To attract readers, the libraries bank on the support of the state, including the financial one. In most of the libraries, the book stock is old and the limited revenues and difficult public procurement procedures do not allow buying new books. A solution is to create a library support fund, as in other states, librarians suggested in hearings staged by the Parliament’s commission on culture, education, youth, sport and the media, IPN reports.

Andrei Chistol, secretary of state at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, said that 2019 was a difficult one for libraries. A year earlier, there was completed the “Novateca” program that contributed to the modernization of libraries. When the program was implemented, there was adopted a new law on salaries that generated dissatisfaction among librarians. A library support fund would help attract young specialists to the system. But the libraries’ should also be innovative and attract by themselves development projects.

Asked by the commission’s chairman Adrian Lebedinschi why book launches are not held in libraries, National Library director Elena Pintilei said the owners of bookstores set up nice and convenient places there and most of the writers choose to launch books in bookshops, not libraries. But the libraries also house book launches. The National Library stages such events at least once a week. In another development, Elena Pintilei said the National Library thought to initiate a partnership with the publishing houses that are members of the Union of Publishing Houses so that these promote their editorial production at the National Library.

Eugenia Bejan, director of the Children’s Library “Ion Creangă”, said that books for children haven’t been published and republished for a long period of time, including of national writers. The earlier printed books are worn-out. The librarians would like a more flexible book buying system so that book purchases could be made more often, not only once a year as now.

Nadejda Pădure, director of the Strășeni District Library, said the smallest book purchase in the last five years was made last year. Of 35 libraries of the district, 14 bought no book as they didn’t have funds. 78% of the libraries’ budget went on salaries, a part to maintain the buildings of libraries and only a small part was used to buy books.

Zinaida Slutu, librarian at “Spiru Haret” Lyceum, said the school libraries have neither space, nor specialists. She would like a database, a computer connected to the Internet and software for the library.

The requests and recommendations formulated in the hearings will be submitted to the commission that will later come up with proposals.