On February 11, 2012, Novateca and the Leova Raion Public Library inaugurated the first Training Center in its pilot network of libraries offering free public access to internet, training for librarians, and expanded library services for the local community. The ribbon on the new center was collectively cut by the representative of the Minister of Culture Dina Ghimpu, Deputy Chief of U.S Mission in Moldova Kara McDonald, Sandra Fried of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Leova Raion President Efrosinia Grețu. The event was also attended by the First Lady of the Republic of Moldova, Margareta Timofti, and local community leaders.
Novateca equipped the Raion Public Library in Leova with computers and peripheral equipment, enabling library staff to offer professional development for librarians in the region, as well as free internet access and new training and services for the community. Through the Novateca program, librarians and support staff received training to facilitate the adoption and use of new technology in the library. As a Regional Training Center, the Leova Raion Public Library will train more than 30 librarians from 16 localities in the Hîncești, Leova and Cahul raions in the use of new technologies for the benefit of their communities.
The inauguration of the Leova Regional Training Center and Raion Library is the first in a series of openings in 12 raions. Throughout 2013, the Novateca pilot program will work with 68 raion and village libraries across Moldova (Ungheni, Soroca, Orhei, Leova, Ceadîr-Lunga, Căușeni, Telenești, Calarași, Hîncești, Cahul and Taraclia), six of which will host Regional Trainings Centers. This year, Moldovan public libraries participating in the pilot network will be equipped with nearly 300 computers, as well as software and peripheral equipment. By the completion of the pilot phase, more than 350,000 Moldovans will benefit from free public access to the internet.
“Moldovan libraries are now entering a new stage of development,” said First Lady Margareta Timofti. “The public library, the local public administration, the central government and local and international partners have come together to bring the Leova raion free public access to the internet, training, and support for continued education for librarians. This strong partnership will help bring change to communities throughout Moldova.”
The Government of the Republic of Moldova has shown strong support for Novateca. Mrs. Dina Ghimpu, representative of the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Moldova, stated that the future of any country relies on the quality of its educational and cultural infrastructure and praised the contributing efforts of librarians and the Novateca program towards progress in the field of library modernization and community development.
Novateca is part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Libraries initiative which focuses on facilitating access to information and communication technologies through public libraries. The two-year learning grant, implemented by IREX in cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is designed to gain an in-depth understanding of the opportunities for providing wide scale public access to information and communication technologies through the Moldovan public library network.