Central Asia PIC Retreat

October 1- 4, 2008 - These were the dates of the 9th International Conference of Librarians where the World Bank Public Information Centers (PIC), Regional and Depository Libraries from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan took part. This event was held in Aurora sanatorium, Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan.  The conference brought together about 80 participants from different countries including Latvia, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan. 

The conference was opened by the Kyrgyzstan Parliament Deputy who noted that more attention should be given to libraries and the government programs should be "library sensitive" so that the public has a place to come for information, and not only, as libraries in this complex time became also a place for advice, consultations, sharing information and knowledge and even a place to meet.  The agenda of the conference was very tight: official reporting on the status of librarian affairs in Kyrgyzstan; legal aspects of library’s work; presentations from different countries on library's activities to stimulate research; new methods of storing resources and new sources of information; how to make user access easier; problems of specific libraries; innovative methods and many others. 

The World Bank was allotted the whole session in the first - main - day of the conference.  The session was organized so to provide maximum information on the Bank, its information resources, public information services, approach to disseminate information and ways to cooperate with libraries.  The representatives of the World Bank Depository, Regional Libraries and PICs from four Central Asia countries presented their experience and insight of the Bank-libraries cooperation.  Quiz on the library and development issues stirred up the interest of participants during the session and created open atmosphere for discussions.

"Apart from being a good opportunity to meet and communicate with my colleagues from Central Asian countries and the World Bank, this retreat was an eye-opening event for me. It helped me understand my tasks better and see what has been done in a wrong way," said Rimma Muhtarova, Lead Specialist, Development Resource Center and Library (WB PIC), Tahskent, Uzbekistan.

More information here.