Advocacy for a book

 
Who says that librarians don’t have to fight these days to regain the lost ground in front of the new technology which carried people off from reading? From my point of view, things have turned over and the culture has changed from a bastion facing the new consumerist tendencies to an outpost which has to be retaken. Ironic paradox...and sad reality.  Maintaining culture is a struggle, so you fight to maintain alive the simple pleasure of paging through a book and, more than that, to teach others or to relearn what this pleasure means.

One thing is for sure, you can’t fight alone. There is an old saying, with only one flower there is no spring. But when you have a bouquet? And that’s how we gathered, flower by flower, from the field of libraries, to make a bouquet and to learn to fight for a book.

 

The initiative came from IREX Romania Foundation, which implements Biblionet Program for Romania's libraries. The IREX team organized from 25 to 29 June 2011 a workshop for Communication, Coalition & Advocacy themes and participants represented County Libraries and communities from 5 counties: Buzău, Ialomița, Vrancea, Tulcea and Vâlcea. Each one had to have a team of six representatives: the library manager, Biblionet county coordinator, Biblionet trainer, one local librarian, one attorney from the local public administration, and one representative of ONG or a mass media/business branch.

Vrancea team

Teodora Fîntînaru	County Library “Duiliu Zamfirescu” Vrancea	Manager
Liliana Mocanu	County Library “Duiliu Zamfirescu” Vrancea	Biblionet Coordinator South Branch Librarian
Anamaria Cătănoiu	County Library “Duiliu Zamfirescu” Vrancea	Advocacy Activities Attorney Coord. Foreign Language Center
Gabriel Funica	County Library “Duiliu Zamfirescu” Vrancea	Librarian, The President of the „Open Books” Association
Tatiana Valea	Municipal Library Adjud	Manager
Cristea Cornel	County council Vrancea	Inspector

Buzău team

Băsceanu Marius	County Library "V. Voiculescu"	head office, program coordinator
Stan Angela	County Library "V. Voiculescu"	manager, trainer
Irimia Iulia	County Library "V. Voiculescu"	librarian, trainer
Grigore Mihaela	County Library "V. Voiculescu"	librarian township Tisău
Soare Maria Antonina	County Library "V. Voiculescu"	the president of the Asociation "Saint Martyrs Alexandru and Antonina"
Soare Alexandra	County Library "V. Voiculescu"	volunteer, Library

Ialomița team

Gina Vișan	County Library “Ştefan Bănulescu” Ialomiţa	head of department
Carmen Daniela Neagu	County Library “Ştefan Bănulescu” Ialomiţa	trainer
Daniela Drăgoi Panțuru	Township Library „Alexandru Graur” Reviga	librarian
Ilie Cioacă	County Council Ialomiţa	manager
Clementina Tudor	Radio CAMPUS Slobozia	manager
Andrei Daniel Stancu	Volunteer Association “Library Friends”	vice-president CJ Ialomița

Tulcea team

Ghionu Ovidiu	County Library Tulcea	manager
Druncea Marian	County Library Tulcea	trainer, head of public relations- marketing
Nurciu Elena	County Library Tulcea	coordinator, head of the collections development. Local monitor
Cantemir Cadîr	Radio Argus Tulcea	administrator
Ilie Ștefan	A.C.O.R. - Luncavița town hall	president A.C..O.R. Tulcea – Mayor

Vâlcea

Maria Ciobanu

Biblioteca Județeana "Antim Ivireanu" Vâlcea

librarian trainer

And…Romanian Parliament

Elena Mitrea

Senate,Work commission of the social protection

senator

   The workshop was conceived according to the methodology „all the system in a room.” At the workshop all the main representatives from the library and community made a multidisciplinary team to identify the library problems and to solve them with an advocacy approach. The purpose for this type of work system is to create effective communication  methods between the representatives of the community and to improve the techniques and quality of the communication, community mobilization and team work.  In addition, the teams have already been combined, a fact that led to an „expanded and diversified team.” We socialized, we got closer to each other, we got to know each other better, we worked together.

The ultimate goal of the workshop was to help us conceive advocacy action plans about pertinent themes for each district, that have to be implementable and financeable for the grants system which will be given by IREX after the workshop.

Five days I was worse at my job. I attended the military program, from 9 to 6-7 PM, where I practiced the term “interactive” more than I thought. Don’t get me wrong. These are the strong points of our SWOT analysis and appreciative terms, not pejorative. I mean there was seriousness and professionalism from IREX who taught us. It was an all around good mood, fun and included Daniela’s energizers (Drăghici-Advocacy IREX Officer) who danced with us and “beat” us twice a day in Tae Bo activities to wake up and to give us efficiency.

