"I am very proud of your performance which is extremely important for our society seeking for knowledge and the science. I would like to wish the staff of the Lithuanian public libraries to maintain the leading social and cultural position and to be not only the people satisfying the need of the community but also to become the educators of these needs. I believe that in 2016 we will meet in the final event dedicated to the successfully completed project," said Butkevicius.
Martynas Mazvydas National Library of Lithuania together with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation signed a cooperation agreement on implementation of new project Libraries for Innovation 2 in Lithuania this November. Martynas Mazvydas National Library of Lithuania will implement the project which started on December, 2013.
Successful implementation of the project Libraries for Innovation (lasted for 4, 5 years, 2008-2011) eliminated differences of informational infrastructure of rural and urban areas. During this period many of the country's public libraries have been computerized and are able to supply public Internet access. The project Libraries for Innovation strengthened positions of public libraries as modern, contemporary centers of attraction.
The new project Libraries for Innovation 2 aims to strengthen capacity of libraries to meet the evolving community needs and to establish sustainable community-based libraries as institutions that can improve the quality of life of the Lithuanian people. Project Libraries for Innovation 2 will teach and encourage public libraries to develop projects for existing and new library services as well as get funding for these projects. The project Libraries for Innovation 2 will promote libraries' cooperation with business, local government and NGO organizations, thus helping to build stronger capacities of libraries.
During the first year of implementation of the project Martynas Mazvydas National Library of Lithuania will organize trainings regarding development and implementation of projects for libraries' staff. Training sessions will be organized on following topics: project development, consumer analysis, innovation development, advocacy, outreach, impact assessment, project management and leadership.
Martynas Mazvydas National Library of Lithuania will organize launch calls for proposals of public libraries at the end of 2014. Selected projects will get funding for their implementation.
Project Libraries for Innovation 2 will develop library staff capacity to create new services, based on local community needs, reduce social and digital divide, increase the use of public libraries' services, improve competences of libraries staff of use of information and communication technologies (ICT), project management and advocacy.
Social researches, helping to assess project impact for human well-being and digital divide decreasing trends will be carried out at the beginning of the project, as well as during implementation and after finishing it.
