Better trained teachers mean better educated children. This is a truth wellknown by community members and librarians who facilitated online access to both traditional as well as innovative teaching methods and tools for a group of English teachers in Orhei and Telenesti raions.

The events were organized in Orhei and Telenesti raion public libraries in partnership with two alumnae of the US-funded Muskie graduate exchange program - Daniela Munca and Angela Trubceac - who offered special trainings to local teachers trying to meet their educational content demand by providing effective access to online educational resources.

The Orhei participants learned ways in which ICT can support teachers in their daily activity and how to look for innovative teaching methods and techniques on the Internet. The other trainer organized a debate at the Telenesti Raion Library on the most effective teaching tools: the traditional vs. the innovative. They were also given practical skills in accessing online resources that will be later used by teachers to help students locate higher quality study materials.

Nellie Stan, a training participant, underscored the need of updating teachers about recent teaching materials. ”It was a great activity that offered a lot of useful information and all seemed so easy and accessible to everyone,” commented the teacher.

”There is a huge amount of information on the Internet on the matters discussed during the trainings. Teachers can feel uncomfortable and even lost in this bulk of information,” mentioned Muskie Alumna, Trainer, Daniela Munca. ”That's why we give structured information - links to online pages, and online resources - that teachers can use immediately after the trainings are finished.”

The successes of the trainings have demonstrated that a closer collaboration between libraries and teachers is a must for every community and that libraries are the ideal environment for that collaboration to evolve. The need for collaboration has increased now that libraries are beginning to offer more opportunities and resources than ever. Having computers with free access to internet and public space for gatherings, local teachers can use libraries to upgrade their knowledge and skills in offering more educational resources and opportunities to community members.