Moldova learns from Sweden’s experience in library services and children’s books

Modern services will be implemented in Moldova’s children’s libraries according to the model of Swedish libraries. Under a program supported by the Swedish Institute, books for children written by Swedish artists will be translated and printed in Romanian, Info-Prim Neo reports. Claudia Balaban, director of the National Children’s Library “Ion Creanga”, said that the cooperation with the Swedish Institute started in 1999 and had several stages. The program included fact-finding visits, joint workshops and seminars. The Moldovan delegation visited a number of Swedish libraries, including a ‘mobile children’s library’ conveyed by a bus. According to national bibliographers, Sweden has education and recreational centers for children that can be successfully transposed in Moldova. The exhibition and recreational center Junibacken explores the universe described by Astrid Lindgren in her books in an unordinary way. Being the fifth major tourist attractions in Stockholm, Junibacken is simultaneously a museum, theater for children, library, restaurant, entertainment park and recreational center. The Swedish Institute will set up a room in Swedish style at the National Children’s Library “Ion Creanga”. Representatives of the Institute are also expected to take part in the International Book Fair for Children and Youth that will be held in Chisinau between April 16 and 19, 2008. After discussing with well-known children’s book writers and artists from Sweden, the management of the publishing house “Prut International” decided to translate into Romanian one or two representative books of the Swedish authors Sven Nordqvist and Ulf Nilsson that are of interest to the Moldovan readers. A temporary exhibition of representative works on the culture for children by Moldovan children and authors will be set up at a Swedish children’s center until this yearend. The Swedish Institute is a public agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden.