First Ladies of Lithuania and Azerbaijan visit the National Library

On the 22^nd of May an official delegation of the Republic of Azerbaijan and First Lady Mehriban Arif gizi Aliyeva visited the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. The guests were accompanied by the First Lady of Lithuania Diana Nausėdienė.

The Director General of the National Library, Prof. Dr. Renaldas Gudauskas, presented the National Library as a modern knowledge space with excellent infrastructure, where various educational and creative activities are held. R. Gudauskas revealed how an open and accessible library becomes an excellent place for the development of cultural self-awareness, and a creative environment that facilitates self-creation and self-expression of every member of society.

“Lithuania values cultural potential and ingenuity not only as a key component of our national identity, but also as a tool to address challenges in various spheres of society. This is why our institutions, together with cultural and non-governmental organisations, are presenting a range of initiatives aimed at harnessing and applying the knowledge and methodologies practised in culture, in education, social protection, diplomacy, employment and other fields. Our long-term goal is to see culture as part of everyday life, taking into account its various uses in our public life. We firmly believe that culture is a way to foster curious, literate and socially active communities across the country,” said First Lady Nausėdienė.

During a short educational tour of the Library, guests heard the most important facts of the National Library’s history, and got to know the spaces that are not open to the public.

The delegation was introduced to the most important aspects of the National Library’s activities. One of them is the successful implementation of the project “Book Start”, based on international experience, under the patronage of the First Lady D. Nausėdienė. The aim of this project is to promote early reading in the family and to provide young parents with the necessary tools and knowledge.

The guests were introduced to the diverse activities of the workshop, its initiatives and support for the struggling Ukraine. They were also introduced to the most pressing issues of the library’s developments and future prospects, as well as the ongoing projects.