I was recently given the honor of being named Romania’s Digital Champion [11] 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 [12] 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.
Over the past three years we have all benefitted from open-minded local governments that, even in the midst of a rough recession, have managed to contribute seven million Euros in cost-share, modernizing library spaces throughout the country. The contribution of Educating for an Open Society Foundation (EOS) in developing a nation-wide training infrastructure for librarians has been critical to much of our success and will be instrumental for the further advancement of Romania’s public library system. Ms. Gabi Barna, EOS Director, and her team at EOS are very much Romanian Digital Champions in their own right for their tireless work in promoting e-inclusion throughout Romania. The National Association of Public Libraries and Librarians (ANBPR) was central in providing information and assistance throughout the country assessment process and when designing the Biblionet program. The ANBPR will be a continuing proponent for the evolution of the public library sector well beyond IREX’s departure.
I also believe that the success of community building around libraries has much to do with the many visionaries who believe in investing in Romania’s long-term future through active partnership with public libraries. Companies such as Microsoft, Intuitext and Bitdefender have donated millions of dollars’ worth of software to communities throughout Romania and have participated in Biblionet events. Techsoup Romania and the Centrul de Mediere si Securitate Comunitara (CMSC) are only two examples of local NGOs that have broadened their view of the potential of public libraries in achieving their own goals and objectives. We have even seen Sensiblu Pharmacies and Ursus breweries adjust their CSR policies to first experiment with using libraries as community spaces to deliver important public health messages, later expanding their pilot experiments to national programs.
Lastly, the Romanian government, especially the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Communications, and the Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture (APIA) have been innovative partners in experimenting with the possibility of making eGovernment services available to more Romanians through public libraries. It is all the partners, many of whom are not mentioned here, together that really represent Romania’s digital champion.
To be Romania’s Digital Champion means to understand and to contribute to the advancing of national digital inclusion goals. Only together will we assist Romanians in discovering the breadth of the potentially profound economic and social benefits that can result from investing in expanded internet access alongside online service development. I therefore see my role as coordinator for many local digital champions and visionaries, all of whom will significantly increase our ability to positively impact people’s lives together.