IFLA/FAIFE Report of the Kosova Libraries Mission made available

Citation

(2000), "IFLA/FAIFE Report of the Kosova Libraries Mission made available", Interlending & Document Supply, Vol. 28 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilds.2000.12228cab.015

IFLA/FAIFE Report of the Kosova Libraries Mission made available

IFLA/FAIFE Report of the Kosova Libraries Mission made available

Keywords Libraries, Reports, Collection management, Destruction, Development plans

The IFLA/FAIFE (Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression) report of the joint UNESCO, the Council of Europe (CoE) and IFLA Kosova Library Mission is now available on the FAIFE Web site. The report provides a general assessment and proposes a short and medium term development plan.

The National and University Library and other special libraries are in decay, the preservation of cultural heritage, in terms of printed materials, is endangered and the national systems to record and disseminate documents are practically out of function.

Large parts of the valuable collections in the National and University Library have been removed and probably destroyed during the period 1990-1999.

Many public and school libraries, especially in the countryside, have been totally burned down, others have had their book collections removed or destroyed, and those which are still functioning suffer from the effects of almost ten years of neglect in acquisitions. Furthermore, many library books have been burned along with the homes of users. An estimated total of almost half the stocks of all the public libraries have been lost. A great part of the remaining books are either outdated or irrelevant to local inhabitants due to their ideological, linguistic or ethnic character. Practically all equipment has been removed and most of the present staff need training after a long period without professional prctice and systematic education.

The Kosova Library Mission proposes a three to four years action plan, Kosova Library Project 2000+, for the rehabilitation of libraries in Kosova. The plan includes short-term projects and attempts to point out longer-term strategies.

The full report can be viewed on the FAIFE Web site at: http://www.faife.dk/faife/kosova/kosorepo.htm

Source: Press release