The number of visits by private individuals to libraries rose by nearly 800,000 last year, while the number of readers grew by 47,000. Following the lifting of pandemic restrictions, the readers returned to libraries after experiencing “digital intoxication”. But the number of book purchases declined by over 50,000. As a result, the number of borrowed books decreased by over 600,000. The average book renewal rate also declined. The decision makers are looking for solutions to supplement the book collections in libraries. The issue was discussed in the symposium “Bibliological Year 2022ˮ, IPN reports.
Vera Osoianu, deputy head of the National Library’s Bibliotechonomy and Information Science Research and Development Division, said that to meet the IFLA-UNESCO recommendations on spending on books per capita, about 11 lei per capita is needed. “Several years ago, the Ministry of Finance presented particular recommendations that envision an amount of 7 lei per capita. But these recommendations have never been fulfilled by the local public administration,” stated the libertarian.
Minister of Culture Sergiu Prodan said that the Book Fund is to be increased this year. “It is extremely important to have new books with old and new authors. We need modern books and surely, after so many years of independence and sovereignty, we must get rid of the books written in Cyrillic script and these books should remain only in the museum as a document of those times,” stated the minister. He noted that effort is made to increase the Ministry’s budget for buying books so as to buy and distribute books to all the libraries through the National Library, and to also amend the legislation and simplify the donation of books, which is extremely thorny now.
“We, those from the National Library, promise to lend a hand within possibilities and competence so as to help the Ministry and the libraries of the country. We should together make this change that is needed by our communities so as to bring new, topical books that will also be discussed at literary clubs and discussions and at other forms of activity at libraries,” said the director general of the National Library Elena Pintilei.
Angela Brașoveanu-Erizanu, adviser on culture to the President of the Republic of Moldova, called on the public to follow the website “Open Book” that will manage the national reading promotion project. Within the project, there will be made purchases of books and staged visits by Moldovan and Romanian writers to national libraries and schools. Book donations and contests will also take place.
