On March 28, the representatives of the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Research, the National Librarianship Council, and Novateca program hosted a panel discussion with representatives of the public library network to address the main challenges and opportunities faced by Moldovan public libraries after the Novateca project closes.

The discussion panel was part of the annual “Librarianship Year” Symposium hosted by the National Library, and served as a great platform for librarians to raise awareness about their main concerns regarding the future functioning of libraries and their new responsibilities under the New Law on Libraries that will come into force as of January 2019.

Since 2012, the Moldovan network of public libraries has gone through a great spectrum of changes and modernization processes, breaking with the old stereotypes that labeled them as silent reading rooms and reinventing themselves into active, multifunctional centers that serve community needs.

To make sure the library modernization process continues to advance after the closing of the Novateca program, all participants agreed that library activities, services, partnerships and professional development opportunities must continue, and are supported by the New Law on Libraries. In this context, the commitment of central and local public authorities’ in ensuring further investments in libraries’ equipment and infrastructure, facilitating free Internet access, and covering training expenses for librarians’ professional development becomes imperative to the achievement of modern library sustainability.

“During the last 6 years, Moldovan Public Libraries revolutionized the traditional concepts of book repositories and took on new roles as multifunctional centers that meet community needs and create new opportunities for citizens,” mentioned Andrei Chistol, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research of the Republic of Moldova. “It is our duty to secure funding for public libraries and make sure they continue to serve communities.”

To strengthen the system of library professional development and ensure librarians have the necessary expertise and knowledge to provide modern services and meet community needs, the National and Regional Training Centers committed to provide trainings for librarians and help them advance their skills.

“Over the last few years, Moldovan public librarians learned to advocate effectively for their libraries and attracted significant investments for library premises and equipment,” noted Evan Tracz, Director of the Novateca program. “In order to safeguard the libraries’ future development, librarians will need to continue to actively promote their successes to communities and partners, and demonstrate their value.”

Librarians have also addressed the importance of continuing advocacy campaigns and ensuring the sustainability of the library IT equipment, noting the `1+1` initiative approach as a good example to be applied in the future.

Romanian expert Sorina Stanca joined the panel and shared the Biblionet experience, highlighting the prospects for ensuring the sustainability of libraries after the program’s closure and disseminating best practices applied by Romanian libraries.

This panel was a great platform to open the conversation about concrete next steps to ensure the sustainability of public libraries, and encourage librarians and partners to continue the discussion and share their vision on how to implement these changes.