Biblio partner Culture Information Systems Centre received the Annual Award of the Library Association of Latvia

Biblio partner Culture Information Systems Centre received the Annual Award of the Library Association of Latvia in the nomination “Annual event in Latvian Libraries 2019”. The award was given for the implementation of an e-book reading platform “3td e-BOOK library”, about which we wrote in our previous blog.

In 2019, 26 events were nominated for the prize, and 364 people participated in an online voting casting 1032 votes. Other competing projects included the new version of Latvian Library portal www.biblioteka.lv, exhibition “Books is Fashionable in Library of Bauska”, “Cesis Library 100” – exhibition cycle and video material, and renovation of Miezītes Library.

The award is traditionally presented at the Congress of the Library Association of Latvia in April. Because of COVID-19, the Congress was held online and the prize was handed personally. The Chairman of the Library Association of Latvia Māra Jēkabsone visited Culture Information Systems Centre on 26 August 26 and handed the prize to the director of Culture Information System Centre Armands Magone.

The winner received the travelling prize – an album that is put at the winner’s disposal for a year to leave a two-page record about the event.

Souvenirs and flowers were also received by Aiga Granina of the IT company TietoEVRY, which provides technical maintenance for the “3td e-BOOK library”.

Since the launch of e-book reading platform “3td e-BOOK library”, more than a year and a half has passed. Now, there are more than 430 e-books available and more than 10.600 registered users.  In 20 months since the launch of the platform there have been more than 48,000 e-book loans and more than 18 million of pages have been turned.

In 2018, “Annual event in Latvian Libraries” was won by the Opening of the National Encyclopedia, and in 2017 – by the introduction of 24/7 Reading Room in the Scientific Library of Riga Technical University.

Winner in 2018 – National Encyclopedia

On 18 December 2018, the electronic version of the National Encyclopedia www.enciklopedija.lv was opened in Bebrene manor. It is a universal and highly reliable information resource in the Latvian language, online and free of charge.

Bebrene manor as a place for the opening ceremony has been chosen to symbolically demonstrate the availability of the e-version of encyclopedia to everyone in the world who is interested. The other reason was to popularize the cultural historical Sēlija region. Bebrene is a village in Bebrene municipality, part of the culturally historic Sēlija region, more than 150 kilometers away from capital Riga.

The creation of the National Encyclopedia is an essential part of the Latvian Centenary Programme, creating lasting values – an important knowledge resource in Latvian. On 18 October 2018, the printed version of National Encyclopedia “Latvija” was presented in the National Library of Latvia, but the foundation of the resource is created and maintained in an electronic environment.

The content of the site www.enciklopedija.lv is in a continuous process of improvement, covering the widest range of topics in a multimedia way. At the end of 2018, more than 700 entries were available for readers on the electronic site, and in September 2020 – 1,961. The entries are supplemented with photographs, tables, graphs, maps, audio and video recordings, hyperlinks and references to related resources, lists of literature sources.

Several hundreds of specialists of different fields are involved in the creation of entries, most of them scientists. Almost all articles published in the printed version of encyclopedia “Latvija” are also included in the content of the electronic encyclopedia.

The content of the encyclopedia is intended for the widest audience, but www.enciklopedija.lv is expected to be a very useful resource for students at schools and universities. It is possible to print entries and automatically generate references. The e-version of encyclopedia is also adapted for use in a mobile environment on different devices.

Winner in 2017 – 24/7 Reading Room in the Scientific Library of Riga Technical University

The 24-hour a day and 7-day Reading Room Scientific Library of Riga Technical University allows to study at any time of the day, including week-ends. It is closed only on public holidays and during student holidays. The 24/7 Reading Room is equipped with workplaces and the most popular textbooks, Wi-Fi, book drop and access to self-service kitchen.

During the library working hours it is possible to order and register books for work in the late hours, and books can be returned to a self-service drop box.

Everyone who wants to use 24/7 Reading Room outside the working hours of the Scientific Library of the Riga Technical University, must be registered on the university’s portal ORTUS.