On January 31, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Every tenth publication acquired by the V.I. Lenin Vitebsk Regional Library in 2011 was in the Belarusian language, its director Alexander Semkin informed a BELTA correspondent. Last year, the library allocated Br431 million for the purchase of literature, periodicals, audio and video materials. In the Year of Books, the volume of funding for these purposes will increase by more than 2.5 times and will exceed Br1 billion. As Alexander Semkin emphasized, significant funds will be directed towards the acquisition of literature from Belarusian publishers, including in the Belarusian language. "The main thing is that our writers write and publish as much literature in their native language as possible. We buy and will continue to buy everything published in Belarus in Belarusian, in Russian by Belarusian authors, and about Belarus," the director stressed. The promotion of Belarusian books is one of the library's most important tasks, which is why meetings between writers and readers are regularly held here, both with established authors – members of the Union of Belarusian Writers – and with young authors. According to Alexander Semkin, the library is currently undergoing a reorganization of its structure, which will make it more convenient for readers to use the library's collection. In particular, the Department of Belarusian Literature will be replaced by a Department of Local History and Bibliography, and the book collection of the Belarusian Department will be transferred to other departments in accordance with their subject matter. "It will be easier for readers to navigate publications by subject matter rather than by language. Moreover, the existence of a Belarusian department in a Belarusian library placed it on par with a foreign literature department," added Alexander Semkin. The Vitebsk Regional Library traces its history back to 1925. Today, it is an information, scientific and methodological, and cultural center. Its universal collection numbers over 700,000 items: books, periodicals, sheet music, maps, graphic materials, and audiovisual documents.-0-

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