A Present of 600,000 Books

The National Parliamentary Library of Ukraine hosted a presentation of the Saber Light Foundation last Thursday. In commemoration of the 135th anniversary of Ukraine’s oldest library, the foundation presented some 500 books. Anatoly Korniyenko, NPLU director general, told The Day, “Ukraine strives to broaden its world views, climbing to new summits in science, culture, and education. Our readers — people’s deputies, members of the government, Presidential Administration, students, and graduates students — are very interested in knowing about the rest of the world. All told, the foundation presented us with over 5,000 books relating foreign to professional literature. Of the books presented ones dealing with philosophy, economics, law, reference sources, dictionaries, works on state structure, textbooks, editions concerning the history and culture in different countries are in most demand.” In Saber Light’s ten years of operation in Ukraine more than 600,000 books and magazines have been supplied from the United States, addressed to 406 libraries, 98 institutions of higher learning, 107 research centers, numerous non-governmental organizations, grade schools, health care institutions, etc.

SLF Executive Director Olha Isayevych says, “Apart from dispensing books free of charge, the foundation organizes traveling exhibits based on permanent recipients. Saber Light cooperates with numerous international organizations in Ukraine, including the International Renaissance Foundation. Such cooperation between the two funds have made it possible to carry out joint projects, including last year’s subscription for Ukrainian political and literary journals by 385 libraries, collecting and delivering 70,685 copies to flood-affected libraries in Zakarpattia, and distributing IMF-sponsored books.”