Program Coordinator: Yegana Mammadova
OSI-AF started to work with libraries from 1997. The basic idea of OSI-Library Program consists of delivering the idea of Contemporary Library and it goals, which implies library to serve to the ideas of Open Society and to be the basic center for information and knowledge, accessible for each and every inhabitant.
In this period of time the trainings over the following topics took place in Azerbaijan, Baku: "Library Automation", "Methods of Development of Projects", "Administration of the Projects", "UNIMARC and registration"(with participation of Trainers from Lithuania), several trainings and round-table discussions on "eIFL-Direct" Project (ones with participation of Consultant of EBSCO Publishing Company from Russia), "Managing Contemporary Library" (with participation of Trainers from Lithuania; mostly designed for regional librarians). The last training was locally conducted by the Training Center for Continual Education of Librarians (TCCEL) existing at Azerbaijan State Library named after M. F. Akhundov from the beginning of 2001st and which was established in a result of Matching funding between OSI-AF and OSI Budapest (OSI-BP). The TCCEL conducts classes over "Library management", "Intellectual freedom", "Fundraising", "UNIMARC Standard" - base", "E-catalogue" and etc. In the current year OSI-AF Library Program together with the TCCEL held 3 (three) 3-days "Contemporary libraries and its goals" regional trainings on the abovementioned subjects
We can say that one of our biggest breakthroughs is Regional Resource Centers Project, which exists in 9 (nine) different regional libraries of Azerbaijan (Barda, Ganja, Khanlar, Alibayramli, Shekhi, Shemakha, Lenkoran, Guba and Akhmedli settlement of Baku ). From the geographical point of view the Centers are located evenly throughout the Azerbaijan considering reachability for all surrounding regions.
From the end of 2002nd OSI-AF Library Program started to plan conducting "NIZAMI" Project, which will be alike "Pushkin Library" Megaproject (PLM), but including National literature. The PLM project was organized by OSI-Russia for the post-Soviet countries and OSI-AF - Azerbaijan has been participating in it since 1998. This project consisted of 7 stages and gave an opportunity to expand collections in social and humanitarian sciences of Baku and regional libraries. A lot of Baku and regional libraries have received the books through Megaproject in 1998-2002. At present, the project is almost at the completion stage. As PLM was very welcomed by librarians and readers of Azerbaijan and there were many suggestions to conduct these kinds of projects on national level we decided to start some preliminary reconnaissance works related to creation of "NIZAMI" Project.
Reposing on current situation in Library sector in Azerbaijan the Coordinator, Information Programs Expert Committee and main active librarians have selected the following problems and needs:
- Inaptitude of librarians to cooperate together, which became the foremost reason for absence of active National Library Consortia
- Absence of self-financing, weak governmental financial support (which includes poor library collection development, low salaries, weak technical support of libraries, especially of those in the regions and etc.)
- Absence of automation of library-bibliographic processes and e-catalogue
- Absence of common catalogue
- Absence of national bibliography (outage of publishing)
- Low level of advanced computer skills first and foremost of regional librarians
- Large difference among city and regional libraries in all the aforementioned aspects
- Absent of Book publishing standards, which complicates librarians' work when registering the book.
- Lack of literature on Azeri language in Latin script
According to the above-mentioned situation and determinated problems OSI-AF Library Program has selected the following goals and objectives, which also will become the main directions and priorities of Program's work for current year:
GOALS
- To bring Library sector of Azerbaijan closer to the contemporary level
- To assist/facilitate local libraries to rise on higher levels of self-sufficient existence
OBJECTIVES
- To enhance level of professionalism of librarians, especially those in the regions
- To bring to the librarians' notice existing practical experience of self-financing on example of foreign libraries
- To facilitate and assist in National Library Consortia development
- To improve/facilitate to reconstruct Bibliographic Apparatus
- To provide logistical support (accenting on joint projects)
- To increase the level of involvement of regional libraries into OSI projects and general activity
- To enhance quantity of regional trainings (as 2002nd year's experience showed very positive outcomes)
- To facilitate in development of "eIFL-Direct" Project in Azerbaijan
- To start preparative works related to the "NIZAMI" Project
The logistical support will have apropos some new (for OSI-AF Azerbaijan Library Program) aspects, and namely; one of the important conditions of large/"expensive" library projects supporting will be the availability of co-funding, which means that libraries will not have to rely only on financial support of OSI and must search for any other additional donors.
Detailed description of some of our projects:
electronic Information For Libraries (eIFL Direct) www.eifl.net is a mutual project between Open Society Institute and EBSCO Publishing, one of the world's largest providers of electronic and print journals.
