The Civilitas Foundation has created Children’s Corners at two public libraries as part of the Civilitas Libraries as Centers of Civil Society Program. The Children’s Corners in the public libraries of Charentsavan and the Nor Nork District of Yerevan were funded by Ernst & Young, the international accounting and financial services firm.

On October 7, while Armenian librarians were celebrating the International Day of Librarians, the Nor Nork District Public Library in Yerevan received their gift: a DVD player, a large screen TV, 55 new children’s books and 5 new educational DVDs.

The Nor Nork Public Library celebration featured music, poetry and dancing – with performances exclusively by the library’s readers, of all ages. The Director of the Civilitas Foundation, Salpi Ghazarian, also spoke at the event.
“We chose this library as the recipient of Ernst & Young’s largesse because it is an active, welcoming, functioning library, despite uneven floor paneling, worn carpets, or books printed over two decades ago. There is an undeniable energy, a visibly engaged and active patronage, and a dedicated staff. In this kind of environment, books are always new. They are new for all the new readers who come in – and that’s the library’s greatest accomplishment – bringing in new users. The new books and the new equipment will reinforce the library’s potential to open new doors for the imagination,” said Mrs. Ghazarian.

The Civilitas Foundation had previously funded the Public Library of the City of Charentsavan, about an hour outside Yerevan, with support from the US Embassy in Yerevan, to renovate the reading room, add computers and books, and make the library a welcoming place for members of the community. The Ernst & Young support further enriched the library with audiovisual equipment to serve its clientele better and more effectively. A DVD player, a large-screen TV, 50 bright, new children’s books and 5 children’s educational DVDs were delivered to Charentsavan on September 8, when the library formally opened its renovated space.

“We hope other Yerevan-based businesses, and Diaspora entities, too, will follow Ernst & Young’s example and support the miraculous work that Armenia’s librarians have done over these 20 years,” said Civilitas’s Director. “There are many, many ways to broaden the horizons and knowledge base of Armenia’s children, by enhancing the capacity of Armenia’s libraries.”
As part of the Civilitas Foundation’s Libraries as Centers of Civil Society project funded by the Embassy of the United States in Armenia, ten libraries received books and computers, and a few also were partially renovated, and installed heating systems.v