The work schedule was very busy and sessions approached themes like: community relations, the best ways to send messages, how we can attract the ones who don’t use the library, team building, the process of making decisions, achieving consensus, target demographics of the public, the identification of support and opposition, message development, and advocacy action plan.

Nevertheless I thing we all have coped successfully and we were productive in all respects: we got to know each other, we socialized online and offline too, I mean in class and after it (the best business is done away from the official frame!), we shared experiences and we learned from each other and, most important, we all sketched for every district, an advocacy plan on a pertinent theme that I backed up at the end through the agency of a role play.

At the end of the class we all were „diplomaed”. That means rewarded with a participation degree to show that we went through the class and didn’t get the diploma for nothing.

I’m talking now from Vrancea team. We’ve already started to work at our project and we’re taking things seriously because it’s a beautiful project, useful for the community of Vrancea and that’s not all.

And now, at the end, let’s meet the dynamic trainers, because that’s how it’s done. P.S. Don’t be mad because I’ve left you behind. A wise word from the old says that the last ones will be the first. Thank you for your patience you bore us and for your seriousness in doing your job. I’ve really learned many things and we put them into practice.

Irex team which taught and supported us

Luminița Petrescu	IREX România	Grant Manager
Jozsef Szocs	IREX România	Regional Coordinator
Andrei Bogdan Anichiforesei	IREX România	Regional Coordinator
Mihaela Milea	IREX România	Office Manager
Monica Grecu	IREX România	PR Specialist
Daniela Drăghici	IREX România	Advocacy Officer

Article written by Anamaria Cătănoiu – Coordinator Foreign Language Center

Translated by Liviu Dîrdală - volunteer

Books from Vrancea Community which go to Germany

At the invitation of Mrs. Liliana Moldovan, the honorific manager of the Romanian Library ”Ion Minulescu” from Nurenberg, Germany, the County Library from Vrancea showed its willingness and interest in taking part with a donation of books to support the Romanian community from Nurenberg.

For this project, the County Library „Duiliu Zamfirescu” Vrancea, through the Foreign Language Center, coordinated by the librarian Anamaria Cătănoiu, has co-opted local parteners, who donated over 100 copies of books from the requested fields: The Jewish community, coordinated by Mircea Rond, The Weekend Library Şerbeşti Vidra-coordinated by Doina-Stratton- Andrieş, The Old Bordeasca School- with the help of the students guided by the teacher Steluţa Bătrînu, The Cultural Association „Duiliu Zamfirescu”, of which the manager is Gheorghe Neagu and The County Library Vrancea „Duiliu Zamfirescu”.

'We are excited about the invitation to support another Romanian library, abroad, with donations and also about finding that the community of Vrancea has people who want to offer their support. To our huge delight, it was said to us that Romanian books were requested a lot and used in various social activities by everyone! We thank our donors for being again with us in such a short time after the Canadian project, we are also thankful for the invitation and for the opportunity of laying the foundation of a Romanian library, this time in Germany'. (director Teodora Fîntînaru)

Informative notes

The project 'Don't Let The Romanian Language Die', initiated by the “Romanian Aces Cultural Platform”, represented by Ionela van Rees-Zota, in partnership with the Romanian Library „Ion Minulescu” from Nurenberg, Germany, serves a community of approximately 40,000 Romanians.

By their opening, they intend to:

-Offer a various number of activities, cultural and educational events and entertainment to Romanians and Germans nearby.

-Establish a social, information and multicultural center.

-Organize an instructive, learning environment to encourage inter-cultural exchanges and prepare the integration of the new members of the Romanian community into German society.

- Establish - in the center - a Romanian library which would offer specialized services, including the possibility of publishing books in Romanian, German, English and French.

-Create a toy library for games and other activities to satisfy the need of playing games and socialization of Romanian and German children.

-Create a place to watch Romanian productions from the Romanian filmography.

Article written by Anamaria Cătănoiu - coordinator Foreign Language Center

Translated by Ioana Cozma - volunteer

Books for Canada

‘Books for Canada’ is a project initiated by ‘Duiliu Zamfirescu’ County Public Library throughout Vrancea County, as a partner and founding member. The project is part of wider national and international initiative that aimed to set up a library with Romanian books in Montreal, Canada.

The project was initiated by an emigrant Romanian family in Canada and their family members who remained in Romania. Together they created the Cultural Initiative Foundation THE ROMANIAN LIBRARY in Montreal, Canada. Their desire was to create a Romanian library in Montreal to sustain our advocacy on the Canadian lands and to be close to the Romanian community.

