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Description
The city of Iasi has an important cultural heritage, preserved and cultivated by a plethora of institutions with cultural resonance at national and European level. The building of Central University Library „Mihai Eminescu” in Iasi is a historical monument construction registered in the List of Historical Monuments. The building is in a good state of conservation, considering that restoration and consolidation works have been carried out, relatively recent. However, during these interventions, no roof repairs were carried out, the existing galvanized sheet is in an advanced state of deterioration, and the system of catching the rainwater, from zinc sheet requires interventions to protect the building from possible infiltration of foundations. Also, intervention works are needed to make the hatches necessary to ensure the correct illumination of the central room and to modernize the ventilation system. At the same time, there are necessary arrangement works of book storage rooms from the basement and the realization of the fire prevention and extinguishing facilities. All these deficiencies are addressed by this project. The beneficiary of the project is the Central University Library „Mihai Eminescu” Iasi. The target group consists of: 23 BCU employees, respectively 7 employees in the project (participants in the mentoring activity - the workshop with the theme "The Library of the Future"); 2 employees in the project (participants in the job-shadowing activity - exchange of experience "Librarian work challenges”). The specific needs of the target group and the beneficiary of the project are: the precarious state of certain components of the historical monument that endanger its integrity; insufficient promotion of the monument; the need to develop the skills of BCU employees and project team members.
Summary of project results
The project focused on restoring the historic monument, the „Mihai Eminescu” Central University Library of Iași, and promoting it by implementing a comprehensive valorization plan to integrate the restored landmark into local and regional cultural tourism.
The restoration of the historic monument involved repairing the roof and rainwater collection system, refurbishing the book depositories in the building’s basement, modernizing and upgrading fire prevention and extinguishing systems, and implementing a state-of-the-art video monitoring system.
The valorization plan for the restored monument included a comprehensive campaign to promote the services and online resources offered by the Central University Library (BCU). This was carried out through media initiatives such as radio spots, the modernization of the institution’s website, and the creation and distribution of promotional materials. Additionally, three high-impact public events were organized, attended by distinguished figures from Romanian cultural life, including artists, writers, and actors.
The project also prioritized the development of professional skills for project team members and employees of the "Mihai Eminescu" Central University Library in Iași through participation in workshops and international experience exchange programs.
The direct result of the project was the restoration and revitalization of the Central University Library „Mihai Eminescu" in Iasi.
Indirect results of the project were the following:
- Improved access to culture locally and regionally - the total number of visitors and participants in cultural activities reached 5,207.
- Professional development of 30 people (7 members of the project implementation team and 23 employees of the Central University Library "Mihai Eminescu" Iași).
- Improvement of cultural management and organization of attractive activities to strengthen institutional visibility.
Enhancement of the heritage of the "Mihai Eminescu" Central University Library in Iasi through guided tours for visitors, book exhibition, video mapping projection and high-impact conferences.