Romanian Pub Turns Public Library

Almost a year has passed since the residents of Bretea Romania walked by a building they had known as a pub, a place where they got together for a drink and to tell stories, and saw it had become the new public library. Where there were once ales and sausages, there are now books, computers and a well-trained librarian waiting to give patrons a taste of the World Wide Web.

Mayor Ioan Jurj had been a supporter of Biblionet ever since he heard about the program in a meeting at the County Library in 2009. At first, he tried to refurbish an old library, but quickly realized it would be costly and the results less than satisfactory. Instead, he found an alternative: a local pub.

“There may be other communities where libraries are closed and turned into bars, but here, in Bretea, we believe that people who are well informed are also better prepared for life. Information gives you power, shapes your future and makes you stronger. Those who lack information can’t find their way towards the future,” he said.

Now, students and senior citizens come to the library to learn how to use computers. Parents have found better schools for their children. Farmers have applied to get subsidies and grants to improve their crops.

One of these farmers is Liana Darabanti, an economist who realized the new computers in the library could help her get funds to set up an orchard. “We have a small farm and wanted to get access to European funds. I found the documents we needed to submit projects on the Internet, which made our travel in order to obtain access to these projects less frequent, and less expensive.”

Later on, Liana and her husband found they could get funds in different areas of development. They equipped their farm with solar panels through the Ministry of Environment’s “Green House” program. Going to the library is now a family activity: “My daughters who accompany me also started to be interested in the new services. We go there together, and I read the news while they find reviews for school and sometimes socialize with young people around the world.”

The library in Bretea has come full circle: it is once again a place to meet people, tell stories and listen to others. It is just that now the visitors are surrounded by books, the low hum of running computers and, sometimes, a joyful outburst from an enthusiastic user.