AUCA President Meets with Kazakh Experts

March 19, 2025

On March 13-14, AUCA Library hosted a workshop titled “Conservation and Restoration of Library Collections” with invited trainers from the Conservation, Restoration and Binding Service of the National Library of Kazakstan.

On Friday, March 14, AUCA President Timothy O'Connor held a meeting with the team of the Natioanl Library of Kazakhstan represented by Head of the Conservatioin Service Aida Shomanova, conservator and biologist Madina Nurmat and restorers Madina Bibolova and Gulnara Uzynzhasova.

Aida Shomanova shared details about their work and highlighted the role of the Conservation Service as the Regional Center for Preservation and Conservation of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA/ PAC). She noted the active involvement of the workshop participants in learning practical skills and exchanging ideas.

AUCA Library Director Jyldyz Bekbalaeva highlighted the workshop's practicality, noting that participants had the opportunity to strengthen their skills through hands-on activities. The workshop gathered librarians from different institutions, including the Academy of Sciences and the National Library of the Kyrgyz Republic.

AUCA President Timothy O'Connor highlighted the critical role of document preservation, emphasizing that the dedication of librarians and archivists in protecting documents and manuscripts is essential for the advancement of research.

During the meeting, participants also explored opportunities for further collaboration, including the potential establishment of a restoration service at AUCA. Currently, Kyrgyzstan lacks a formal system for restoring manuscripts and documents and there is a lack of trained specialists in this field. Partnerships between Kyrgyzstan’s libraries and the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan will help address this gap.

<< go to news list