Irina Dumanskaya, amiable, diplomatic, responsive and a longtime employee of the National Library of Belarus, a devoted and loyal specialist, a capable manager and organiser, a prominent public figure who has devoted more than ten years to her native library, celebrates her birthday today.
Irina Iosifovna was born in Zolochev, Lvov region, in the family of a civil engineer. In 1969, the girl finished high school with a gold medal and entered the Minsk State Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages (now the Minsk State Linguistic University). Due to family circumstances, in her final year, she changed over to Uzhgorod State University (now Uzhgorod National University), where she successfully graduated from in 1975 with a degree in philology, a teacher of French.
I.I. Dumanskaya started her forty-year library career in February 1977 after being appointed as a librarian in the processing division of the Lenin State Library of the BSSR (now the National Library of Belarus).
Irina Iosifovna soon relocated to the book storage department, and then to the department of library services.
According to the materials of her personal file, while working in the newspaper section, Irina Iosifovna was engaged in organizing and preserving the collection of newspaper publications, taking part in the compilation of alphabetical and geographical catalogs of newspapers, a consolidated catalog of pre-war copies stored in the largest libraries in Minsk. She compiled and edited the list of foreign newspapers with ability as she has a strong grasp of various languages.
Users respected and thanked I.I. Dumanskaya for her kindness and sensitivity in dealing with readers, as well as for her careful attention to detail and meticulousness in handling concerns.
Everyone is also familiar with Irina Iosifovna as a skilled trade union leader who effectively united the active trade union committee and the library staff in support of herself.
She excelled at juggling her work obligations and volunteer work from the very beginning of her professional career, as shown by the following statement from her 1983 profile: "Dumanskaya I. I. is an active social activist, leading the children's sector of the labour committee for the second year. She participates actively in the life of the library, participating in agricultural work, conducting evenings, sporting activities, and the work of the sanitary squad."
Irina Iosifovna is sitting second from the left in the first row
Irina Iosifovna served as the head of the library's labour committee in the early 1990s, was an active participant in community affairs for many years, and was a member of the regional committee of the trade union for cultural workers.
I.I. Dumanskaya's dedication, depth of knowledge, and busy lifestyle were noted by the library administration, who promoted her to senior librarian in June 1983 and to head of the sector four years later.
Irina Iosifovna was appointed head of the Department of Propaganda and Mass Media in 1989 on the basis of her excellent professional abilities and depth of industrial experience (since 1991 it has been renamed the Department of library advertising).
I.I. Dumanskaya always used a creative approach to plan the department's activities, came up with a variety of ideas for using different types of library work to raise money, and gave national culture a lot of thought. She was capable of fostering a positive environment in the team leader and was responsible and fair. Among her like-minded coworkers, she was respected and held a position of authority.
In March 2001, Irina Iosifovna was promoted to the position of director of the Maksim Bagdanovich Literary Museum, and three years later resumed her professional activity at the National Library. Initially, she worked in the Library Science Department, and since June 2005, she has returned to her own direction, heading the public relations department.
The new library building's construction was finished at this time, and development got under way. In the process of converting the library into a republican information and sociocultural centre, Irina Iosifovna made a sizable contribution to the development of a distinctive architectural, construction, software, and technical complex.
In February 2007, at the reporting and election trade union conference, she was elected chairman of the trade union committee of the library. Since then, for more than ten years, under the strict guidance of I.I. Dumanskaya, the labor collective has carried out fruitful social work in various areas: organizing sanatorium treatment and children's recreation among trade union members and their families, socio-economic support for employees, helping to improve their living conditions, organizing corporate and excursion trips, and much more other.
Irina Iosifovna's professional achievements and effective public work were repeatedly awarded: certificates of honor of the National Library of Belarus (2007, 2019) for fruitful work and a great personal contribution to the organization of the trade union committee; Certificate of Honor of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus (2012) for highly professional organization of work on the development and implementation of projects aimed at popularization of librarianship; gratitude of the state institution "National Library of Belarus" (2017) for a conscientious and fruitful work. work, high responsibility, professionalism and long-term work.
Presentation of the Certificate of Honor of the National Library of Belarus. November 25, 2019
In January 2017, by the decision of the Presidium of the Federation Council of Trade Unions of Belarus, she was awarded the jubilee medal "100 anniversary of the Belarus' Labour Union Movement".
Three years ago, Irina Dumanskaya went on a well-deserved rest, leaving a piece of her warmth in the library, as well as a bright trace in its history. All this time, she continues to be interested in the life of the library, lives on the problems and achievements of the team that has become her own.
Irina Iosifovna, on behalf of the National Library staff, please accept our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes for happiness, longevity, the happiest feelings, the kindest sentiments, and the greatest people close by. Let joy, harmony, and intriguing encounters fill every day of your life!
The article is created by Irina Kuketa, Chief Librarian of the Library Science Department.
Read about veterans and employees of the National Library of Belarus in the section "Portraits: the history of the library in faces".
