Gemenele, in Braila county, Romania, has everything you would expect in a small town: a town hall, church, school, and cultural center where the library is located. And today, despite recent budget cutbacks, the library has new computers and a commitment to an ongoing internet connection thanks to the mayor and librarian Nicoleta Manzala.
In many areas Romania’s national telecom provider Romtelecom already offers internet service, but in Gemenele a new connection involved a substantial initial investment by the town. When Manzala wanted her library to partner with the Biblionet program, she knew securing a reliable broadband connection would require a collaborative approach. Working together with other public institutions, the library partnered with the school and city hall to share a single internet connection. Despite difficult economic times, Mayor Petrica Calu supported the initiative and helped the partnership obtain the necessary funding.
After partnering with the Biblionet program and receiving new computers and IT training, the town encountered even bigger budget problems. Due to an accounting error and reduced revenue, the budget would no longer support the 600 RON ($200 USD) monthly cost.
Fortunately, the mayor of Gemenele knew everything that happened in his community. When children would visit the library and use the computers, he could see how happy they were. He could also see how deeply involved the librarian was in this project, and above all he was aware that he had promised to provide local people with free access to the information. Because of the mayor’s relationships with Manzala, the two were able to solve the problem together. They approached the county requesting supplemental funding to cover the town’s budget deficit and were granted equalization funds to cover the gap and continue to pay the broadband connection as promised.
Biblionet - Global Libraries Romania is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and implemented by IREX.