1. Library cooperation between four countries in the north, Barents Euro-Arctic region IFLA WLIC 2012 Satellite Conference Lappeenranta 8.8.2012 Susanna Parikka Library Director Lapland University Consortium Library, Finland

2. Lapland University Consortium (LUC) - Co-operation of three institutions of higher education: o University of Lapland o Rovaniemi University of Applied Sciences o Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences -A common library: Lapland University Consortium Library (LUC Library) 1.1.2010->

3. Outline 1. Barents area 2. Libraries 3. Future

4. 1. Barents area

5. The Barents Euro-Arctic region Extends over northernmost parts of four countries: -Norway -Sweden -Finland -Northwest Russia

6. Willem Barents (c.1550 – 1597) Barents‘s ship among the arctic ice by Gerard de Veer 1598

10. Barents region 1/2 -Vast region of 1 755 800 km² -Population 5,5 million -Low population density: 3,4 inhabitants per km² -Long distances -Wilderness -Boreal forest zones but tundra in the north -Rural areas, just a few cities -Many natural resources (forests, fish, minerals, diamonds, oil and gas)

11. Barents region 2/2 -Many languages  Norwegian  Swedish  Finnish  Russian  Nine Sami languages  Kven language  Torne Valley Finnish  Karelian language -Indigenous peoples e.g. Saami, Nenets, Vepsians, Komi

12. Torne river boundary river between Finland and Sweden

13. 2. Libraries

14. -to improve library services with the help and inspiration of the cross-border co-operation -to intensify and rationalize library operations with the help of international colleagues from libraries with similar conditions Goals of co-operation

15. - common meetings - acquisitions (e.g. acquiring of other countries’ literature both as originals and as translations, exchanging special collections) - information exchange between libraries - staff exchange between libraries - PR work - interlibrary lending Forms of co-operation

16. Co-operation since the 60’s -1962 North Calotte Week in Piteå (Sweden) -1963 North Calotte Libray meeting in Rovaniemi (Finland) -Many meetings under 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s under different names -1971 also Russian librarians took part in the meeting in Kirkenes (Norway) -1989 first conference in Russia (Murmansk)

17. Some results of co-operation -Mutual benefits for all participating libraries -Many common projects: -Building networks of library people -Many kinds of work with collections, newest being digitizing materials -Common Sami bibliography -Common updating education, Barents Library School (finished) -Staff exchange -Northern information service Lapponica on the Internet http://intro.rovaniemi.fi/Lapponica?formid=lapff&sesid=1 343376317&ulang=eng

18. Barents Library Conference 2011, Rovaniemi, Finland

19. Photo Salla Erho Rovaniemi City Library, Finland

20. LUC Library, University of Lapland

21. Photo Harri Tarvainen LUC Library, Kemi-Tornio UAS Digipolis

22. Photo Jenni Lintula Umeå University Library, Sweden

23. Troms City Library, Norway

24. Main Public Library in Petrozavodsk, Russia

25. 3. Future

26. Succesful cross-border co-operation -To be based on - local needs - common challenges - mutual co-operation -A grass-root connection - Open attitude

27. Rovaniemi in Autumn, Finland

28. Future -Great challenges in the future for the area -Libraries? -More co-operation in disseminating information, also scientific information -Making local people’s voices heard -New forms of co-operation

29. Frozen river, Rovaniemi, Finland

30. NEW http://www.facebook.com/askbarents MORE INFORMATION http://www.barentsinfo.org/