Five librarians from diverse areas of the Russian Federation visited the University of Tennessee Libraries on July 11 and 13, 2006, as part of the Open World Program. The Open World Program is designed to give emerging Russian leaders a firsthand look at American democracy and civil society. The program also aims to promote understanding and create friendships between the two nations.
The visiting librarians included: Svetlana Alenkova, a federal government official responsible for libraries throughout Russia. Irina Arkhipova, deputy director of the Chelyabinsk Region Youth Library Resource Center. Larisa Degteva, head of program development at the Lipetsk Region Children’s Library. Saida Kasuyeva, head of user relations at the Khasavyurt City Central Library. Irina Kuznetsova, head librarian at Samara State Technical University.
Each U.S visit focuses on a theme that relates to the participants’ professional or civic work. More than 10,000 emerging Russian leaders and professionals have participated in the program. The Open World Program is the first and only exchange program in the U.S. legislative branch. Established in 1999, the program is headquartered at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Click here to visit www.openworld.gov for more information.