International Experience for a More Advanced Library

Towards the Top Hundred The world of libraries is a constantly changing environment that offers the above-mentioned opportunities and seeks to improve the work of libraries in today’s world. This is a time of challenges for the UL Library as well. One of the goals set by the UL for its centenary in 2019 is to be ranked among the top hundred European universities. These strategic guidelines are based upon three keywords, namely, ‘excellence, creativity, and openness’, with an essential role assigned to scientific capacity and lifelong learning. It is a major challenge to the University of Latvia as a whole and its Library. It involves increasing the amount of electronic and digital information resources, as well as taking part in creating an open-access UL institutional repository and optimising studies and research. In order to accomplish major goals, the work of a united and professional team is vital, where each member plays a significant role. An important cornerstone of the UL Library’s development is increasing the professional expertise of its staff. In this regard, a lot of work is being done by implementing international exchange projects. This provides the UL Library staff with opportunities to learn about best practices, and encourages them to search for possibilities of introducing such practices in their own work. The overarching objective of the projects carried out by the UL Library is to use the new experience for the development of the University by improving the professional knowledge of the Library staff and learning the novelties of the field. International Experience Since 2005, the UL Library has successfully accomplished six EU Lifelong Learning programme Leonardo da Vinci Mobility projects. During these years, 47 employees of the UL Library were given a chance to improve their professional knowledge and skills in the top libraries of Europe and Asia. The UL Library staff gave a presentation on its activities and the achievements of the UL at each of the libraries taking part in the projects. The basic directions of work of every library depend upon its specific nature, vision, objectives, and tasks set to achieve them. The main focus, however, is universal and lies on the improvement of user service, and the maintenance and quality of information resources. The UL Library, as well as the libraries involved in the projects pose similar questions: what does the modern user expect and what is an effective way to preserve the cultural and historical heritage and the achievements of the university or the region? Therefore, these topics served as an obvious starting point for discussions, exchanging views and sharing professional advice with library experts in Lithuania, Slovenia, Iceland, Turkey and other countries. Each project accentuated various practical issues about the activities of libraries. The most significant topics were information resources (preservation of traditional resources, increase in the amount of electronic resources, etc.), improvement of pedagogical expertise of librarians, the issues concerning the infrastructure of libraries, improvement of services, etc. Modern Rooms and Good Service All of the libraries involved in the projects aim towards a democratic environment. The main advantages of foreign libraries are modern and suitable rooms which permit a thought-out and comfortable arrangement of resources and ensure open access to all materials. Although the UL Library has been working in rooms that have been adapted (but not initially built) for library work, it has been looking for ways to improve the working environment. Renovation has enhanced the working conditions for visitors and staff in all the branch libraries of the UL Library. There are three interior design projects developed and waiting to be implemented in the Library of Economics, the Library of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, and the Library of Education and Psychology. All of the countries visited by the specialists from the UL Library pay special attention to the management of e-resources. The projects on digitization of the national cultural heritage are being implemented in the libraries of Iceland and Estonia in cooperation with other libraries and institutions. To manage e-resources successfully, it is important to improve information literacy of the users. The Estonian librarians offer both obligatory and optional e-courses and emphasize that their library users attach great importance to the feedback from a librarian. In Turkey, the first Asian country where the specialists from the UL Library worked within the projects, the leading libraries mostly take notice of the accessibility of virtual libraries and e-materials. In Slovenia, the project participants not only learnt about the work of libraries, but also attended the 7th South-Eastern European Digitization Initiative conference devoted to various cultural heritage preservation and digitization issues. Project participants also took part in a meeting on the creation of institutional repositories, organized by the libraries of the University of Ljubljana. Lessons Learned from Us The UL Library staff is glad that the project members were interested in learning about our work and achievements, as well as about Latvia’s experience in the development of the library sector in general. Although for the time being the UL Library does not have modern rooms and is not using modern technologies in its daily work, still there are some areas, such as the user service, where the UL Library surpasses its foreign colleagues. The UL Library not only gained new experience in each of the projects, but also was able to adapt and successfully integrate it in its work. The prospective and implemented UL Library projects are a great opportunity for the staff to broaden their professional knowledge, learn about new cultural environments, and improve their communication and foreign language skills. The UL Library can be truly proud of its achievements, but above all, it is important to find an efficient use for the acquired experience so as to serve the interests of the UL. The UL Library´s successful experience often comes as a surprise to ERASMUS exchange students amazed at the Library´s achievements. Now the UL Library can surprise its colleagues from abroad! Projects Implemented by the Library of the University of Latvia (2005-2013) The experience of the European libraries in the Library of the University of Latvia University of Warsaw Library and National Library of Poland, National Library of the Czech Republic, Helsinki University Library and National Library of Finland, Academic Library of Tallinn University (2005-2006) Establishment of information environment and quality library services in the UL Library Loughborough University Library, British Library, Vilnius University Library (2007)       Student service in a digital university library National and University Library of Iceland, School of Education Library of the University of Iceland, Library of the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, Reykjavik University Library, Kópavogur Public Library (2008)  The innovations in library work towards a university of sciences     Istanbul Technical University Library, Koç University Library, Sabanci University Library (2010) Users’ attitudes and requirements for library services National and University Library of the University of Ljubljana, University of Maribor Library, Central Technological Library (2011) Accessibility and management of electronic resources in a university library University of Tartu Library, Tartu Public Library, Tallinn University of Technology Library, Academic Library of Tallinn University, National Library of Estonia    (2013)

Translated by students of the professional study programme Translator of the University of Latvia.