The Last of the Mohicans: Who and how preserves libraries in Armenia

Armenia’s libraries

In Armenia‘s libraries, there are experienced staff members, some with 40-50 years of tenure, who cherish paper books and old bindings. Who are these people, and how can libraries be made more appealing to visitors now that many books are available online? A journalist from JAMnews attempted to find answers to these questions at one of Armenia’s regional libraries.

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“In the Soviet times, the library itself reached out to those who didn’t visit libraries”

The staff of the Artashat Regional Library, many of whom have been working there for decades, say they are drawn by their love of literature and even the smell of old books. They claim that “there are no accidental people among them” – everyone has professional education and years of experience.

Silva Khachatryan, 71, has been a librarian for 52 years. In her youth, she delivered books to readers, then became a service department employee. She sorts new books received by the library, codes them, and delivers them to the appropriate departments. In order to keep up with the times, she learned to use a computer.

“In Soviet times, reading was mandatory. Back then, the library itself reached out to those who couldn’t come to the library. I was one of those librarians who delivered books to readers. We visited factories, went to people’s workplaces with books. Every 15 days, we went to them and exchanged books. Then I graduated from the Echmiadzin Library Technical School and started working at the library itself, stopped delivering books,” says Silva Khachatryan.

She has worked in libraries all her life. She says she never imagined herself in another profession. Over the years, she has come to the conclusion that mere erudition is not enough to be a good librarian:

“To some extent, you also need to be a psychologist. Before suggesting someone read a particular book, you need to consider not only their age, gender, education, but also their psychological and emotional state. A book is a friend, and friends are not chosen solely based on appearance or age. A friend should understand you, share your thoughts, your desires. We have readers who come and tell us about their lives, thoughts, and preferences. And I give them the appropriate literature. Then they thank me for the right choice.”

The librarian regrets that age and health no longer allow her to read as quickly and as much as before:

“In my younger years, I read two to three books a month. Now I read slower, my eyes get strained. But I can’t stop reading. There are interesting works by modern Armenian writers that I must read to stay informed.”

Village head may close library due to financial shortage

Currently, there are 12 libraries operating under the Ministry of Education and Culture in Armenia, with two located in Yerevan and ten in the regions. Additionally, there are 365 community libraries under regional administration.

Rafik Kazaryan, Deputy Director of the Armenian Library Association, says that in 1991, Armenia had 1,318 libraries:

“Village libraries are often the ones to close. Local administration arbitrariness plays a role here. A village head can come and announce the library’s closure due to financial constraints. Over the past 30 years, hundreds of village libraries have been shut down. For instance, in 2022, there were 370 community libraries, and five of them have already closed.“

Kazaryan added that libraries are not receiving new books, which leads to a decline in visitors:

“People visit libraries to read new books. They want to discover new literature and authors. Who needs a library with only classic literature?“

Over 90,000 books for every taste

Nvard Mejlumyan, head of the service department at the Artashat Regional Library, has a 44-year work history. She recalls a time when the library received no new books at all. However, in recent years, the library has acquired not only new editions of classic literature but also works by contemporary authors, both in Armenian and other languages, as well as professional literature. She explains how they addressed the issue: they compile a list of requested literature based on readers’ demands, send it to the Ministry of Education and Culture, and receive the most in-demand books.

“I respect our readers, who demand that the library be regularly and swiftly updated with new books. However, sometimes books are taken and not returned, or they are brought back with missing pages or markings. If we notice that a particular user repeatedly mistreats books, we warn them that we will stop serving them,” said the librarian.

Medjlumyan is proud that the library now holds over 90,000 books:

“We even have ‘forbidden literature’—erotic literature and books containing profanity. We keep them locked up to prevent minors from accessing them. If they request these books, we warn them about the content before lending them out.“

Libraries should have interesting books

Armen Martirosyan, director of the “Antares” publishing house, believes that Armenian libraries remain underdeveloped, with everything reminiscent of the Soviet era. Yet, he argues that this is not what prevents people from visiting, nor is it the availability of electronic versions of books online:

“Russia and Georgia have seas. Armenia does not, yet the country exports fish products. Having the sea does not mean using it. Similarly, having the internet does not mean you can use it to become an educated person. The internet is also a space for misinformation and falsehoods.

I have a friend who started a business three times and failed each time. When asked why, he gives different reasons but never acknowledges his own mistakes. Of course, there are external reasons why libraries are not successful and have few visitors. But a library can be state-of-the-art and still not attract visitors. People come to libraries for the content. Libraries should have good, interesting books.”

Martirosyan believes the issue could be resolved if libraries were no longer under state control and found private investors. He suggests that the government should only encourage the establishment and existence of libraries:

“The state should stop being a poor regulator. It should set good standards without managing the libraries. For example, in Sweden, when a child is born, a librarian, not a relative, visits the newborn. They bring fairy tales and interactive books to instill a reading culture from an early age.”

Martirosyan laments that the library has lost its educational function because many knowledgeable librarians have left for better-paying jobs. He regrets that there are no specialists to train the younger generation in library science:

“Only the last of the Mohicans remain, and I am immensely grateful to them for their work.”

Armenia’s libraries