Eurasia Library Assembly in the Presidential Library

September 22, 2010 in the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library was held the 12th general meeting of the Eurasia Library Assembly. The meetings are held annually and set up the strategy for cooperation between libraries in the post-Soviet area.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of major libraries of Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia and Uzbekistan. The agenda focuses on the issues of possible forms of cooperation: creation of Russian Book Centers, relationship between frontier libraries, joint reference editions, exchange of experts. The attendees concentrated especially on planning of actions under the “Eurasia Golden Collection” program.

The main task of the “Eurasia Golden Collection” project is to develop a single electronic collection of the most valuable editions which reflect the culture of peoples of the former Soviet Union. Library specialists hope that this task implementation will contribute to discovery of mutual historic roots, reestablishment of cultural relations and development of collaboration between nations.

Bibliographers believe that today the holdings of the former Soviet republics’ libraries contain more than 50% of editions in Russian. Their electronic resources are formed in accordance with single rules and are preserved in compatible formats.

The main objective of the Eurasia Library Assembly is developing a single information, library, social and cultural space in the territory of former Soviet republics. The Assembly was born out of a non-commercial partnership of libraries with a view of maintenance of the established relationship in a single librarianship.

Among the Eurasia Library Assembly priorities - to ensure the facility of access to library collections and electronic resources, maintain high standards of library and information services, social support and protection of libraries and librarians.

The 11th general meeting of the Eurasia Library Assembly took place in September 2009 in Bishkek.

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