Klintaine Public Library, Latvia

Impact Assessment Results

Impact study results, January 2013: high resolution | low resolution [PDF]

Library service inspires other agencies to use webinars

Klintaine Public Library reached over 1,800 farmers with vital information by using webinars, proving that webinars are an efficient and cost-effective way of reaching rural communities and inspiring the Ministry of Agriculture and training agencies to introduce webinars as part of their services.

The project was one of 14 innovative public library services funded by EIFL’s Public Library Innovation Programme (EIFL-PLIP) in November 2011. Here we present results of impact assessment conducted by the library a year later, in November 2012.

Read more in the document titled Impact Study Results, above.

Previous project updates:

Library webinar series saves us time and money, say farmers

Rural library webinar service connects Latvian farmers

Background to ‘Hand in Hand’

Serving a community need

The primary community to be served is farmers who run small or medium-sized farms in the area of Klintaine. The service will also reach farmers in other rural areas of Latvia, through a network of rural libraries. According to research into library use in Latvia, 34% of public library Internet users in 2011 searched for advice and information related to agriculture. The government organizes regional seminars on agriculture, but many farmers cannot afford to attend them.

The new service

Klintaine Public Library will provide a series of eight webinars (online seminars) on farming methods and government support and services for farmers. The webinars will be presented by specialists. Rural libraries across Latvia will be invited to take part, and the webinars will also be uploaded to the Internet and archived for future reference. In addition to providing knowledge and skills, the webinars will build links between farmers, government agricultural support agencies and agricultural experts.

Working together

Klintaine Public Library will work with the Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre, which will provide the technical platform for the new service, as well as trainers and content for the webinars. Culture Information Systems, a government agency, and the public library development project, ‘Father’s Third Son’, will support ‘Hand in Hand’ by engaging other rural public libraries.

Replicating success

Klintaine Public library is replicating ideas from Public Library Radislav Nikčević’s successful AgroLib-Ja service, which builds Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills of farmers in central Serbia, and has created a web-site for farmers to market their produce. Read more about AgroLib-Ja.

If you want to learn more about the project, contact:

Alita Kluša
Klintaine Public Library
Kūlīši, Stukmaņi,
Klintaines pag., Pļaviņu nov., LV-5129
Latvia
Tel.: +371 65124034
e-mail: klintainesbiblioteka@inbox.lv
or
Sandra Vīgante
Culture Information Systems
Tērbatas iela 53-2,
Rīga, LV 1011
Latvia
Tel.: +371 67844885
e-mail: sandra.vigante@kis.gov.lv