Fostering Community Development Through Public Libraries

“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.”

Public libraries in Ukraine traditionally served as storehouses for books. Libraries funded under IREX’s Bibliomist program are redefining how they can serve local communities, especially through access to new technologies and trainings. Bibliomist equips libraries with public access computers and provides training for librarians to use technology in innovative ways to serve patrons. Recently, the library in Bar Rayon opened a Center for Project Management to offer formal training in project proposal writing, project management, fundraising, and developing partnerships.

Library director Liubov Kryliuk found that providing community members with a space to develop their own project proposals and to practice their skills benefited individuals and brought new investments into the community. The Center “enables the library, government, and public to work together in bringing about change in the region and improving the quality of life for local residents,” notes Liubov.

Bar Rayon’s library is one of approximately 1,800 that will receive public access computers, training, and support from the Bibliomist program. Currently, the library is a hub for the community to share expertise and to keep up to date on new opportunities. The librarians use the computers to search for grant opportunities and post them on a community blog.

Community members who have undergone trainings have had great success. For example, Vasyl Dolynny, a village council head, applied for and won a grant to develop his community center after attending the training. Vasyl’s village revitalized its center to include a new first aid station for maternal and child health care services, a post office, and a permanent place for the local council. After receiving help from the Bar Rayon library, he is now writing more proposals to boost community development. Vasyl’s efforts, and those of hundreds of others throughout Ukraine, are evidence of the dramatic change in the role libraries, librarians, and access to technology are playing in local life. They also reflect the power of community members, armed with the right skills and knowledge, to engage in sustainable development initiatives.

The above story is originally featured in our 2011 Annual Report. With your help, we can continue to change the lives of other librarians like Liubov. Please consider making a gift online through our donation page.