Bibliomist - Global Libraries Ukraine

Bibliomist - Global Libraries Ukraine

Overview

The Bibliomist program helped Ukrainian libraries better serve their communities through a countrywide system of public internet access and customized local services in libraries.

Bibliomist fostered the development of a modern public library system in Ukraine to improve socioeconomic conditions. Bibliomist libraries also demonstrated their relevance during times of crisis, offering new services for those displaced by armed conflict and connecting communities to vital information about reforms and decentralization.

Quick Facts

  • Bibliomist empowered 4,000 librarians with 21st-century skills to help them serve the needs of their communities.
  • The program modernized 1,930 libraries, equipping them with technology and free public access to the internet.
  • Bibliomist libraries hosted nearly half a million unique patrons annually and 60 million total visits.
  • The project provided training on e-governance tools to more than 430 government officials, 2,000 citizens, and 1,800 librarians.
  • The program generated $1 million in income tax revenue for the Government of Ukraine from more than 4,000 successful job seekers at libraries.
  • 8,095 librarians received training to provide services for internally displaced persons (IDPs). The librarians consulted with 7,000 IDPs, helping them access information on new election processes.

Goals

  • Equip libraries with technology so citizens have better access to timely and accurate information on health, employment, education, government services, and other resources to improve their lives.
  • Train librarians on how to use new technologies to provide better services to library visitors.
  • Help strengthen the capacity of the Ukrainian Library Association to advocate on behalf of libraries and librarians.
  • Foster government support for recognition of the essential role of libraries in a modern society.
I decided to sign up for the training on how to start your own business. As a result, I became a private entrepreneur, and now I am a landscape designer. Oleksander Suhak, Khmelnytska Oblast

Project Activities

  • Support for libraries: With $12.7 million in cofunding from local governments, Bibliomist equipped libraries across Ukraine with new technology that enabled free access to information for millions of Ukrainians.
  • Training for librarians: Bibliomist and its local partners designed training materials and created training facilities in every oblast to foster innovation in the library system. Librarians now have the technology skills to provide computer and internet guidance to library users, offer locally responsive services for patrons, and help patrons become actively engaged in their communities.

Partners

Logos for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID

 

 

People

  • Sheila Scott
    Senior Technical Advisor II - Center for Applied Learning and Impact

Contact

E-mail: gl@irex.org