The festive events timed to the 25th anniversary of the Belarusian Library Association took place in the National Library on 16 June.
The Belarusian Library Association was established on June 16, 1992 at the founding conference of librarians. The Association’s activity area is the promotion of the professional growth of library specialists, as well as the development and improvement of the regulatory and legal framework of Belarusian libraries, the coordination of research work, and the introduction of modern information technology. Round tables on experience exchange, international conferences, numerous seminars and meetings are annually held under its auspices. Today the Belarusian Library Association is a structure of public self-government with almost 1,000 members. It unites specialists of libraries of various types and departmental subordination remaining to this day the only in Belarus public association in the library sphere.
The photo exhibition "The Castle of Light" dedicated to the architecture of Latvian libraries was opened within the framework of the celebrations. The exposition includes more than 20 banners with their images and a brief description: the National Library of Latvia (Gunnar Birkerts’ project) and also 9 public libraries, the most expressive from the architectural point of view: the Kuldiga Central Library, the Tukums Library, Jaunlidzis Public Library, the Central Library of Cesis and others.
The exhibition was prepared by the National Library of Latvia Foundation jointly with the National Library of Belarus, with the maintenance of the Embassy of the Latvian Republic to the Republic of Belarus. The exposition opening was attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Latvian Republic to the Republic of Belarus Martins Virsis.
One of the most spectacular events of the day was the announcement of results of the competition “The best library of the year”, which was organized by the Belarusian Library Association and Vladimir Grevtsov’s Agency.
More than 50 libraries took part in the contest, and only 5 of them won. According to the jury’s decision, five more participants were awarded special prizes. The winners of the competition received diplomas and gifts from the organizers.
Elena Dolgopolova, the first deputy director of the National Library of Belarus and chair of the Belarusian Library Association, and Natalya Zaderkovskaya, the head of the Folk art institutions department, congratulated the library community on the anniversary.
The event attendees enjoyed the performances of amateur artists and singer and showman German Titov.