Partnering for Community Change

What is IREX?

IREX is an international nonprofit organization providing leadership and innovative programs to improve the quality of education, strengthen independent media, and foster pluralistic civil society development in more than 100 countries.

• IREX oversees Global Libraries programs in Romania, Ukraine and Moldova

What is Biblionet?• Biblionet is a six-year, 26.9 million dollar project implemented by IREX with funding from the

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

• Equip more than 2,300 Romanian public libraries with technology so citizens have better access to information.

• Train over 3,000 librarians in how to use new technology to provide better services to library

visitors, and develop new library services and advocacy skills. Establish 41 new training centers for librarians across the country.

• Assist the capacity of the National Association of Public Libraries and Librarians (ANBPR) to

advocate on behalf of libraries

• Foster government and private sector support for the recognition of the essential role of libraries in a modern society. Afford citizens e-government services that they would otherwise be unable to access.

 

Where we started

Romania’s library heritageIn 2008: the average age of collections 43 years

Romania’s library heritageIn 2008: only 10 per cent of the population visited public libraries

Continuous challenges

CHALLENGES

Financial squeeze

Source: http://bit.ly/16FuI77

CHALLENGES

Low capacity of librarians

Source: http://bit.ly/164kqan

CHALLENGES

Lack of experience with developing partnerships

Source: http://bit.ly/1amE88Y

CHALLENGES

Impact or “the big picture”

Source: http://bit.ly/17G6buY

Digital divide = Development divide

Source: http://bit.ly/14gauLf

• Biblionet is a six-year, 26.9 million dollar project implemented by IREX with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

• Equip more than 2,300 Romanian public libraries with technology so citizens have better access to information.

 • Train over 3,000 librarians in how to use new technology to provide better services to

library visitors, and develop new library services and advocacy skills. Establish 41 new training centers for librarians across the country.

 • Assist the capacity of the National Association of Public Libraries and Librarians

(ANBPR) to advocate on behalf of libraries

• Foster government support for the recognition of the essential role of libraries in a modern society. Afford citizens e-government services that they would otherwise be unable to access.

 

Internet use at home

Libraries as a partner for development

Source: http://bit.ly/16FgvHb

How can libraries contribute?

Low cohesion funding absorption ratesAs of January, 2013, Romania absorbed only 14 % of the total funds allocated by the EU

• Public libraries access EU funding

• Public Libraries as a point of access for the broader community

• Youth unemployment at 22 % • No coherent national policy to combat the

problem.

Libraries take the lead, over the past 12 months:– 78,000 Romanians sought job seeking assistance– 28,500 applied for employment– 9,000 successfully secured a job

Increasing unemployment

Over a three-year period:

• Over 90,000 farmers • Received approximately 115 million Euros• 200,000 working days saved • Agricultural workers save 1,000,000 Euros in

transportation and gasoline.

Access to online farm subsidies

Financial literacy

In 2013 through a partnership with Visa Europe:

• 980 public libraries participated• 10,300 adult Romanians trained

In 2014:

• 2000 libraries to participate

Telemedicine

In 2013 through a partnership with GE:

• Pilot program in two counties• 50 doctors trained to operate new EKG hardware

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