This project includes over 5,000 titles of full-text journals and provides access to contemporary academic journals, business data and general interests magazines, exhaustive medical references, newspapers and pamphlets in electronic format (online, CD) for developing countries that are part of the Open Society Institute's network. OSI achieved the most available prices for developing countries. The six databases currently offered include:
- Academic Search Elite
- Business Source Premier
- MasterFILE Premier
- Newspaper Source Plus
- Comprehensive MEDLINE Plus Full-Text
- Health Source Plus
The information before was presented in English and since end of 2001 there appeared some tittles in Russian language as well.
Community Information Resource Centers in Regional Public Libraries Project's mission is to help libraries overcome their past and transform themselves into truly public, service-oriented centers for the communities. Libraries should serve as focal points for establishing community information resource centers. This includes implementing adequate cost sharing and sustainability mechanisms that involve and promote ownership by the communities themselves. Each CIRC will consist of two main components:
Computer educational Center (CEC) for training and e-mail/Internet access.
In the future there may be plans to expand exposure to information by implementing an educational video library. This could provide an enormous educational advantage drawing in affiliated schools and other community members.
Regional Projects presume:
- Address the information vacuum in the regions of Azerbaijan, especially among the IDP population
- Give regional libraries and residents better access to information
- Develop regional libraries as community centers and catalysts for civic initiative
Multi-Country Consortium Building Program
eIFL-NET is a new independent, non-profit, multi-country consortium of library consortia dedicated to leading, supporting, motivating, and advocating for the electronic information needs of all library users in countries of transition. eIFL-NET currently has more than 40 member countries, with the membership expected to expand to well over 70 countries. eIFL- Net seeks to develop and deliver effective, affordable, timely, and responsive programs and services for the advancement of global information access through collaboration and resource sharing among its member consortia on behalf of the libraries in their countries. Financial stability during the first three years is possible through the substantial support from the Open Society Institute.
MISSION: eIFL-NET is an international consortium of library consortia that leads, supports, motivates, and advocates for the wide availability of information by library users in member countries in transition.
VISION: eIFL-NET will:
- assist in the building of strong national consortia;
- be the premier multi-country negotiator for securing affordable commercial electronic information services;
- strongly advocate for the development of local digital resources;
- provide a strong central business relationship with content providers;
- leverage multi-national expertise and resources to expand the access to information;
- provide top quality educational and consulting services;
- be an advocate for the adoption and advancement of effective information distribution models; and,
- develop model partnerships with global funding agencies, foundations, consortia groups, and content providers.
As part of its ongoing effort to establish a multi-country consortium to serve countries in transition (eIFL-NET), the Open Society Institute seeks to assist libraries in these countries to form or strengthen one consortium per country to become part of the multi-country consortium (eIFL-NET) network. A critical element of the eIFL-NET Strategic Plan is to support the building of country consortia. This is seen as a critical step to advance the other eIFL-NET goals, including expanding the access to electronic information, providing member consortia with educational and consulting services, and working to influence the global information environment. A description of the benefits to local libraries in the formation of a local consortium is attached to this document, and it will be seen that the benefits extend beyond the purchase of electronic information. The common element in these benefits is that the apparent weakness of an individual library becomes a strength when links are made to other libraries.
The practical ways in which this principle can be applied to the purchase of electronic datasets and journals are being developed by the Task Forces set up by OSI to build upon the success of the eIFL consortium. These developments cannot be effective without the formation of local consortia, which will have a vital role to play. The country consortium will be the primary conduit to channel recommendations for purchase to the multi-country consortium, ensuring that what is purchased meets local needs. The combination of commitment from several country consortia can be a powerful bargaining factor in negotiating favorable pricing and licensing terms with publishers. The country consortia can also help to achieve efficient use of any content purchased through the training of users and the sharing of equipment and network connections.
Library Staff Training program includes:
- Improve professionalism of librarians
- Introduce new methods/systems to Azerbaijan librarians
- Increase success of library automation program
- Capitalize on opportunities within OSI network
In 1997-2002 Azerbaijan librarians attended series of conferences and training seminars (both in Azerbaijan and abroad) as seen in the list of grants to individuals. And in cooperation with OSI-Net and OSI-AF Azerbaijan in the beginning of 2001 New Training Center for Continual Education of Librarians was established in Azerbaijan State Library named after M. F. Akhundov.
Library Automation program includes:
- Improve library access to information
- Improve users' access to information
- Develop library technology
- Improve librarians' computer skills and Internet awareness
- Encourage sharing of materials through inter-library loan
- Encourage cooperation between libraries
OSI-AF - Azerbaijan Library Program will be continuing its activity in accordance with the above mentioned directions and additional active projects and competitions in the current year of 2003.
