Index of Library Services Work meeting New Services

Index of Library Services Work meeting: “New Services in the Modern Library” Sofia, 18 -19 April 2011

The library as a community center • Center for social and health information • E-health – national network with local information on services and health rights • Center for legal information • Center for information targeted at the non-government sector; information on starting a business (new programs, funding opportunities); information for entrepreneurs; on farming, agriculture, etc. • “Career Development” Center – encouraging newly graduated young people in their job search • The intermediate library – books, Internet, seminars, lectures, meetings, etc. • Discussion club – strategies for finding a job

The library as a community center • Parliament corner – for meetings and debate on draft legislation with local deputies from different political parties • European corner – for meetings and debate related to draft legislation of the EU, human rights, working in the EU, starting a business in the EU, etc. • Democratic corner – for information and discussions related to broken human rights. • Users’ corner – for information and discussions related to users’ rights. • Fighting corruption through libraries (promotion of activities, organizing public debate on the subject, etc. )

The library as a place for bridging the digital divide • Information literacy center • Center for transfer of digital information • Electronic government: the library – an access center to the electronic government • Procurement of devices for reading electronic books and preservation of books in electronic format

The library as a place for bridging the digital divide • Digitalization of books from libraries’ collections with reference and scientific character and making them available to patrons in electronic format • Software for educational games: procurement and installation in libraries • Increase and diversification of online services • Creation of Internet cafés: popular and pleasant meeting places

The library as multifunctional space • Teenage zone (Youth Corner) offering practice and training in different urban arts: hip-hop, graffiti, dances from exotic countries, fashion, design, photography, computer games, new media, music creation, etc. • Consultations with teachers during the school year, presentations of popular professions and courses with popular persons – e. g. , photographer, designer, organization of demonstrations

The library as multifunctional space • Books clubs – creation of interest clubs, carrying out interests initiatives (a celebrated book, an everyday topic, discussions on community problems, etc. ) • Library club – strategies for health and longevity – with books and periodicals, lectures, debate and sharing experience • Bibliotherapy – with readings of poetry and prose and discussions • Children’s party club (in children’s departments)

The library as multifunctional space • Storytime – time for stories, fairy tales, songs for children from very early age to 12 years old with participation of parents and siblings • Baby time – fun for babies • Babies’ changing rooms • „First pages” – introduction of the littlest ones into the world of fairy tales • Creation of corners and animations for the littlest ones and their parents

The library as multifunctional space • Library club of the young parent with speakers and discussions • Literary cuisine – restaurant with the favorite dishes of popular writers • Intercultural café with opportunities for meetings and programs by people of different ethos and cultures in partnerships with their organizations • Planning of independent events in the library’s rooms (exhibitions, seminars, meetings, courses)

Mobile libraries Bibliobusses: • Widespread in Sweden (initiated in 2005 in Kungsbaska district) • In 2010 the bus increases its visits on location to 64 times per afternoon, 4 times a week in the mornings • The mobile library goes to 4 schools and 16 pre-school establishments in the district • Extremely beautiful and functional equipment, drawers with children’s books are put in the bus • The stairs are constructed in order to turn into a small stage and place for reading and listening to stories

Mobile libraries • The library has 3, 000 books and other library items (magazines, CD, audio books and DVD) • The total number of borrowed library items in 2009 was just below 80, 000, 72% of which were children’s books which is taken into account upon procurement of books for the mobile library • The bus has the LIBRA. se library system updated 4 times per day and its own server • This library was selected for library of the year in 2006 -2007 by the Swedish library association

Gothenburg City Library • The most frequently visited cultural institution in the city, over 1. 1 million visitors for 2009 • • • Collection of over 320, 000 library items • Differentiated corners: Europe Direct; Parliament Center; Corner for meetings between young managers and successful people; Space foreigners’ integration, etc. • Each day of the week a part of the library turns into meetings space. The subjects are different as well as the visitors – books presentations, fashion shows, exotic dance lessons, exhibitions, computer games demonstrations, etc. Visits frequency – 1 visitors enters the library every 10 sec Besides its central building, the library has 25 branches which employ 50 library and information specialists and 50 volunteers

Thank you for your attention Sylvia Vrachovska District Library Vratsa vratsa@glbulgaria. net tel. +359 892 219 378