Presidential Library: New President of the Library Assembly of Eurasia elected in Kazakhstan

November 15-17 2011 the Presidential Library’s delegation took part in the International conference “New Format of Eurasian Libraries. Information Systems and Technologies” which ran in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Specialists from CIS member-states discussed the cooperation strategy for libraries of post-Soviet states.

Director General of the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan Gulisa Balabekova delivered the keynote address where she stated the priorities and prospects of development of Eurasian libraries.

This theme was taken up by leading specialists of the Presidential Library. In particular, while giving a report at a plenary session Deputy Director General of the Presidential Library - Sergei Makeev - highlighted the initiatives developed by the Presidential Library for building regional information networks.

At the “National Digital Libraries and World Information Space” section the Head of Patron Services Department - Lyudmila Savelyeva - made a report on provision of access to integrated digital resource at remote electronic reading rooms of the Presidential Library.

The conference brought together representatives of Ministries of Culture, scientific and educational institutions of CIS member-states, heads of national and state libraries.

An important part of the forum became a general meeting of members of the Library Assembly of Eurasia (LAE), which was attended by Director General of the Presidential Library Alexander Vershinin. During the meeting LAE members approved financial reports of the Assembly. Animated discussions were provoked by an issue on the necessity and form of changes for “Herald of the Library Assembly of Eurasia” journal.

Director General of the Russian State Library Alexander Visly was unanimously chosen to take the position of LAE president, which was formerly occupied by Director of the National Library of the Republic of Belarus Roman Motulsky. The same unanimity was displayed by members of the Assembly as they elected vice-presidents – Gulisa Balabekova and Roman Motulsky.

LAE is a non-profit library partnership, the main objective of which is to shape common information and library space. The Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library has been the member of the Library Assembly of Eurasia since 2009.