The e-Governance Center has joined the Novateca program trainers’ team and today, August 1, had its first training event within the START course.

The “digital basics” training was attended by 10 librarians included in the Novateca program who, in their turn, will become trainers and catalysts in the library redesign project: starting from library halls to vibrant community centers.

In addition to strengthening the theoretical knowledge, the training also focused on developing organizational and technologic skills without which it would be impossible to deliver new library services based on the needs of the modern community.

The presentation of the E-Governance Center addressed two issues: principles and elements of cyber security and electronic services addressed to the population with focus on practical training of the librarians in the use of these services. Thus, the librarian transforms into a consultant able to assist people in the use of electronic governmental services such as e-Record [6], e-Declaration [7] or e-Civil Status [8], from the premises of the library.

These trainings aim at filling the gaps related to the in-service librarians’ training system. In the long run, the program intends to achieve a change in attitudes, mentality, values and skills, increasing the positive image capital of the library and of librarians.

The “Novateca” program was launched in May 2012 when the partnership memorandum was signed with the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications, Ministry of Culture and the Global Libraries program in Moldova for modernizing libraries, providing them with technologic resources and ensuring free access to the internet. The project is implemented with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.