To benefit of home support from Romanian people, the Council has involved personalities from the cultural-artistic world, choosing the actor Mircea Albulescu as an Honour President. With the help of these personalities there has been started as well the national campaign for promoting and advertising in order to lay the foundations for a donation of books and build up a library. Vrancea Public Library answered positively to the call for donations.

In order not to remain a singular gesture made by our institution, the library started in January- February 2011 a public campaign of book donation called ‘Books for Canada’ involving the whole community. The institution has recruited two libraries as partners in the project, which turned as point of purchase and collection of books, and attracted also other donor institutions.

There have been established several criterions and so to have a ‘quality’ donation. The answer of Vrancea community to our call was prompt and effective; over 500 copies of books that respected the criterions have been collected in this project.

The media communication strategy was the most important aspect and it has given major results. The project has been widely mediatized in the local and national press (through correspondents) and on-line (with the help of the volunteers and supporters of the library). With an intense correspondence with the initiators from Canada, who appreciated the media promotion and the campaign organization, the strategy of promoting attracted to designate our library as one of the three national centers of collecting books (spot made and aired by TVR1) along with Baia Mare and Bucharest. 

Also, with this involvement in the project, our library received the title of FOUNDING MEMBER of the Library from Montreal. (Our library received the DIPLOMA OF RECOGNITION as a FOUNDING MEMBER of THE LIBRARY and DEFENDER of the ROMANIAN CULTURE)

Within three weeks – during the first stage of the project – our library became the center of collection in the entire Moldavia region and beyond. There have been sent donations from Bucharest, Bacau, Braila, Piatra Neamt, Tulcea, Galati, Husi – donations that continue in present as well. In this project, our library attracted other two partners outside the county, who have expressed their desire of joining this endeavor: Sports High School Bacau – donated in the first stage 500 copies collected from the community from Bacau and the County Library Tulcea, in the second stage of the project.

The initiators desired that each copy donated to wear the original signature of the Donor, mentioning: ‘Book donated for the Romanian Library’, the label that promotes among the Romanian people from Canada, the library’s name and the person making the donation.

Each donation will be recorded in the BOOK OF HONOUR of the ROMANIAN LIBRARY, and as a sign of appreciation and gratitude, the Council awarded with a DIPLOMA OF RECOGNITION as a FOUNDING MEMBER of the LIBRARY and DEFENDER OF THE ROMANIAN CULTURE. 

The costs for expediting the books donation from Romania (Bucharest) to Canada were covered by the Cultural Foundation THE ROMANIAN LIBRARY. Vrancea Public Library carried on its own all donation and those coming from outside for the volunteer point of collecting from Bucharest. On 10^th of February, the books were carried to Canada and the first stage of the project came to an end. 

In present, our library collects donations coming constantly across the country to organize a new transport, which will be established by the partners from Canada.

1.      Vrancea Public Library and the librarians.

2.      Partner in the project – Alexandria book store, the national network

3.      The Probation Service

4.      Gheorghe Neagu and the Cultural Association ‘Duiliu Zamfirescu’ (Vrancea County writers)

·         Petre Abeaboeru

·         Buruiana Vasile

·         Culita Usurelu

·         Janine Vladislav

5.      ‘Universul Cartii’ Book Store, Focsani

6.      Vrancea County Blogosphere

7.      ‘Alexandru Ioan Cuza’ National College, Focsani

The coordinators in the high school:

·         Prof. Ioana Constantinescu, 7^th grade

·         Prof. Ana Maria Norocea, 8^th and 9^th grade

·         Alexandru Munteanu, the Youth Council President, within the Local Youth Council and the County Youth Council and Marius Condruz, ‘Mihail Kogalniceanu’ National Economic College President; from students of different high schools from Focsani: ‘Alexandru Ioan Cuza’ National College and ‘Mihail Kogalniceanu’ National Economic College.

