My name is Svetlana Dedyulya. I have been managing Bryansk regional scientific universal library named after F.I.Tyutchev, one of the best libraries in Russia for 10 years already. More than 20 thousand readers visit the library annually and they are given an opportunity to use over 2 million editions of various kind. One of the main tasks of our library is the formation of a regional library policy and rendering methodic assistance to libraries of all the systems and departments. Our library is a cultural center where different meetings with the creative intellectuals of our city and region constantly take place, where readers can always ask for help if they can’t find the necessary information; where any visitor feels comfortably; where highly professional, efficient and interesting people work.
The library is my calling. I graduated from the Mogilyov library technical school, then from the Oryol state institute of arts and culture as a specialist "librarian-bibliographer". And I have been working in Bryansk regional library already for 32 years. At first I worked as a librarian in the department of acquisition of the literature (of books for the library), also I worked as the methodologist, as head of the department, providing services for specialists in agriculture, and later as the deputy director. In 1997 I was given the honorary title – the Honoured worker of culture of the Russian Federation, and in 1999 I have been appointed as the director of library. Among my strength I would single out purposefulness, optimism, diligence and ability to withstand difficulties.
The last ten years of my activity (work) were marked by managing the process of changes, forming mutual relations with authorities, modernization of library processes and active obtaining off-budget funds for library development. I think that the modern leader is a person, capable of seeing the potential of his subordinates and of inspiring them with discovering their creative abilities and talents. Therefore one of my merits I think is the ability to organize the crew of keen, competent and talented professionals. So it became the guarantee of my personal success and success of the library that managed not only to go through hard times under conditions of total absence of financing, but also to give a good account of itself both on Russian, and on the international level. I consider a personal victory the library reputation for being audacious, aiming at future, searching for something new and young (the library is only 66 years old) with the staff equal to any task.
The facts speak for themselves.
During these years dozen of projects have been worked out and supported by various funds (Eurasia, Open Society Institute: Soros Foundation, Pushkin Library Foundation, Project Harmony, etc.). All these projects were aimed at computerization of library processes, introduction of corporate technologies to activity of libraries, creation of electronic information products, training users and giving them access to the Internet, holding theoretical and practical conferences, forums on socially-significant problems and safety of information resources.
In the year 2000 in our library there was founded the third in Russia public center of legal information; with the assistance of Embassies of Germany, the USA, Ireland there were established the German Reading Hall , the American Corner, the Irish Corner, and lately there has been opened the Polish Corner. We were the first in Russia who raised a question on the support and modernization of municipal rural libraries, when we held the First Congress of workers of rural libraries in 2000. In 2009 we continued to work on this idea, and in our region there was convened the first All-Russia congress of rural libraries that provoked great public resonance. Thanks to it, the Ministry of culture of the Russian Federation worked out a special federal program for supporting rural libraries. Two years on end our library became the winner of the All-Russia competition on ecological education of the population. And in 2007 we held the library congress RBA.
In December, 2003 as a member of group of the Russian librarians I got acquainted with work of libraries in the city of Hillsdale, Michigan. It was an unforgettable trip. We were welcomed on all the levels, beginning from receiving families to Mayor of Hillsdale. Every day we visited libraries and none of them was similar to the other. Most of all I remembered the city (municipal) library of Hillsdale and its director Jackie Morris. In each cultural institution we communicated with our American colleagues and discussed problems of forming relations with authorities and local community, shared experience of realization of concrete actions and of search of sponsor's support. To my mind this intercourse had enriched both parties. The American colleagues were amazed with the fact that in spite of the scanty income of library workers and the minimum financial aid from the local and federal budget, the Russian librarians are devoted to their occupation, efficient and are modern. It’s really so: the American libraries are our future, but thanks to this trip I was convinced that for the last five years the Bryansk regional library had made enormous progress in respect of automation of library processes and improvement of quality of service of all levels of the population. Therefore it was very important for me to see the direction of the further development: I formed a view of what we should aim at.
I am very grateful to the program «Open world» for giving me the possibility not simply improve my professional skill, but also to see the life in America from within. I am still under the impression of what I‘ve seen and experienced. I even want to change and improve something inside me and around myself.