Turning libraries into digital culture hubs
The Academy of Romanian Scientists (AOSR), through the Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research “Constantin Angelescu” (ICAI), organized the 15th edition of the symposium “Slove Muscelene” with the theme “Transforming libraries into hubs of digital culture“, on 13-14 July 2023, at Villa Golescu – Câmpulung Muscel, an event initiated and coordinated by prof. univ. dr. eng. Doina Banciu, Vice President of AOSR.
“This year’s edition is an anniversary edition, and the theme is about the opportunity for libraries to benefit from NRP funds for digitisation. The overall objective is to become hubs of digital culture,” said Prof. Dr. Eng. Doina Banciu.
At the opening of the symposium, the President of the Academy of Scientists, Prof. Dr. Eng. Adrian Badea, pointed out that “This programme is important, as it seeks to upgrade over 1000 libraries. We talk about digitisation of public administration, but I wonder in Câmpulung or in the neighbouring municipalities, how much do they know how to use these methods, which would allow them to get in touch quickly, at home, with public and central authorities? And I think that here, the role of libraries and librarians is essential. I was born and grew up under the auspices of the Gutenberg galaxy, but now we have moved on to a new stage and we cannot do without using these colossal advantages offered by the internet and information technology.”
This year, the organizers established the Slove Scholarship, worth 1000 Euro, which was awarded to a young librarian for a professional training abroad, the winner of the first Slove Scholarship being Alina Frunză from the Central University Library “Mihai Eminescu” Iasi.
Simona Bucura Oprescu – MP, Chair of the Committee on Public Administration and Territorial Planning of the Chamber of Deputies, delivered a speech stressing that “the only way we can leave something for our children is through education, school and library”.
The event was also attended by Adrian Dumitru Bughiu – vice-president of Arges County Council, Cornel Popescu – director of Arges County Museum, Octavian Mihail Sachelarie – former director of “Dinicu Golescu” County Library, but also the current director Mihaela Voinicu and the manager of the County Centre for Culture and Arts, Elena Iagăr, who supported the technical organisation of the event and Gabriela Nedelcu-Păsărin, president of the National Commission for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture.
The event also saw the launch of the book Slove muscelene – 15 years jubilee edition, published by Editura Tehnică.
The topics of the Slove muscelene 2023 symposium focused on the funding of libraries for digital transformation through PNRR and projects to transform libraries into digital culture hubs, with presentations and points of view held by prof. ing Doina Banciu, Vice-President – Academy of Romanian Scientists; Dragoș Cristian Vlad, President – Authority for the Digitization of Romania, Manuela Catrina, Deputy Director – National Cyber Security Directorate, Mireille Rădoi – Director General of the Central University Library “Carol I”, Agnes Erich – President of the National Commission of Libraries and manager of the County Library “I. H. Rădulescu”, Dâmbovița; Dragoș Neagu – manager of the County Library “Panait Istrati” in Brăila and president of the National Association of Librarians and Public Libraries in Romania, Daniel Nazare – manager of the County Library George Barițiu Brașov, Ioan Milică – General Director of the Central University Library “Mihai Eminescu” Iasi, Silvan Stâncel – Manager, County Library “Lucian Blaga” Alba, Anca Șendroiu – Manager, Municipal Library “Ion Barbu” Câmpulung Muscel, Ion Vaciu – President Digital Transformation Council and Ionuț Sandu – Technical Director ICI Bucharest.
The symposium was also attended by Father C. Priest Petre Moșoianu, Dean of Muscel and other church representatives as well as academics, university professors, researchers, historians, computer scientists, publishers and companies working in the field, who evoked the importance of digital transformation in libraries and other cultural institutions, along with a large audience, as in previous editions of the event “Slove muscelene”.
An interesting intervention, about women in Muscel, was that of Adeline Brad from the Embassy of the United States of America in Romania, who evoked Sarmiza Bilcescu (later Bilcescu-Alimănișteanu), the first woman lawyer in Romania, the first woman in Europe to obtain a law degree at the University of Paris and the first woman in the world with a doctorate in law.
The event was also broadcast online.
In addition, this year, deserving students from Furnicoși village (Mihăiești commune, Argeș), who were accompanied by teacher Alina Manole and priest Ștefan Smarandescu, were awarded.
At the same time, there was a presentation of folk costumes from the Muscel area and there were classical music recitals and pipe recitals.
Partners of the event were: “Carol I” Central University Library, National Institute for Research and Development in Computer Science – ICI Bucharest, National Museum of Romanian Literature, “George Barițiu” County Library of Brasov, “Carol I” University Foundation and DigiLib Muscel Association.
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