8.      Sports High School from Bacau – teachers and students

·         Coordinator: Prof. David Diana Ruxandra

-          Approximately 600 copies

9.      ‘Simion Mehedinti’ Teacher Association and ‘Terra’ Publishing,  Focsani

10.  Prof. Irina Bicescu – ‘Unirea’ National College

11.  Priest Eduard Bran and his wife Adriana

12.  Priest Giorgica Vatra – ‘Sf.Andrei’ Focsani

13.  Florica Ghigeanu, Bucharest (sent)

14.  Nina Desliu, ’Pallas’ Publishing, Focsani

15.  Doctor Paul Alexandru, Focsani

16.  Prof. Cezar Cherciu, Focsani

Post Canada

17.  Prof. Ionut Tandara

18.  Mihai Horga, Roman, Neamt County

19.  Ioan Denciu, Focsani

20.  Oma Stanescu, Braila

21.  Titel Toader Chirila, Focsani

22.  Mihai Merticaru, Piatra Neamt

23.  Nina Plopeanu, Focsani

Online resources:

o   Ziarul de Vrancea: http://www.ziaruldevrancea.ro

o   Monitorul de Vrancea: http://www.monitorulvn.ro

o   DADA Radio: http://www.radiodada.ro

o   Adevarul de Seara Focsani: http://www.adevarul.ro/locale/focsani/

o   Realitatea TV Focsani: http://www.realitatea.net/carti-pentru-canada_803457.html

o   Iasi Radio: http://portal.radioiasi.ro/peste-500-de-carti-donate-in-campania-carti-pentru-canada-a53323.html

o   The Romanian Library from Canada: http://bibliotecaromaneasca.org/

o   Vrancea Blog: http://www.vrancea.com.ro/Blog/

o   Vrancea Today: http://vranpress.blogspot.com/

o   Vrancea Media: http://www.vranceamedia.ro/

o   http://evenimentefocsani.blogspot.com/2011/02/carti-pentru-canada-la-bilant.html

o   http://danyrolux.blogspot.com/2011/02/carti-pentru-canada-la-bilant.html

 Article written by Anamaria Cătănoiu – Coord. Foreign Language Center

Translated by Oana Zlatovici - volunteer

Reading Hedonism on Poetry Day

Today we celebrated the International Day of Poetry at the library, in a sunny enjoyable ambient

The writer Gheorghe Andrei Neagu released his latest poetry volume, ‘Love’s tear’, surrounded by friends from the Cenacle that he is coordinating, librarians all around Vrancea county and students from ‘Alexandru Ioan Cuza’ National College, Focsani.

Teodora Fintinaru, Vrancea County Library Director, has made a lyrical foray in the author’s poem, revealing the mysteries and meanings. Mariana Vicky Vartosu si Constanta Cornila recited a few poems from the author’s book, their friend. The author himself has exposed his thoughts and feelings when writing this book.

The most exciting moment was created by the kinds, the students who came to celebrate the poetry in its house, in a little cultural place, keeper of words and so of poetry. 14^th little readers delighted us with their serene voices. Goethe, Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, Blaga, Stanescu, Voiculescu, Arghezi, Gheorghe Andrei Neagu sound differently when they recite. Furthermore, they went beyond their imagination creating collages including their favorite lyrics and poems with proper definitions given to the poetry. In the end, these children have received the released book with the author’s autograph, in gratitude. 

Everyone was excited, a moment that really betrays a ‘reading hedonism’, so to quote the coordinator of the children, Prof. Ana Maria Cornila Norocea, the one who guided and accompanied them in this poetic journey. Collaboration ideas were born between the two generations together to plant deeper the love for poetry of these young people and to fill a new and fresh spirit for those already initiated. 

Dante has written at entrance to dark land: ‘Abandon all hope, you who enter in here.’ Attempting timidly a lyrical metamorphosis, I would say: ‘Abandon all home, you those who enter on poetry land, because the beautifulness of the word will fetter you.’

Article written by Anamaria Cătănoiu – Coord. Foreign Language Center

Translated by Oana Zlatovici - volunteer

The International Day of Poetry at the Library

‘Duiliu Zamfirescu’ Public County Library marks the International Day of Poetry.

On this occasion our institution hosts the release of the poetry volume called ‘Tear Love’ written by Gheorghe Andrei Neagu, published by Rawexcoms, Bucharest, 2010.

The book boasts of a foreword by the literary critic Marius Chelaru, who begins the first page with: ‘A volume built as love tear in the autumn’s color, with nostalgia… A journey where the inside colors the exterior with the brush dipped in metaphors and argument in verse…’

We are honored to present this book written by Gheorghe Andrei Neagu, the founder of publications as Jurnalul de Vrancea (Vrancea Journal), Gazeta Vranceana (Vrancea Newspaper), Oglinda Moldovei (Moldavia’s Mirror) and Oglinda literara (Literary Mirror); the President of the Cultural Association ‘Duiliu Zamfirescu’ and also the holder of important awards for literature and cultural professionalism.

The release will be followed by a poetic moment realized by the students from ‘Alexandru Ioan Cuza’ National College, coordinated by Prof. Ana Maria Cornila Norocea and Melania Patrascanu, the Educative Advisor.

