Press Conference about the progress of the public library development project

Riga, 10 December 2007
The Supervisory Board of the public library development Project co-financed by the Latvian government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will hold a press conference at13:00 today at the premises of State Agency Kultūras informācijas sistēmas at Tērbatas ielā 53-7, Riga (enter from Stabu iela).

The conference will cover what has been achieved to date in the framework of the project and members of the project’s Supervisory Board will participate: Solvita Zvidriņa, State Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Andris Vilks, Director Latvian National Library and Armands Magone, Director, State Agency Kultūras informācijas sistēmas. The fourth board member, Sandis Kolomenskis, Manager, Microsoft Latvia will be represented by the company’s Manager, Major Accounts and Partner Groups, Andrejs Siliņš.

A year has passed since the signing of the agreement between Latvia’s Ministry of Culture and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in November 2006. The agreement provided for Latvia receiving US$16.2 million for the development of information technology in municipal public libraries. In accordance with the agreement, the Latvian government undertook to invest an equivalent sum from national and local government resources. Microsoft is also participating in the project with a donation of software to the value of US$7.9 million.

Having received the first payment, Latvia has just received the second payment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to continue the project: US$8 731 000. To date, most project activities have focused on preparatory work – procurement has been completed to establish data-transmission infrastructure at all 874 public libraries, an extensive librarian-training programme has commenced, collection of vital base data for project-impact assessment has been completed, a public communication campaign will be launched in the near future to inform the public about the benefits of the project and will create an image for public libraries. At the beginning of next year, as soon as procurement has been completed, libraries will also receive new computer equipment. In total, the 874 libraries will be supplied with 4000 new computers complete with software, as well as multi-functional equipment for printing, copying and scanning. Very soon, the Latvian Library for the Blind and its seven branches throughout Latvia will receive special computer equipment for sight-impaired and blind users within the framework of this project, as will all the main regional libraries.

FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE MEDIA

You are invited to attend a press conference at 13:00 today, 10 December at the State Agency Kultūras informācijas sistēmas Tērbatas ielā 53-7, Riga (enter from Stabu iela). Further information can be obtained from Kaspars Rūklis , Public Relations Manager, State Agency Kultūras informācijas sistēmas (tel. 7844885 or e-mail kaspars.ruklis@kis.gov.lv).

Media contact:
Kaspars Rūklis
Public Relations Manager
V/A Kultūras informācijas sistēmas
Telephone: 7844885, 29405048; e-mail: kaspars.ruklis@kis.gov.lv