Saint Petersburg joins the Cycling for Libraries movement, which has been an international success over the last three years. The initiative has brought together librarians and library-lovers in a series of cycling unconferences that have attracted over 100 participants.
The one-day mini C4L tour is organized with the help of the local NGO Cycling St Petersburg. The tour will start in the seaside town of Zelenogorsk and will run along the scenic coastline of the Gulf of Finland. A number of local libraries will be visited on the way as well as the historic seaside resort of Komarovo, home to summer residences of many famous 20th century intellectuals, that was visited by poets Anna Akhmatova and Joseph Brodsky, composer Dmitri Shostakovich and linguist Dmitry Likhachov. The tour will end on the banks of the Sestroretsky Lake.
As part of the cultural programme, IFLAcampLab participants will be invited to visit museums and theatres and take part in a literary-themed walking tour of Saint Petersburg and a city-wide book exchange.
Bicycles will be provided free of charge to all IFLAcampLab participants.
We are glad to invite you to an unusual cycling tour for librarians and library lovers "Cycling for libraries – Baltic Star" on June 14-20, 2014! With this local event we are supporting and working together with the "Cycling for libraries international" and its objective of getting libraries more recognition and attention in their work to support intellectual equality in society (www.cyclingforlibraries.org).
Cycling for libraries is a professional event for all people working with libraries – in addition to all library lovers, of course. So naturally the content is about libraries, and librarianship, and all things related to them.
"Baltic Star" interview on Belarussian TV channel.
On the 14th of June 4 groups of librarians and library lovers will start from 4 cities – Kaliningrad (Russia), Minsk (Belarus), Plunge (Lithuania) and Preili (Latvia) – and will head out to Kaunas (Lithuania) where all groups will meet on June 19th and hold two-days unconference.
On the way we will visit local libraries, meet with local colleagues and authorities, do workshops, debate, cooperate, laugh and of course cycle.
At the unconference in Kaunas all groups can present their photo and video reports about their five-days trips, specify and discuss the major library issues and problems that have been identified by them as the most important for the countries of their cycling tours.
You are welcome to choose the route you like better!
Theme: "Libraries building bridges" — Libraries building bridges between the people and organizations of the local community, between libraries and their readers in Latvia, and even in the world, etc.
Our cycling day started at 9:00 – participans registrated, received map with day schedule and cap. Then Kuldiga Main library director Laima Ostele express pleasure for everyone who decided to participate and generally informed about this event.
After that our local newspaper photographer take some photos for the newspaper and we started our trip.
First we visit Priedaines library where head of library Lasma Veigelte was prepared us surprize – warm-up exercizes under the guidance of a professional trainer. Then we went to the Vilgale library,where we also provided a rest break. After that – Snepeles library- head of library prepared to us a quiz. After Snepele, we went to Pelci, but on the way we visit farm Mazsalijas (nearby Snepele) to see fallow deers and wild boars. Our tour ended in Pelci, where we eat hot vegetable soup made by Edite – Pelcu cultural event organizer in Ice Cellar. Ice Cellar is a part of Pelci manor complex where library is situated. After that there was a professional guided tour of Pelci manor. Red brick-laid Art Noveau Style Manor-house was built in 1903-1904. Novadays there are Pelci Special Boarding School – Development Centre as well as Pelci library.
We are 18 participants from Kuldiga, Liepaja and Riga (Ilze Marga from Saulaino dienu library).
At the end we were tired, byr happy! Our tour was 45 km long.
In a journey we will cycle, about 40 km visiting countryside public libraries of Kuldiga district and getting know their beauty and potential that they can give to the people of the local community.
During the trip, we will be building our common bridge by telling and showing participants the individuality of each library and the contribution it makes in this area.
Linebaugh P.L bookmobile stop Cainsville Rd. (Rutherford/Wilson Co. line) at 2:30 pm.
WELCOME to our first Cycling for Libraries, or conference on a bike, event in Texas! In addition to spending the morning exploring San Antonio streets, parks and institutions, participants will enjoy a memorable networking opportunity while visiting local libraries.
