On April 9-14, Novateca in collaboration with the Polish Foundation for Development of Information Society and the National Library of Lithuania facilitated a 6-day study visit of a group of 12 Moldovan librarians to Poland and Lithuania, as part of the European Library Innovation Program.
Accompanied by Susan Schnuer and Claudia Serbanuta, international consultants and mentors of the Library Innovators Leadership Initiative (LILI), the group of Moldovan library innovators explored new concepts for library development and brought home fresh ideas and good practices to share with the entire network.
Visiting public libraries from Poland (Grodzisk Mazowiecki public library, Piasecno municipal library, Children’s branch of the Mokotow district library, and Przasnysz public library) and Lithuania (National Library, Lazdijai and Alytus regional libraries, and a branch of the Vilnius municipal library), which were also part of the Global Libraries programs, librarians had the opportunity to observe both, small and large, rural and urban libraries, and assess their offers for community members.
The group of librarians participated in practical workshops on library innovation, management, and community councils, and learned new techniques on how to attract funds and establish sustainable partnerships. To better absorb all the new information and strengthen their knowledge, the librarians grouped into 4 teams that were responsible for topics related to partnerships, strategic planning, innovation, and leadership. This assignment helped them to lead discussions and gain more in-depth knowledge about these topics.
During the visit, Moldovan librarians expressed a great interest in the approaches undertaken by their Polish and Lithuanian colleagues to assess community needs and attract new users, conduct outreach activities and work with community institutions and actors. The group explored the educational offers and services provided for different audiences, including youth, adults, seniors, ethnic minorities, and people with special needs.
The study visit was a great opportunity for the Moldovan librarians to cultivate leadership skills and expand the network of librarian innovators, thus strengthening their abilities to ensure continuous development of Moldovan libraries after the closure of the Novateca program.
Following the visit, librarians will improve their library portfolios and adjust their activity plans, based on the strategic planning, leadership, innovations and partnership practices learned. To share all the skills and knowledge acquired, librarians have also committed to deliver transfer sessions to their local networks.