Project Setting
The centers of project activities were primarily Bratislava and Nitra. Bratislava, with a population of 452,000, is the capital and located along the Danube River near the Austrian border. Nitra, population 87,357, is an hour east of the capital. Slovakia has a population of 5.3 million, with a literacy rate of nearly 100%.
Like many former Soviet satellites, Slovakia continues to make the difficult transformation from a centrally planned economy to a market-oriented economy. The slipshod fiscal policies of the Meciar government slowed economic progress from 1994-1998. In May 1999, the current Dzurinda government approved austerity programs to cut state spending, lower social benefits, and deregulate various prices, such as those for electricity, natural gas, and public transportation.§
The libraries continue to feel these cuts in state spending. Lack of adequate funding is a universal among Slovak libraries; it is the status quo. A university librarian in Nitra once reported that their annual materials budget was forty U.S. dollars. The grant provisions did not allow us to directly address the austere climate of library budgets; however, it was an important factor because it had impact on how SK-Libris approached its work. For example, it was, at times, a psychological hurdle for our Slovak colleagues to believe they could make changes without a huge influx of money. When SK-Libris would raise an issue the response was often "If we only had the money?" Thus, together, we identified ways to improve the
free flow of information knowing there was no possibility of a multi-million dollar budget to solve, for example, infrastructure and collectiondevelopment challenges. Instead the significance of planning and learning was emphasized as the way to prepare for the day when a healthier economy will prevail.
Most libraries are housed in buildings originally designed for other purposes. One of the more strange juxtapositions is the Agricultural Library in Nitra that is now housed in half of an extant sweater factory. It, like many libraries, lost a favored position (in the Centrum convenient to public transportation) to accommodate the de-nationalization of property. The Constantine the Philosopher University Library in Nitra was moved from its central location, near the university’s classrooms and offices, when the Catholic Church reclaimed the building (a church). This library is now in a building originally designed as a Kindergarten. In referring to the new location of the Pedagogical Library in Bratislava, yet another displaced library, Helena Pangrácová said, "Our location is kind of fatal for us." The Pedagogical Library is now far from the Centrum and the building is makeshift and confining.
In response to the financial plight of libraries, the project addressed library funding, working diligently on library advocacy, which includes lobbying for government support. Our emphasis on library advocacy was strengthened by the 1998 election results in which the Meciar government was removed from power, paving the way for a more favorable political climate for libraries. Libraries could now find more receptive people in government. Appointments began to be made based on expertise, versus political affiliation. For example, Tibor Trigna, a well-respected librarian in Slovakia, is now the director of the University Library, Bratislava. Despite its name, the University Library is not affiliated with a specific university, but serves as a research library. The appointment of Andrea Doktorová, a librarian, as Director of the Department of Museums, Galleries, and Libraries at the Ministry of Culture is yet another prominent example, as is the direct involvement of the Ministers of Culture and Education in the Week of Slovak Libraries activities. "This is an historic day for Slovak libraries," observed Daniela Gondová, "Librarians got the participation of two ministers on the same day!" The successful passage of the new library law indicates that government officials are now more responsive to the library community. It is commonly agreed that under the previous government progress in this area would not have occurred. Even in the post-election scramble that year, the Meciar government still was making political appointments. One autumn morning on a scheduled visit with a library director to discuss SK-Libris it was learned that the director was to be replaced at noon by a non-librarian of the "correct" political persuasion. Disruptions in leadership further complicated the ability of libraries to effectively function.
Even though funding shortages persist, the SK-Libris emphases on customer service and library advocacy have helped improve services to library customers.
