ARMENIA FUND COMPLETES RECONSTRUCTION OF SHUSHI LIBRARY
ASBAREZ
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
The exterior of the library
New plans include digitizing entire book collection
YEREVAN-Earlier this year, the Shushi Library began operating in a
completely renovated and newly furnished space. The transformation
of the venerable landmark, at a cost of approximately $227,000,
was sponsored by the Armenia Fund U.S. Western Region.
The library now is poised to function as not only an extraordinary
destination for reading and research, but a hub for a range of
educational and cultural events. It will serve Shushi, Stepanakert,
and nearby rural communities, helping enrich the lives of students
and the population at large.
The new shelves will house books The renovation project has resulted in
a complete makeover of the library, which comprises a two-story main
building and a single-level administrative unit, with a total area of
624 square meters. Both structures were reinforced and rebuilt around
new floor plans, the roofs were replaced, and the floors were covered
variously with ceramic tiles and hardwood. Improvements also include
the installation of up-to-date electrical and climate-control systems.
The administrative building consists of an entrance hall and
four offices. The main building comprises a large reading hall,
a storehouse, and a basement used for various library needs.
The people of Shushi have long cherished the dream of seeing their
city restored and teeming with Armenian life, says Mikayel Khachatryan,
deputy head of the Shushi Administration. Today that dream is becoming
reality, through key improvements including rebuilt roads and the
refurbished roofs of over ten apartment complexes as well as ongoing
redevelopment projects such as the renovation of the Shushi Cultural
Center and the Abovyan School, and installation of an internal
potable-water network.
Khachatryan has high hopes that the Shushi Library will regain its
former stature as a regional intellectual center. In the Soviet era,
he says, the library had up to 60 visitors a day. Moreover, it hosted
a regular stream of lectures and book presentations featuring renowned
authors and scholars. All that came to a grinding halt with the onset
of the Artsakh War. In 1992, when the residents of Shushi returned
to their native city, what they found was utter devastation. Their
beloved library, like all of Shushi’s once-vibrant institutions,
was far from being able to resume its activities.
Now that the library has received a new lease on life, its management
is hard at work to optimize it. The library’s book collection,
comprising over 16,500 volumes, will shortly be moved back to the
renovated premises, after having been temporarily stored at the
Muratsan School. The management has already taken steps to considerably
expand the collection. Another significant addition will be realized
thanks to Moscow-based ethnographer Karen Yuzbashyan, who has donated
his private collection of ethnographic studies, totaling 265 pieces,
to the library.
Currently the library employs a staff of seven, with plans to expand it
in the near future. One critically important position the management
is seeking to create is that of a bibliographer. Another top priority
is to digitize the entire book collection.
“One after the other, redevelopment projects launched in 2009 are
coming to fruition,” says Ara Vardanyan, executive director of the
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund. “And with the completion of every single
initiative, we feel proud for bringing hope and joy to Shushi, as
we continue to do our share in helping restore and beautify this
magnificent city-fortress of our ancestors.”
From: A. Papazian