Baku State University

15^th February 2012, at the Baku State University (BSU) there took place the ceremony of opening a Virtual Reading Room of the Digital Dissertation Library of the Russian State Library (DDL RSL). The event became possible because of the cooperation of the Russian State Library (RSL) and the Intergovernmental Foundation for Educational, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation (IFESCCO) under project “Virtual Reading Rooms of the Digital Dissertation Library of the Russian State Library in national libraries and libraries of leading higher education institutions of the CIS states” within the framework of mega – project “Vaults of Commonwealth: Libraries”. The project is aimed at solving the problems of providing access to full texts of candidate’s and doctor’s dissertations and author’s abstracts and thus at enriching culture, science and education of the state. Another target was creating common information environment for the CIS states.

The ceremony was hold by the Pro-rector on organization and technologies of education of the BSU Irada Alieva, the director general of the Russian State Library and President of the Library Assembly of Eurasia Alexander Visly, deputy director general and IT director of the Russian State Library Igor Gruzdev, and deputy CEO of the IFESCCO Elvira Dolia.

I. Alieva’ s speaking

Irada Alieva was the person to speak the first. She greeted the audience and thanked for the opportunity of getting access to modern scientific knowledge. She also reported on the activity of the library and departments of the BSU, on the results achieved and on the prospects of the educational process at their university.

A. Visly’s speaking

In his greeting speech Alexander Visly underlined that education and culture in the Republic of Azerbaijan develops with the latest achievements of science. As well he pointed out the role of the IFESCCO in the development of science and intercultural exchange of the CIS states.

E. Dolia’s speaking

Deputy CEO of the IFESCCO, Elvira Rafikovna Dolia, spoke as the representative of the foundation.

N. Avdeeva’s speaking

Within the framework of the ceremony, head of the Administrative department of managing and monitoring service for clients of the RSL and head manager of the DDL RSL project Nina Avdeeva presented her report “Digital Dissertation Library of the Russian State Library as a leading resource for science and education» on the development of the DDL RSL, rules of organization and getting access to the resource, and also on the common project of the RSL and the IFESCCO.

T. Blinova’s speaking

Head specialist of the DDL RSL project Tatyana Blinova acquainted the audience with “Software for the Digital Dissertation Library of the Russian State Library. Antiplagiat system by the RSL”. In her presentation she gave details not only how to use the software especially developed to access the DDL RSL resources, but also on the services offered by the RSL – testing texts for plagiarisms against the DDL RSL.

In conclusion, the Pro-rector on organization and technologies of education of the BSU was handed plaque “Virtual Reading Room of the Russian State Library”.

Participants of the ceremony

The ceremony gathered over 120 people, mainly, staff, professors and other teachers of the University, as well as representatives of the Azerbaijan National Library named after M. Akhundov and the Azerbaijan Presidential Library.

Participants of the discussion

Later on there took place a discussion. Representatives of the RSL spoke with professors and other teachers of the Library and Information Department of the BSU. They considered problems of acquisition of items for library collections and problems of Copyright, order of getting legal deposit copies by libraries; they touched upon the question of lack of well – qualified staff and highlighted advantages of existence of the Library and Information Department on the premises of the leading higher education institution of the country.

While staying in Baku, the specialists of the RSL paid visits of friendship to the Azerbaijan National Library named after M. Akhundov and the Azerbaijan Presidential Library.

Cooperation of the Russian State Library and the Intergovernmental Foundation for Educational, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation under project “Virtual Reading Rooms of the Digital Dissertation Library of the Russian State Library in national libraries and libraries of leading higher education institutions of the CIS states” – within the framework of mega – project “Vaults of Commonwealth: Libraries” – resulted in opening one more virtual reading room in the Republic of Azerbaijan – this time at the territory of the leading higher education institution of the country. Students of the BSU could enjoy access to the full texts of the Digital Dissertation Library of the Russian State Library, which, in its turn, would help to promote the development of culture, science and education in Azerbaijan.