Along with our library, the International Day of Poetry will be also celebrated by municipal librarians, writers and readers from Vrancea.

For the same context, all the Library’s departments are preparing for the public, the International Poetry Book exhibition.

You are welcomed on Monday, 21^st of March, 11 o’clock, in the County Library’s reading room.  (Mr. Ghe. Sava Street, no.4)

Article translated by Oana Zlatovici - volunteer

‘Let’s Surf on the Internet’ at the Library

Yesterday, March 3, 2011, the National Campaign ‘Let’s Surf on the Internet’ - having Vrancea County Library as partner, continued with an "voluntary practice’ event in the Multimedia Room (located on: 4 Mr.Ghe. Sava Str.)

The multimedia rooms have been designated as telecentres for the National Campaign of digital literacy ‘Let’s Surf on the Internet’, sustained by EOS Foundation in partnership with Microsoft Unlimited Potential Programme and N.A.L.P.L.R – the National Association of the Librarians and Public Libraries in Romania.

Ran between 28^th of February and 5^th of March in various locations (City Hall Focsani, Vrancea Work Department and Multimedia Rooms of the Library), the Campaign ‘Let’s Surf on the Internet’ stopped yesterday at our new headquarters located on 4 Mr.Ghe. Sava Str.

The protagonists were 15 children from Danut Centre Brosteni, coordinated by Prof. Elisabeta Norocea and Jana Tigaeru, who have learnt from their elder friends the computer and internet secrets. 6 volunteer 9^th grade students, from ‘Alexandru Ioan Cuza’ National College, coordinated by Prof. Constanta Coatu and Melania Patrascanu, the Educative Advisor, have learnt the kids how to communicate on-line.
Emanuela-Teodora Manolache, Elena Raluca Jugaru, Ana-Maria Matei, Andrada Tania Panaite, Andra Corina Popa and Mirela Filimon, along with their teachers and the librarians, have helped friends from Brosteni to create an e-mail and messenger account to keep in touch with them.

The two hours spent in the Multimedia Room, who ended being not enough, were full of amusement, joy and agitation. The children recognized that most of them didn’t have a computer at home and that have surfed just a little ‘at Danut Centre…’. Otherwise.. sometimes at school. They were excited by the idea of communicating with other children, from another part of the country or perhaps outside the country. Through laughter and delicious cookies the accounts have been created and the communication on-line had its start! The high school volunteers created them a list of friends and the application was much practical when kids started to chat with each other.

What should we say? That we wanted, besides the campaign’s purpose, to socialize?  To make new friends?  To link sustainable relationships?

This meeting marked, among others, the beginning and the continuing of the real educative partnership between three institutions: the County Public Library, ‘Alexandru Ioan Cuza’ National College and Danut Center Brosteni, who desires to offer for the kids, educative and cultural alternatives.

The volunteers and the kids parted as friends, with promises from Prof. Norocea that they will come back to the Library, and promises from the volunteers and librarians to visit them at Danut Centre. We shared our ID messenger and e/mail addresses and with a lot of hugs and kisses, kids were hardly bear to go home.

The nicest part of the meeting was that the volunteer girls from the high school, the 6 wonderful girls, want to be permanent volunteers of the library and told to their fellows to come as well!

So basically… this is how new practical ideas and relationship get alive… at the library. Come on…to us! You can be practical! 

 

Article written by Anamaria Cătănoiu – Coord. Foreign Language Center

Translated by Oana Zlatovici - volunteer

The Free Humanitites Club

The “Duiliu Zamfirescu” Library from Vrancea – The Foreign Language Center, launches an educational project which covers didactic guidance for the pupils for the Baccalaureate exam at the philosophy and sociology disciplines.

The “Duiliu Zamfirescu” Library – The Foreign Language Center launches on Tuesday, 22 February, THE HUMANITIES CLUB, an educational project which targets high school pupils from Vrancea’s community.

The Humanities Club was initiated and coordinated by professor Adrian Țiglea who is a librarian from Vrancea’s Library. The Club is a module of specialized intellectual formation and of socialization for young men who want to go to a social science college.

The Club is free and it will be available weekly at the new Foreign Language Center headquarters on Mr. Gh. Sava Street, no. 4, on Tuesday between 14:30-16:00 for the philosophy discipline, and Wednesday between 13:00-14:00 for the sociology discipline.

“Having teaching experience, I advance the idea that I should familiarize the pupils with the philosophy and sociology disciplines like a didactic help method in order to prepare the exams for these subjects.”(Professor Adrian Țiglea).       

Translated by Liviu Dîrdală - volunteer