More pictures here… and stories here…!
We will cycle a 20-mile round trip from the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center to the outskirts of Bexar County. Our first stop is the famous BiblioTech Library, the country's first digital library. There we will experience a special tour and a cyclist's snack break. We then hop back on our bikes and enjoy a short 5 mile ride to the San Antonio Public Library, Mission Branch. See what's different at this library! Last stop: the convention center for a group photo!
We will be riding the bike trails and about 2-3 miles on public roads. Never ridden 20 miles? Never fear! The route is on a flat trail and public roads, plus you have 7 weeks to prepare! The pace will be moderate around 9-10 mph. Participants receive a specialty designed t-shirt. And,Road ID has graciously donated six gift certificates; so watch for announcement of the winners!
8:30 am: Leave the convention center. We need to keep a tight schedule, so please beready to ride at 8:30 am!
Register online: Cycling for Libraries is the first item under "Ticketed Events" toward the bottom of the form. Registration for the conference is not required to participate in this event! The registration deadline is March 21st. Maximum riders: 50 — Waiting list available! Cost is $25 with bringing your own bike; $35 with bike rental (information coming soon).
On May 25—26th 2013 Lithuanian Librarians' Association called Lithuanian librarians and their friends to bicycle tour "Važiuok už bibliotekas"– inspired by the international Cycling for libraries unconference. The local tour was initiated by Alma Masevičienė, who took part in the Cycling for libraries 2012 tour from Vilnius to Tallinn. The tour was organized in collaboration with the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania and Klaipėda County Ieva Simonaitytė Public Library. Klaipėda County Ieva Simonaitytė Public Library director Juozas Šikšnelis and the president of the Lithuanian Librarians' Association Alina Jaskūnienė welcomed cyclists and wished that the bicycle tour would become a beautiful tradition in Lithuania library community. See some photos from the event below.
Hyppää Kyytiin! was a local library campaign in Kouvola area to promote the local library network, although there was no centrally organized cycling tour. When a participant returned a fully stamped campaign cycling passport or had demonstrably used three different Kyyti libraries, he or she could win an iPad.
Kirjastopyöräily – Cykla för biblioteken was the first local Cycling for libraries mini-tour organized by a group of library professionals from the Ostrobothnian area in 2011. The mini-tour took place from 30th to 31th of May in 2011 from Seinäjoki to Vaasa. The aim was to to emphasize the role of libraries in society.
On the last day of IFLAcamp-Laboratory on 25 May a mini one-day Cycling for libraries will be held! It should be a rather dynamic conclusion of IFLAcamp-Lab!
We should admit that Kaliningrad is not rather convenient city for cycling. Here are no bicycles' paths. But now the work on improving this situation has started – here are some initiative groups elaborating the strategy of development of bike culture in Kaliningrad. So our mini Cycling for libraries is very important for Kaliningrad – it will help to attract the attention of city administration to this problem! And of course to the question of libraries' development!
Click to view the spot in Kaliningrad tv – note: Cycling for libraries starts at 8:25!
Cycling for libraires Sweden is a local cyc4lib trip in 2013 organized by the Swedish library activists Alireza Afshari and Åke Nygren. Both guys have been participating in the international Cycling for libraries tours and got the inspiration to organize a similar local trip in Sweden. They share the values of the Cycling for libraries.
The preparations for departure at Plattan, i.e. the lower part of Sergels torg (Sergel's Square) in Stockholm.
A presentation in the Södertälje library. Two large immigrant groups are – guess what – Finns and Iranians!
Finally at Tvetagårdens vandrarhem (Hostel Tvetagården). Ali giving orders.
In front of the Mariefred's nice library – waving to people of Mariefred.
Ali giving an interview to Strengnäs newspaper.
The alternative "scenery route" to Strängnäs.
If there are no birthdays to celebrate, you can still have cake.
Ali about to give an interview to Swedish Radio.
This had to come. And soon after rain started we had also the first flat. Ali biking in a rain.
A nice option, huh…? Mace…?
A break on a roadside.