Project ABLE specialization in USA
(18 November – 18 December 2007)

Nataliya Angelova
IT Department Pencho Slaveykov Public Library – Varna, Bulgaria

Pencho Slaveykov Public Library – Varna is one of the 18-th Bulgarian libraries, participants in the American-Bulgarian Library Exchange Project (ABLE), which main aim is the transformation of the Bulgarian libraries into Community information centers. The present program is being built on the successful Project for partnership between libraries from Bulgaria and Colorado, USA, which began in 1996. One of the activities under the project ABLE is the specialization of Bulgarian librarians in libraries in USA. As a representative of Pencho Slaveykov Public Library – Varna, I took a part in a four week specialization - from 18 November till 18 December 2007 - in our partner libraries – the Public Library in Ames, Iowa and the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library in Topeka, Kansas and visits of libraries in Denver, Colorado.

During my stay in USA I had the possibility to visit 15 different in type and size libraries (The Public libraries in Ames, Iowa, in Topeka, Kansas, in Denver and Aurora, Colorado – the State libraries in Des Moines, Iowa, Topeka, Kansas and Denver, Colorado; the library in the cities Iowa Falls, Alden, Ackley,  Steamboat Rock, Littleton, the library in the University of Ames, the library in Foothills Elementary School, Jefferson County, Colorado) and to get acquainted with the structure, the organization and the work standards in the American libraries. I learned more about the history of the American libraries and the idea they to become a natural, public, educational and information centre, a place for meetings and spending of pleasant moments of the inhabitants of the society. I became familiar to the work of the different departments, the services and the advertisement of the offered services. I got acquainted with the work system with the volunteers and the activity of the “Friends of the library” Clubs. I am impressed by the many work programs with children in the Library in Ames, the work programs with elderly people in the library in Topeka and the organization of free work trainings with different computer programs. I attended at a City Council Meeting in Iowa Falls together with the Director of the Public library, at the discussion of the budget for the next 5 years in the Public Library in Ames, on which a representative of the City Hall presented and at two meetings with the Rotary Clubs in Ames and Topeka, where I learned about the cooperation of the libraries with the local authorities and different public organization. I visited the building of the City Hall and had a meeting with the mayor of Ames.

As a computer specialist, subject to peculiar interest to me was the information service and the ways of presentation of the libraries in the internet space, different online and electronic recourses, which are offered to the citizens and the readers of the libraries, the computer system for free access and the ways of its maintenance and service, the library software.                              
During my visit in Robert Barlow Memorial Library in the city of Iowa Falls, I got acquainted with the system for download of audio books - NEIBORS (The North Eastern Iowa Bridge to Online Resource Sharing), which works in cooperation with 94 libraries and gives an opportunity to all readers of the library to download audio books on their computers, to record them on CD or MP3 player from every computer, connected with internet.

During my visit in the State library in Des Moines, I learned more about their work under the Bill Gates Foundation Project for internet access and creation of websites in libraries, which don’t have or can not afford them. Especially interesting was my meeting with the Director of the Department of Education and Networking and Resource Sharing in the State Library in Denver, who showed me all offered online services and the ways of their management:                                             
-          Ask Colorado – a librarian answers questions, asked via internet 24 hours. In the system are included 60 libraries from the whole state.               
-          Colorado Virtual Library – a portal to library catalogues and a catalogue kept at the State libraries, digital collections and educational recourses.   
-          Historic Colorado Newspapers Online – digitalized collection of Colorado newspapers from 1859 to 1928.
-          Plinkit - Online instrument for creation and editing of library websites.  

I had special meetings with the computer specialists and webmasters in the libraries in Ames, Topeka, Des Moines, Denver, Aurora, and Littleton, who showed me their ways of work.            
I had the possibility to tell about Bulgaria, Varna and the library system in the country and Pencho Slaveykov Public Library in all libraries. I met everywhere a great interest to our culture and life. I had meetings with Bulgarians, who live and work in Ames, who were pleased to talk with somebody in Bulgarian language. 

My hosts were 7 American families during my stay. I met everywhere enormous hospitality and friendly relation, which helped me feel good. Living with them, I had the possibility to become familiar to the lifestyle of my American colleagues and to exchange information about the history, culture and the way of living in the both countries.

The cultural program, prepared by my hosts was very interesting to me. A visit to the Capitol of Des Moines and Topeka, the Historical Museum in Topeka, the Art Centre in Des Moines, musical, 2 symphonic concerts, Official Service of different religions on the occasion of the Thanksgiving Day, traditional dances (Barn Dance), Exhibition of Durer and Rembrandt in the library in Topeka, Christmas wreath exhibition in Iowa Falls, Christmas tree festival in Des Moines, Christmas parade in Golden, Colorado, Zoological garden in Denver and others.

Everything I saw heard and learned during my specialization in the different American libraries will help me for my professional development. There are lots of nice ideas, which could be applied in our job, for example the addition of more interactivity in the library sites, ways of presentation of digitalized part of the funds, the marketing of the library services,  the presentation of the children programs on the library website and many others.  I had a presentation to my colleagues in the library, after my returning.

Except for the unforgettable impressions from all places of interest in Iowa, Kansas and Colorado, the most remarkable for me will remain the sense of the friendly people, who was a real pleasure to commune with. Thank you to all, who made my travel possible and who supported me in every stage of it.