ALA informs

On the 28th of February 2018 the members of the Armenian Library Association NGO vice president R. Ghazaryan and G. Karapetyan visited the regional centre of Ararat to see the activity of RA Ararat region Artashat Municipality’s “Library system” CNCO. The motive of visit was an information-letter (23.02.2018) sent to director of ALA R. Tonoyan from director of “Library system” CNCO  S. Petrosyan, which is acting under dependence on Artashat Municipality, where she expressed her anxiety about further activity.
Until 2016 the Central library with its 3 branches had been acted at Artashat… During the visit one branch was closed by the Municipality /in 2016/ and funds were transferred to the basement of Artashat culture house: actually that branch already had no address. Those two branches (the first one on Araratyan 5, the second one On Marx 5) also didn’t work, although the library’s served fund in the worst condition was on place. The obvious flaws, also the fear of readers and residents that the mentioned branches are also on the brink of dissolution, in the connection with that problem, leaded the members of ALA to Artashat Municipality to apply to competent officials. After presenting the problem in condensed form to Mayor, the suggestions, under the knowledge of Mayor, were presented to the head of Education, Culture and Sport section Manya Ghazaryan.  The observations of ALA members and following from this observations the demand of letting act already set branches at above-mentioned addresses, also the appropriation of rate of charge for two branches, are substantiated, because:
*Artashat’s Municipal CLS (Centralized Library System) cannot be called “Library system” without branches, which causes contradiction of legal and actual facts.
*In 2015 the CNCO got the status of public library by Ministry of Culture, which is a legal base for system’s whole activity.
*The reading society of Artashat’s mentioned addresses protest and require to open both 2 branches and continue library service for young adults.
The Municipality as a result of ALA members’ visit, taking as a principle above mentioned bases, gave an order to reopen and continue the activity, also appropriated 1 rate of charge salary, which will be distributed among librarians working in 2 branches.
Observing above-mentioned problem’s positive outcome as important achievement of ALA activity – association will continue doing his mission promoting the protection of reading interests with caution and succession.