As volunteers we have to report quarterly what we are doing. The following is from a report submitted in February 2011 which the PC recently asked if they could publish. In rereading it, I thought it was interesting, so I'm passing it on.
Early last year when my work was slow, I walked into the Shirak Regional Library, introduced myself to the director and asked if there was any way I could help. I was given a complete tour of the library, was introduced to much of the staff, and began a series of Monday afternoon visits over coffee. The library is over-staffed and underfunded by the Armenian Ministry of Culture. It has received very few new books since 1992. In addition the building is not heated and is in need of major repairs. The library needs a new building. The staff needs training in the use of basic programs like Word, Excel, Power Point, and effective use of the Internet. The library is the central library for Shirak Marz (281,000 people) and supports five district libraries, which in turn support 127 villages. The previous new library (open only one month) collapsed in the 1988 earthquake. This "temporary" library has existed since 1992. It was obvious that the library needed almost everything to meet the minimum requirements of a modern facility including new computers for users, heat, lighting, bookshelves, current books on science and technology, a community meeting space, and much more. The director really wanted a van to visit the district libraries for the purpose of training staff, delivering and rotating books, visiting blind and homebound users, etc. A notice came through the PC for the gift of a surplus US Government van. The library request was approved and it has been promised a van as soon as one becomes available through EUCOM HA. The library director asked if I could help with the public bathroom. A SPA Grant has been approved for the bathroom remodel.
Currently I am working on identifying a site for a new library. A woman with connections to a world historic preservation trust will work with me to get funding if the site involves the renovation of a historic building in the Kumairi Historic District of Gyumri. She will also help develop architectural plans for the library. An Armenian American in San Francisco is interested in helping fund a new library. (His original offer was $400,000.) The US Embassy will help if the library creates a center for civic engagement, and especially if the space will be available one evening a week. Civilitas will help if there is a viable proposal for upgrading the library. And several other people have offered their services in site identifications.
I am also working on a particularly promising project with a professor from ASUE-Gyumri who obtained a significant grant, mostly from the US Embassy in Turkey, for promoting cross-border tourism in Gyumri. Included in this project are tourism classes at the university, the development of brochures and maps for Gyumri, and identification of other specific tourism-related projects in Gyumri, such as a student guide service during the summer. Another goal is to contact guidebooks to update their information, setup a website, and work with the Armenian government tourism office to promote Gyumri. Students who are successful in this project will be able to study at the University of Florida and/or at a Turkish university in Izmir. Funds for this travel are included in the grant. In addition a sister city relationship is being established with a city in Florida.
Both these projects are challenging in that neither the library staff nor the students are prepared to go to the next level. In both cases I have had to step back and really help them to achieve our goals. For instance the library director has written a few grant proposals which had no focus or sustainability. It has been difficult to get him to refine his goals and narrow them so that we can achieve something. The students (3rd year college) have no idea how to make Power Point presentations or create brochures. They lack the imagination to just attack the project and it is necessary to give them concrete examples to even begin. I n the next few months I will be trying to have something concrete and sustainable come out of these challenges.
An important thing that I have learned is that, especially in the PC, we are responsible for our own success, so if our primary assignment is not working out it is possible to find something fulfilling to do by introducing yourself to your community. I have had many more opportunities. It has been nice to pick ones that feed my soul
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