‘Our disadvantage is that we have chosen Kazan only now’: Tatarstan to host Russian Library Congress
Next year, Kazan recognised as Russia’s library capital will host the Russian Library Congress as well as the 28th Annual Russian Library Association Conference. The events will take place in Tatarstan for the first time, the republic’s National Library will host them. So from 12 to 16 May, the former building of the National Culture Centre will turn into a point of attraction for more than 1,500 guests from both all over the country and foreign states. Read more about the book festival in Realnoe Vremya’s report.
“All librarians of the country know that the best things will be here and now”
The congress is organised with the help of the Russian Library Association, Director of the State Public Historical Library Mikhail Afanasyev is its president. His duties will terminate next year, this is why the announcement of a new president will be one of the key events of the Kazan congress. At the same time, the country’s new library capital will be chosen too in May.
“There is a librarian at every corner. They are at schools, they are on your street, they are in educational institutions. There are libraries and librarians everywhere you study, work or live. Librarians are people who don’t live only for themselves. They love communication very much, they love sharing what they have done for society. The Russian Librarian Congress is a place, a space where this can be done,” shared Mikhail Afanasyev.
According to him, a congress of the country’s librarians is over a thousand professional workers from different regions united by one idea. During the congress in Kazan, they all will know that “the most interesting” things from the country’s library life will be concentrated here, he noted.
“In the Russian Library Association we annually choose a region with a more interesting library, professional activity. It is interesting because one can learn something here, it has an interesting culture and book tradition. In the end, it is interesting because there is no other region like this. I think this is even our disadvantage that we have chosen Kazan as the host city of the Russian Library Congress only now. This city is announced as Russia’s library capital during the year of hosting the congress. All librarians of the country know that the best, the most important and interesting things in the library world will be here and now. Next May Kazan will be hosting the congress and librarians from the whole country as well as from other countries,” the president said.
“I think it is great that Kazan is a youth, sports, cultural and library capital of Russia”
Tatarstan Vice Prime Minister Leyla Fazleyeva, in turn, claimed that the congress would become an event not only for librarians but also ordinary citizens. According to her, citizens and guests of the city will have an intense programme where representatives of different generations can participate — from schoolchildren to their parents.
“I think it is great that Kazan is a youth, sports, cultural and library capital of Russia. This is an amazing event that allows each of us to turn to the book, knowledge, learn something new. During a discussion about the Russian Congress of Librarians in Tatarstan, we asked our colleagues to make this event not only for the professional community but also for all citizens of the republic. I think that the whole republic will be full of ideas during the whole next year. We will be grateful to our colleagues if our students, volunteers, Russian language and literature teachers and those who work closely with librarians participate in this event. This is an organisation of pensioners too. Book is the most important thing that gives knowledge. This is why the congress is an opportunity to touch knowledge, share it and learn something new,” said Fazleyeva.
