On the 2^nd November 2009, the representatives of the Russian State Library (RSL) visited the Belarus National Library (BNL). They got acquainted with the conditions of work, placement of collections, digital resources available, and with the conditions of functioning of the Digital Dissertation Library of the RSL on the premises of the BNL. They also spoke to the Deputy Director General in Forming Digital Resources Tatyana Kouzmich. Among the subject matters discussed at the meeting, there were ways of further cooperation in the sphere of digital resources.

On the 3^rd October 2009 there took place the official opening of the Virtual Reading Room of the Digital Dissertation Library of the RSL at the Scientific Library of the National Technical University of Belarus (BNTU) in the city of Minsk. There was also held a seminar devoted to the above mentioned digital resource.

The Director of the Scientific Library of the BNTU was presented with the plate “Virtual Reading Room of the Russian State Library”.

The event was started by the greeting word of the Director of the Scientific Library of the National Technical University of Belarus Aleksey Skalaban.

The Head of the Department of Support of Access to Digital Resources of the RSL and the Head Manager of the Project DDL RSL Nina Avdeeva made presentation ”Digital Dissertation Library of the Russian State Library: Support and Development”, in which she   gave the main statistics on functioning of the Russian State Library and described the project of the Digital Dissertation Library of the RSL. Then, the Coordinator of the project Olga Chemodanova reported on the theme “New Programme Supply for Access to Digital Dissertation Library of the Russian State Library”. She demonstrated the interface and services of the programme supply, and pointed out the main aims and causes of its creation. After that, the organizers of the seminar answered the questions of the audience. The seminar was finished with the speech of the Head of the Publishing House “Open Book” Dmitri Berezovin.

The organizers of the event managed to gather more than 60 representatives of the libraries of higher education institutions, research institutes, public libraries and other organizations of the Republic of Belarus, such as: the library of the Academy of Public Administration, the library of Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, the library of the Belarus State University of Culture and Arts, the library of the Belarus State Economy University, the library of the Military Academy, the library of the SAE Institute of Command and Engineering, the library of the Minsk State Linguistic University, the library of the Minsk Branch of Moscow State University, the library of the AE Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, the library of the AE Belarus State Agricultural and Technical University, the library of the AE Belarussian State Pedagogical University n.a. M. Tank, State Institution Belarus Agricultural Library n.a. I.S. Lupinovich of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, SI Presidential Library of the Republic of Belarus, SI Yakub Kolas Central Science Library of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Institute of Parliamentarism and Business, BNTU Scientific Library, Scientific and Technical Library of the National Press Centre of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus, National Library of Belarus, LLC “Open Book”, Republican Library for Science and Technology of Belarus, Belarus State University Fundamental Library, PAE Institute of Business.

The National Technical University of the Republic of Belarus was the first higher education institution in Minsk to acquire access to the collection of the Digital Dissertation Library of the Russian State Library. The Scientific Library of the National Technical University of the Republic of Belarus (SL of BNTU) is the biggest library among the libraries of higher education institutions in Belarus. It contains a unique collection of literature on technical subjects, architecture, art and science (dated from 1831). The library supplies studies and research for 36,000 users. Its fund number over 2 million books, magazines, etc. approximately 2,680 readers visit the library every day. 18 student and specialized reading rooms are open from 9 a.m. till 8.00 p.m. 9 subscriptions provide lending documents for home studies.

The representatives of the Russian State Library managed to hold seminars on DDL RSL in other big cities of Belarus, such as Gomel and Mogilev.

On 4^th November 2009, at 10 a.m. there took place a seminar on DDL RSL at the library of Francisk Skorina Gomel State University. There participated representatives of the following organizations: Francisk Skorina Gomel State University, Belarusian Trade and Economics University, Gomel State Transport University, Pavel Sukhoi State Technical University of Gomel.

On 4^th November 2009 at 2.30 p.m. there was held another seminar on DDL RSL at the library of Belarusian -  Russian University (Mogilev). Among the participants there were representatives of: Belarusian - Russian State University,Mogilev State University of Food Technologies, Mogilev State University n.a. Kouleshov.

The representatives of the RSL discussed possible ways of cooperation with the directors of the Publishing House “Open Book” in order to create more virtual reading rooms of the DDL RSL at the territory of Belarus.