Brief narrative report of Mr. Begzsuren Jamsranjav, participant for “Library Internship Program” sponsored by U.S. Department of State

The U.S. Department of State granted my library internship in Baltimore, MD in October 1-18^th, 2010. My daily schedule managed and approved by PAS Team of the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and Mrs. Jill Lewis, chief for Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, also Mr. Wesley Wilson, chief for Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD.

I, Mr. Begzsuren Jamsranjav arrived in Washington Dallas International Airport from Mongolia through Korea in 2^nd of October. As a schedule, Mrs. Jill Lewis met with me in the airport, and bring me to Mr. Saruul-erdene, who works as a contract cataloguer in the Madison building of the Library of Congress. It was my second meeting with him, from this meeting I learned from his work how about cataloguing Mongolian books. On this day afternoon another 2 librarians from Jill’s library bring me to the Baltimore city and host family in Baltimore.

I had free 3 days on 3^rd (Sunday), 10^th (Sunday), 11^th (Monday and Columbus Day) of October to know Baltimore city, so I visited and explored many cultural and educational organizations as a Jewish Museum of Maryland, Inner Harbor, Visitors Center of Maryland, Barnes&Noble BookSellers Shop, The Walters Art Museum, The Pea Body Institute, Salamander Used Book Shop, Baltimore Montessori public charter school and Tunbridge public charter school.

My internship days was 4-8^th of October in Enoch Pratt Free Library (EPFL). I learned many topics on library service and library words. This city public library is not only city library with branches, also this library is a State Library Resource Center and a depository library. This library branches and departments have very professional managers, so this central library chiefs and trustees are easy to collect all needed information and make changes on service policy and procedure for their library development.

EPFL introduced me re-positioning staffs to information desk, shifting staffs from one to another departments, how library friends are very helpful for library development, how this library programs and publications department are busy and collaborative with web and other departments, this library never worry for their information technology because it’s IT based on Sailor network, hourly scheduling, service desk statistics and one of the very important thing is librarian’s office room. In Mongolia, we need to improve our service librarians work condition and need to support borrowers by library brochures and pamplets.

My internship next days was 8-9^th, 12-15^th of October in Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. This library service was totally new for me, because this kind of professional and special service not in Mongolia. I understand, how LOC NLS organized this library special service for blind and physically handicapped people based on non commercial and encrypted technology through the State Libraries. There are everything is very well organized step by step and LOC NLS, National Federation for the Blind, another NGO’s, and companies are working together to bring many accessible services and adaptive technologies to American eligible citizens in all around the World.

My library has been implementing a project “The Establishment of DAISY Talking Book Center” since May, 2010 with partner Mongolian Federation for the Blind to introduce special DAISY technology and books into Mongolian Blind community. We are using a non-commercial reader device on browsing Mongolian DAISY books, that is good but our file format is not encrypted, so can copied everywhere in this time. This is our open task for future.

My request accepted by Mrs. Jill Lewis, so I left a charming city Baltimore 3 nights before to start my flight from Washington Dallas International Airport to Mongolia. My last days was 15-18^th of October in Washington, D.C. I was lucky, because prior 2005 International Visitor’s Program in Washington, D.C was helpful to arrange my 3 days own trip in the capital city, I really wished to see again city libraries, organizations and meet with a old friends.

I visited to the Mongolian Embassy in Washington, Books-A-Million bookshop, D.C, The Historical Society of Washington, D.C, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, Basilica of National Shrine, U.S. Department of State building, and one more visiting to the James Madison Building of the LOC. Of course, each organizations service orientation was interesting for me.

I made a appointment with Mrs. Marta M. Pereyma in 17^th of October, who managed my 2005 IVP from U.S. Department of State, so she is my old friend. I exchanged my Mongolian library experience with Mrs. Jill Lewis and her 18 staffs by my presentation in 14^th of October. I made 2 presentations about Mongolia to the 30 students of Baltimore Montessori school and Tunbridge Chapter School.

My internship program finished successfully and knowledable, so I was happy to back in Mongolia in 19^th of October.

After my internship, I wrote my diary book in Mongolian with 60 pages for Mongolian readers and librarians to explain what I learned and saw in American 18 days, and freely published on internet.

DOCSTOC : http://www.docstoc.com/docs/63265096/

iNOM : http://www.inom.mn/detail/108

And I sent my internship report (with 17 topics for discussion) in Mongolian to my library director. Some topics for discussion are how to invite library law experts from USA to today’s Mongolian Library Law work group, how to organize a training for public library director or manager to change their deep understanding of public library management, how to start a Ulaanbaatar Department in this Central Library, when we can talk about library building extension or new building with modern architecture, when we can start Conference room, Meeting room, Queit room and knowledge sharing rooms for public, we need to bring Book Drop Box to collect library or used books, start information service desk by hourly schedule and others.

I very appreciate to my Library Internship Program supporters, host families and who met with me in my trip and learning days in the USA for their time and help.

Report by J.Begzsuren

Date: 29^th of November, 2010

Address: Ulaanbaatar Public Library, Seoul street-7, Ulaanbaatar 28, Mongolia.

Tel: 70115705, Fax: 70115703

Email: mcl_begee@yahoo.com

Twitter ID: jbegzsuren