Spring Of Knowledge Nourished From The West

Ukraine's 30 largest libraries will receive shipments of books in early October under the Millennium Library Program started by the British Council in this country. All told, 250 titles representing the best works of British literature will be supplied.

Prior to the Ukrainian Library Day celebrated for the first time last Wednesday, the State Children's Library hosted a round table involving South Africa's Charge d'Affaires, chief librarians from the French Cultural Center and Goethe Institute, Manager of the British Council in Ukraine, and Ukrainian librarians and professors from the University of Culture and the Arts. A joint program was worked out, including seminars, book exhibits, and public readings.

SCL has maintained close cooperation with foreign representations and cultural organizations for the past several years, consistently adding to its foreign book stock. Considering that it has practically no assistance from the state, it is possible that young local readers will soon find it easier to get French or English books than Ukrainian literature. The large-scale German Pages project was followed, October 2, by a similar UK program geared to familiarize Ukrainians with British cultural values, The Day's Tetyana Polishchuk reports.