Program Coordinator: Yegana Mammadova

Open access to information and knowledge is vital to an open society. For reasons ranging from lack of government funding, the historical dependence of republican libraries on Moscow, lack of US government funding due to pressure from the Armenian lobby, to generally poor infrastructure, libraries in Azerbaijan lag far behind their sister institutions in western Europe and even in Russia. Support for libraries is one way to work against Azerbaijan's isolation, provincialism and information vacuum. In developing OSI-AF-Azerbaijan's library program for 2000-2001, the following problems were considered:

• Lack of computers in most libraries and lack of computer skills and training of librarians. And as a result lack of access to up-to-date information in electronic format
• Large difference between Baku libraries and those in the regions
• Need of a professional association of libraries or information specialists
• Lack of foreign language skills in majority of librarians
• Usage of outdated cataloguing methods, poorly developed inter-library loan system
• Lack of accession of libraries' book funds

According to above-mentioned points OSI-AF-Azerbaijan's library program has been concentrating over following projects in 2000-2001:

• eIFL Direct - Electronic Information for libraries
• Community Information Resource Centers in Regional Public Libraries
• Multi-Country Consortium Building Program
• Prolongation and support of "Pushkin library " Megaproject
• Providing training, seminars and meetings with and among the librarians and related organizations
• Library staff training
• Library Automation
• Reduce Azerbaijan's provincialism

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

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. The Project presumes to establish seven CIRCs in regional public libraries of Ali Bayramli, Ganja, Shemakha, Sheki, Barda, Guba and Lenkoran. Each CIRC will consist of two main components:

• Reading rooms with an expanded newspaper and journal subscription.
• Computer educational Center (CEC) for training and e-mail/Internet access.

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:

1. assist in the building of strong national consortia;
2. be the premier multi-country negotiator for securing affordable commercial electronic information services;
3. strongly advocate for the development of local digital resources;
4. provide a strong central business relationship with content providers;
5. leverage multi-national expertise and resources to expand the access to information;
6. provide top quality educational and consulting services;
7. be an advocate for the adoption and advancement of effective information distribution models; and,
8. 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.

Prolongation and support of "Pushkin library "Megaproject
The project has been established by OSI-Russia for Post-Union countries and OSI-AF Azerbaijan participates in it since 1998. This project consists of 6 stages and enables Baku and regional libraries to expand their collections in the social sciences and humanities. During 2000 and 2001 period many of Baku and regional libraries received books through the Pushkin Project. The Project is to be ended in the 2002, as there is only one last 6th stage remains.

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 1997-2001 Azerbaijan librarians attended a 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 2002 New Training Center will be 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

During 1997-2001 years, training on Automation and Internet was conducted for staff members. The NLP automation consultant visit assisted librarians to identify necessary steps to automate the main Baku libraries.

In the current 2002 year OSI-AF Azerbaijan's Library Program will prolong it's activity in accordance with above-mentioned directions and additional related operational projects and competitions. One of the main ideas of the Program is to integrate and facilitate libraries work in cooperation with each other for better outcomes and achievements.

• 2000 Program Expenses: USD 66,700