people in providing access to key e-government services.	Romanian Pub Turns Public Library July 8, 2011 Where there were once ales and liver sausages, there are now books, computers and a well-trained librarian waiting to give patrons a taste of the World Wide Web. Romanians benefit in many ways thanks to Biblionet's work with the local government to convert an old pub into a modern library.