“We’ve had it up to here with our situation, of constantly filing petitions and requests, of writing letters to this and that official, telling them, someone, to help us in saving this library of ours.” These were the words of Lida Aleksanyan, Director of the Martuni Library in Gegharkunik Marz when this reporter went to cover the story of the library on the brink of ruin. The library building itself is in desperate need of repair.

Director Aleksanyan told me that the building is beyond repair however. “The site is dank and damp. Repairs won’t cut it. A new building is what’s needed,” she argued. Library employees say that the books on the shelves have doubled in weight due to the dampness and the texts are fading. The library has a collection of 75,000 books and 3,000 members. The old and frayed books can be checked out theoretically but they aren’t; the demand is too great. But a reader is hard pressed to get through a book in normal fashion because so many pages are missing or illegible. The adventurous reader must borrow several copies of the same text to make up for the missing pages found in each.

No funds for renovations or for new books

“The last time we received a new batch of books was back in June; from the Book Assistance Fund. Otherwise, we haven’t received any new literature for the past few years. We just don’t have the funds to buy anything,” Director Aleksanyan stated. The library is a branch of the Martuni Municipality and it’s the mayor who is supposed to see to it that new books are acquired. Khachik Khlghatyan, the mayor’s Chief of Staff, informed “Hetq” that the library is slated to be renovated in 2010. “If the financial crisis doesn’t come a’ knocking at the door of the federal government and the Martuni Mayor’s Office next year, we’ll have state funds to renovate the building,” Mr. Khlghatyan stated. The town official said that they would rather not “inconvenience” the federal government in a time of crisis but that the books are rotting away and they have no alternative.

Gluing the pages of tattered books

Roza Zhamkharyan has been working at the library for many long years. Every day she’s busy gluing pages together, making sure that at least some of the books remain in circulation. The library serves the local community and surrounding area. Residents from the district’s seventeen villages even make the trip to the library to pick up a “good read”. Back in the day, there was a branch library and a children’s library in Martuni, but they’re closed now. All the books have been gathered at the central library. Many of the books sit in piles on the floor, tied up with twine. As a consequence, they aren’t available to the public. “Karineh Hayrapetyan, who heads the library’s member services department, stated that they had requested a bit more patience from their readers to unpack all the books and get them on the shelves. But Director Aleksanyan confessed that they didn’t have adequate space in the library to properly house all the books. The library has no reading room. People have to check out the books. “I’ve been the director here for five years. We’ve requested help from all government bodies and the Ministry of Culture. We asked the Regional Governor and other officials to come see the situation for themselves. They show up, say how terrible things are, and then shake their heads, saying they just don’t have the resources to help. They promised to allocate some funds this year, but then the crisis came and, nothing,” Ms. Aleksanyan added. Library workers told us that the only time officials show an interest is around election time. During the campaign, they say that the library will be at the top of their list of priorities. After they’re elected it’s another matter. The dedicated staff holds out hope that a benefactor will come forth to save the crumbling library and the books. “It’s a real shame. We have many readers. Just look at all the well-thumbed books,” the director sighed.