2005 Press Releases

State Scientific Library in Banská Bystrica Will Host "InfoUSA" Center

Bratislava, August 26, 2005

Public Affairs Section, Embassy of the United States of America
P.O.BOX 309, 814 99 Bratislava
TELEPHONE: (+421-2) 5443-0861, FAX (+421-2) 5922-3080
E-MAIL: arc@usembassy.sk
Contact: Barbara Zigli, Press Attaché

State Scientific Library in Banská Bystrica
Lazovná 9, 975 58 BANSKÁ BYSTRICA
TELEPHONE: (+421-48) 4152020, FAX (+421-48) 4124096
E-MAIL: svkbb@svkbb.sk
Contact: PhDr. Oľga Lauková, Director

On August 26, 2005, Barbara Zigli, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Bratislava, and PhDr. Oľga Lauková, Director of the State Scientific Library in Banská Bystrica, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish an American information and cultural center called "InfoUSA Banská Bystrica" within the library.

The mission of the center will be to promote mutual understanding between the United States and the Slovak Republic by providing information about the U.S. and serving as a focal point for American cultural and information programs. The proposed timeframe for opening InfoUSA- Banská Bystrica to the public is the fall of this year.

InfoUSA is the result of cooperation between the State Scientific Library and the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Bratislava.

The U.S. Embassy will provide a core collection of information materials valued at $15,000, consisting of the latest books, CD ROMs, and DVDs on topics including US history, political science, economy, philosophy, literature and art, as well as English teaching materials. The Embassy will also provide multimedia equipment for the center and initial furniture with a total value of $20,000.

The State Scientific Library will provide space as well as a librarian fluent in both the English and Slovak languages to assist visitors in using the center's resources.

Access to InfoUSA- Banská Bystrica for library patrons will be free of charge and open to all in accordance with the State Scientific Library organizational rules.

This will be the third such InfoUSA center in Slovakia. The first was opened in March, 2004, in the State Scientific Library in Košice, and the second was ceremonially opened by Mrs. Laura Bush, First Lady of the U.S., in February, 2005, at the University Library in Bratislava.

For more information please visit: http://www.svkbb.sk.