Ruth Drayer works with the National Peace Foundation to bring Russian library leaders to the US

Las Cruces, New Mexico has been selected as one of the U.S. cities to receive a visit from Russian library leaders October 1 - October 8, following their attendance at the 2006 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Under the auspices of the Library of Congress based Open World Program, the National Peace Foundation received a grant which will allow five Russian library leaders to visit with their Las Cruces counterparts.

Ruth Drayer has been selected as the local coordinator and will organize meetings between the Russian librarians and the mayor and city council members, as well as with library boards of directors, "friends of the library" associations, and library patrons. The Russian library leaders will job-shadow counterparts in various institutions and participate in library outreach events.

There will be opportunities for them to make presentations about their own libraries and current library trends in Russia, and to share information on Russian culture, literature, and history. Libraries in Russia and the United States share a number of common challenges, including shrinking budgets and expanding social responsibilities.

The National Peace Foundation has organized and implemented community-based opportunities for hundreds of Russian leaders in 25 states throughout America. Local coordinator, Ruth Drayer, is requesting she be contacted by anyone interested in being involved in this democracy-building experience. 505-527-8688. e-mail:radrayer@zianet.com.

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