ALL ARMENIAN LIBRARIES TO BE REPAIRED WITHIN NEXT TWO YEARS

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian library
system, which collapsed after the breakup of the Soviet Union, is now
beginning to develop. According to the head of the cultural policy
department of the RA ministry of culture Karo Vardanian, all the
libraries will be repaired in 2008-2009, with library stock being
replenished with new books and publications, and new technologies being
introduced.

Major repairs of the National Library of Armenia will start this year,
while the two other libraries under the jurisdiction of the ministry of
culture – the republican musicological library and the children’s
library after Khnko Aper will undergo repair later. There are currently
730 libraries in Armenia, whereas in the past every village used to
have its own library. Besides, the law on legal deposit copy has not
been adopted so far, and the libraries cannot obtain even literture
published by state order.

K. Vardanian said that during Armenia’s independence years, many
libraries were closed, and the whole bookselling system of the country
collapsed. "There are only 5 bookshops in Yerevan now, while their
number in marzes makes three".

He also spoke about the program on development of marz (regional)
cultural life, under which some well-known theatrical companies from
Yerevan went on tour to marzes last year. In the words of K. Vardanian,
the program gave good results, thanks to which 28 mln drams has been
allocated for this purpose this year instead of 17 mln drams in 2007.