CENL News

9th June 2022

Solidarity with Ukraine: Europe Days 2022 in the National Library of Moldova

Solidarity with Ukraine: Europe Days 2022 in the National Library of Moldova

Europe Day commemorates the signing of the ‘Schuman Declaration’ on 9 May 1950. An ambitious plan to secure long-term peace in post-war Europe that is considered the beginning of what is now the European Union. The importance of working for peace in Europe is all the more evident, as we highlight our unity and solidarity with Ukraine.” (https://europeday.europa.eu/index_en)

In 2022, the Days of Europe at the National Library of the Republic of Moldova (NLRM) (https://tinyurl.com/2p95mp4c) were celebrated by the organization of exhibitions and interactive activities for the general public, and especially for the refugees from Ukraine.

The exhibition entitled “Solidarity with Ukraine”, organized by the Pro-European Center for Services and Communication (CPESC) of the NLRM takes place from May 8 to August 8, 2022. The exhibition addresses the topic of solidarity of the European Union and the Council of Europe in the context of the war in Ukraine, EU assistance to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, the latter being fully involved in the support and reception of refugees, and the evolution of the European integration process of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The information, resources and documents can be consulted by scanning QR codes and are structured in three sections: “Unity and solidarity: the European approach to the crisis in Ukraine”, “European reflections on the EU’s response to Russian military aggression in Ukraine”, and “Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova: together for a peaceful, democratic and prosperous European future”.

During the month of May 2022, within the Europe Days, it was possible to visit a variety of exhibitions, such as:

In the same time, the National Library of the Republic of Moldova organized a series of events to celebrate the Europe Days – 2022. More than 100 children and several adults benefited from guided tours through different subdivisions of NLRM and participated in a series of interactive activities. The suite of events included:

  • Excursions to the Library (Biblioturism) for Ukranian refugees, organized by the section of Old and Rare Books:
    • “Library in your palm”:

The children and their parents learned about the variety of book formats, the history of the appearance of the miniature books and explore the exibition of smallest books of the Republic of Moldova.

  • “Journey to the Land of Book Treasures”:

The visitors learned about the ancient book forms, saw old manuscripts, printed and rare books from the 15th-21st centurie; learned about some secrets of making watermark paper and other technologies that make the tour interesting. The excursions expanded the knowledge about the national and world culture of the book and also contributed to the development of interest and respectful attitude toward the book.

The Tour of the National Library of Republic of Moldova
Photo 1: The Tour of the National Library of Republic of Moldova

The Tour of the National Library of Republic of Moldova

  • Interactive writing workshops for children within the service “Another School”, organized by the section of Old and Rare Books:
    • “The emergence and development of the writing”:

The participants learned  about the ancient writing materials that our ancestors used in the 15th-20th centuries, saw the feather cleaners, sandboxes, inkwell, etc.; accessories of famous people and objects related to the history of writing.

  • Master class on calligraphy, organized by the Arts and Maps section:
    • The children and adults acquired the skills of writing and drawing beautiful letters, the ability to write using various handwriting, with different tools and techniques, and became familiar with the variety of means, tools and techniques of calligraphy.
  • Master-class “Save the book“, organized by the Technical Center for Document Conservation and Restoration:
    • The participants learned how to store books correctly. They also found out and assisted during the process of restoring and repairing books and documents.
  • Let’s explore Europe!” : Presentation of the online information resources of the European Union and the Council of Europe, organized by the Pro-European Center of Services and Communication:
    • Virtual Tour “Europe on the Internet”
    • Interactive games “Let’s explore Europe!”, “Europe: questions and answers”
    • Interactive lesson for Ukranian refugees on European information resources (https://tinyurl.com/crzkcnwh )
    • Interactive media literacy lesson on disinformation and online security
The Activities during the Europe Days 2022, NLRM
Photo 2: The Activities during the Europe Days 2022, NLRM

During the interactive lessons organized for Ukranian refugees and students from Chisinau, the participants learned about the European sources of information and conducted various searches on European portals.

Participants “interacted” with offline and online exhibits, looking for answers to questions of mini-quizzes in books and e-publications with QR codes.

The students rediscovered Europe through active involvement in online games, finally demonstrating good knowledge and good results.

Due to the media literacy session, the students found out what media education is, what the terms of misinformation and online security mean.

Photo 3: Interactive games organized by the Pro-European Center of Services and Communication, NLRM
Photo 3: Interactive games organized by the Pro-European Center of Services and Communication, NLRM

Overall, “The Europe Days 2022 at the NLRM” initiative was attended by more than 100 people (students, teachers, parents), including a group of the Ukraniam refugees. One of Ucranian refugee who had been working as a librarian in Odessa, has got hired by the National Library of Moldova after particating at the events.

The initiative of the National Library of Republic of Moldova has raised a big interest and enthusiasm among the visitors, and it was appreciated as useful and informative-educational. The National Library of Moldova continues to keep in touch with the Ukrainian refugee community and it is ready to organize other activities for them throughout the year, depending on their free time, with some arrangements in advance and within the possibilities of the Library.

The refugees are welcomed at any time at the National Library of Moldova, both in the reading rooms and in the interactive space for families and mothers with children from Ukraine.

( https://tinyurl.com/3nhmhb49 )

For More Information

Europe Days 2022 at NLRM https://tinyurl.com/2p95mp4c 

Info/Photos from Europe Days events 23 May, 2022 https://tinyurl.com/mw6vveju , https://tinyurl.com/2p8msxt7,  https://tinyurl.com/2p95k8w9

Info/ Photos from Europe Days events 26 May, 2022

https://tinyurl.com/3pmk9367,  https://tinyurl.com/3m9wvmdb,  https://tinyurl.com/2p87zbhm

Video from „Cuneiform writing” master class 26.05.22

Photos from „Save the book”  master class from 26.05.22

Master class on calligraphy from 26.05.22

Photos from Europe Days events 30 May, 2022  https://tinyurl.com/yc3fbkne, https://tinyurl.com/bdzjysx3https://tinyurl.com/mtfu9yx2

Photos from Europe Days events 31 May, 2022  https://tinyurl.com/5n85hcc5, https://tinyurl.com/bdc5w8an, https://tinyurl.com/ef6n93yk

Exhibition „Republic of Moldova and Ukraine: 30 years of diplomatic relations”  

https://tinyurl.com/ywa9za4yhttps://tinyurl.com/bdz6n8pa

Exhibition „Solidarity with Ukraine” (Pro-European Center of Services and Communication)

https://tinyurl.com/yj432czx

Video

Point of contact – Natalia Gulco, cpesc@bnrm.md

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