News & Impact

Find stories about:

Project

Region/Country

Sort by: Type | Date

Libraries Leverage Training Centers to Help Seniors Enjoy “Golden Years” December 22, 2011 One in five Ukrainians is a senior citizen, and with the aging population growing, libraries are taking action to create new opportunities for friendship, learning, and growth. In Lviv, librarians organized a program called “Golden Years” that built a community of older residents who learn IT skills and English, explore new hobbies like dancing and crafts, and develop their own initiatives.	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.
Celebrations and Challenges December 21, 2011 by W. Robert Pearson This is the moment each year when we celebrate, when we remember all that has been achieved and all the people whose lives we’ve shared over the past year. We look back on what we’ve learned, and we also look forward to the new year and all that it will bring. One year merges seamlessly into the next, and thus we start again. What we’ve accomplished becomes the energy for what we dream still to do.	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.
Human Rights Day: A Viral Video for Human Rights December 9, 2011 In honor of Human Rights Day, IREX is pleased to share the story of how four Jordanian women joined efforts to combat verbal abuse with the help of new media.	2011 Iraq Media Usage Survey Released - New Data on Iraqi Youth Audience December 6, 2011 by Evan Tachovsky Newly released IREX audience research shows that while Iraqis continue to rely on television as their primary source for news and information, social media and mobile devices play an important role in the consumption and distribution of news and information in Iraq. The Iraq Audience Measurement Survey, a periodic study of media usage in Iraq, was commissioned by IREX as part of the Media and Technology for Community Development program. D3 Systems of Vienna, Virginia conducted the survey.
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).	Thanksgiving and the American Mind November 21, 2011 by W. Robert Pearson The Thanksgiving holiday in America gives us all a chance to reflect on gratitude, on generosity, and on reaching out to those in need. As we Americans from every background recall our blessings, we also remember those less fortunate.