EVS project “Comfort zone – Library” in Lithuania, Klaipėda

Life is short! False. It’s the longest thing you do! So why not

spend time to lift others - volunteer :)

About receiving organization:

Klaipeda County Ieva Simonaityte Public Library, founded in 1950, serves as a center of information research

and the provider of educational and leisure activities. The Library is open to all visitors World Wide without any

restrictions and age. Besides regular libraries functions it also offers exhibitions and other cultural events that

are open for all visitors; organize various training activities, excursions round the library, volunteers activities,

new book presentations, lectures, modern art exhibitions, cultural performances, after school programs,

programs for reader development.

Library also has open space for young people. Mission of the space is to provide meaningful activities and safe

leisure opportunities for self-realization 14-29 years old young people and to facilitate their integration into the

living environment. It is a safe, convenient, open space for everyone. We organize discussions with young people

on relevant topics, meetings with professionals, people who are looking look for ways to solve the problems,

share opinions, or just talk to a young man. The main thing is that we always welcome and encourage proposals

and initiatives from young people. The most important thing is that this is a place where young people can feel

free and informal to spend their leisure time.

Library Statistics data: Total number of registered library users - more that 18 000; 1300 visitors daily; About

400 public events, including 170 exhibitions; Staff: 100; among them 69 professional librarians with university

degree;

Webpages of Ievos Simonaitytes library:

http://klavb.lt/lt/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/klaipedosbiblioteka/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simonaitytesbiblioteka/?fref=ts

Libraries buildings

Objectives of project and Main activities:

- Enhance young people media literacy and critical thinking: various tasks of poster, add making with Corel

draw, Photoshop(learning how to do it); work with video montage programs, creation of quality information

materials about volunteering in library, possibility to learn old technique of photo negative development,

participating, organizing and helping out in library organized events and discussions about various themes.

Volunteers will have space to organize events and discussions also in English language, which touch such themes

as: social responsibility, human and animal rights, values of democracy and other;

- Strengthen the capacity and skills of young people in labor market: trough help in organizational and

coordination activities of events, exhibitions and discussions, that will require to develop or ameliorate such skills

as -time management; team work; self-assessment; presentation; public speech;

-Participation in open youth space activities and

-Stimulate active citizenship through volunteering: "One day Volunteer" initiative. Volunteers will create posters

for publicity.

At least five days during the project a group of youngsters, volunteers and leading person(s) will meet and visit

5 organizations (one per day). Making at least five short movies about "One day volunteer". Youngsters

themselves will film and mount video materials in that way also enhancing media literacy. Libraries community

will be involved in this mini project. We also plan to cooperate with Queen Louise of Klaipeda Youth Centre,

Youth Open Space that also will involve their target group.

Volunteers in library will act as ambassadors of European voluntary service.

Personal Volunteers initiatives are welcome and can include other Klaipėdas organizations! Personal project will

require your mini project application, that volunteer can work on, and reflect afterwards with tutor, mentor

and/or project coordinator. Every volunteer will have a budget of 12 euros per month for his/hers initiative and

can use it monthly or accumulate and have a bigger project.

Learning opportunities:

-Media literacy: video making, Corel, Photoshop, online communication channels.

-Organizational and coordination skills: trough help in event management (exhibitions, film evenings, book

presentations, youth evenings, etc.) and implementing own project. The volunteers will reinforce their attitudes

and widen their knowledge about issues of today that they will cover in their media materials.

-Communicational skills: writing to online communication channels, activities in youth space with youngsters,

Lithuanian language course and communication with library visitors.

-Presentation skills: excursion for school kids in library. Participating in discussions.

-Specific skills only acquired in library: book handling and registration; managing newspaper and journal

rotation; photo negative, slide, photo and manuscript handling; adding information to interactive guide; visitor

registration;

-If wanted: taking photographs during events; photography processing skills from negatives.

Also, during volunteers stay in Lithuania he/she will have a chance to:

- learn in practice how budget organizations work;

- plan, develop and evaluate his/her own project;

- learn how to plan and organize his/her work effectively (time management skills);

- learn how to cooperate in a team;

- learn or improve reflection and self-observing skills;

- gain knowledge about other cultures and how they are expressed;

Main reflection of the gained skills and competence should come during implementation of volunteers own

project, developed during their service. It is encouraged to be prepared on their own (just with a supervision of

a responsible person/tutor). They will try out the whole process of project or workshop management – from

preparation to the evaluation – and by the feedback of the participants and evaluation with tutor/mentor they

will get to know which skills or methods they still need to improve.

Klaipėdas Oldtown

Volunteers’ profile: who are we looking for?

Volunteers aged 18-30 years, open minded, eager to learn and motivated to work on the proposed project

activities.

The volunteers should be motivated to work on cultural activities, work with people, especially with youth in

open youth space in a non-formal education context. The participants should like to develop and improve their

skills and abilities, be open for experiments, have some hobbies or interests and like to share them when

organizing activities, discussions and projects for the community. Wanted but not necessary: interested in

photography, graphic design and preparation of workshops or public events for helping the target groups to

become involved in public and social life of library and their communities.

Klaipėda from flight of a bird☺☺☺☺

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK9cgr_8J-k

Lithuania:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlnXKV0nvFA

If you are interested please send filled CV with portrait picture and motivational letter for this

project to wegosavanoryste@gmail.com until May 12th.

Please keep in mind that we are looking for a person so portrait picture should be the one you like

and would “say” more about you, than ID photo☺☺☺☺ Creative approach is welcomed but it’s optional☺☺☺☺

Best of luck in writing and we’re waiting impatiently for your applications!!!

Warmest greetings from Lithuania, Klaipėda!

Aistė and Toma

Klaipėdas Oldtown

More pictures from Receiving organization:

ENTRANCE TO LIBRARYS INNER YARD

INNER LIBRARYS YARD WHERE YOU CAN FIND A SUN CLOCK

CHILDREN SECTION

OPEN YOUTH SPACE

MUSIC SECTION

COMMON LIBRARY HALL

EXHIBITION SPACE (For your project?:)

LIBRARIES VISITORS WITH 3D GLASSES MOVIE NIGHT

MOVIE NIGHT

ONE OF COMPUTER CLASSES, FREE COURSES FOR ELDERLY TO ENHANCE COMPUTER LITERACY