MINSK, 23 October (BelTA) - Representatives from 17 countries are participating in the 12th international congress The Library as a Cultural Phenomenon which is running in the National Library of Belarus on 23-24 October, Director General of the National Library of Belarus Vadim Gigin said as he opened the congress, BelTA has learned.
"Our congress is very representative. It traditionally enjoys well-deserved prestige within the professional community. We have 17 countries from various continents in attendance: Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas. Some participants have arrived in person, while others are using the online format. New technologies are advancing, and we are glad of this because we understand how vast the world is today and how many connections we can establish," Vadim Gigin said.
According to him, very good contacts have already been established with all participating countries. “The most important thing is that we speak the same language - the language of books and culture. The issues we raise are relevant to a wide variety of countries. We have a wide geography of the participants. For example Mali, which is home to one of the most ancient libraries, has been participating for several years now. They are very interested in our experience in book restoration. We welcome a new partner, Oman, a country that places great emphasis on culture,” Vadim Gigin said.
International cooperation is gaining momentum. A recent agreement was signed with Cuba's National Library José Martí. Various other agreements will be signed today and tomorrow, particularly with Kazakhstan and Russia. On the sidelines of the congress, seminars and meetings will be held where industry professionals will discuss, among other topics, the development of modern electronic technologies.
“We have a lot to share. The library is completing the preparatory stage of the National Digital Library project. We want to see how this works in other countries. Naturally, this work caters to different groups of people, from the very young to the senior citizens. Both scientific activities and patriotic education are important," Vadim Gigin noted.
Furthermore, various workshops will be held. According to the head of the National Library of Belarus, the colleagues have approached the workshops on restoration with particular creativity, as restoration is, on one hand, meticulous work, and on the other, a kind of magic where a half-destroyed historic book is transformed back into a “living” one.
Vadim Gigin added that international cooperation will help exchange information more effectively, create joint scientific projects, and train qualified specialists.
"Our congress is very representative. It traditionally enjoys well-deserved prestige within the professional community. We have 17 countries from various continents in attendance: Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas. Some participants have arrived in person, while others are using the online format. New technologies are advancing, and we are glad of this because we understand how vast the world is today and how many connections we can establish," Vadim Gigin said.
According to him, very good contacts have already been established with all participating countries. “The most important thing is that we speak the same language - the language of books and culture. The issues we raise are relevant to a wide variety of countries. We have a wide geography of the participants. For example Mali, which is home to one of the most ancient libraries, has been participating for several years now. They are very interested in our experience in book restoration. We welcome a new partner, Oman, a country that places great emphasis on culture,” Vadim Gigin said.
International cooperation is gaining momentum. A recent agreement was signed with Cuba's National Library José Martí. Various other agreements will be signed today and tomorrow, particularly with Kazakhstan and Russia. On the sidelines of the congress, seminars and meetings will be held where industry professionals will discuss, among other topics, the development of modern electronic technologies.
“We have a lot to share. The library is completing the preparatory stage of the National Digital Library project. We want to see how this works in other countries. Naturally, this work caters to different groups of people, from the very young to the senior citizens. Both scientific activities and patriotic education are important," Vadim Gigin noted.
Furthermore, various workshops will be held. According to the head of the National Library of Belarus, the colleagues have approached the workshops on restoration with particular creativity, as restoration is, on one hand, meticulous work, and on the other, a kind of magic where a half-destroyed historic book is transformed back into a “living” one.
Vadim Gigin added that international cooperation will help exchange information more effectively, create joint scientific projects, and train qualified specialists.
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