Among grandiose work, which Rafael Harutyunyan has
executed as director of Republican Scientific and
Technical Library, he has made huge work as volunteer,
helping the various Armenian organizations in
Diaspora. It is impossible to overestimate results of
co-operation of Rafael and Armenian Library and Museum
of America (ALMA). This co-operation began several
years ago with the project with the Museum of History
of Armenia. At that time with the ALMA's help Rafael
Harutyunyan has printed color magnificent catalogues
of the Museum which are used to this day,
Today they are sold in the Armenian bookshops in Los
Angeles. All this was financed by ALMA, as well as
after that purchase of a computer with the printer and
the digital camera for the Museum of History which was
the necessary for the Museum at that time. After that,
the foreign exhibition of the Museum in the ALMA has
followed; similarly to this, the computer with the
printer has been given to the Museum of Genocide of
Armenia. The following project executed by Mr.
Harutyunyan was publication of catalogues for ALMA
with 10000 circulations.
Another very valuable project was creation of an
official website for the Museum of Genocide of Armenia
which also financed ALMA. Two workers of Republican
Scientific and Technical Library - Marina Vardanyan
and Marina Torozyan have created this site. This very
informative site contains more than 800 pages, and all
texts, despite of immense employment, has found a
time and personally edited Mr. Haig Der Manuelian,
the known lawyer, one of four founders Armenian
Assembly of America.
In August, 2001 Rafael participated in IFLA 76
conference, has visited 3 Armenian big libraries in
Boston: NAASR, ALMA, Cultural Centre.
Rafael Harutyunuan has understood that huge
collections of the Armenian books which were stored in
these establishments, not only did not serve the
purpose, but basically have been inaccessible for
local Armenians. In libraries there were no electronic
catalogues, not to mention whole world. The account of
books was not entered, and many valuable items were on
the verge of disappearance, for example in the NAASR.
Rafael has very much seen to it, it has decided to
talk to Mr. Der Manuelian. Rafael has offered the
decision of this problem, though it seemed impossible.
The Mr. Rafael's idea was following. Many years, and
especially after the earthquake of 1998, the Diaspora
constantly helps Armenia and to his distressful
people. And today there has come time to people of
Armenia to make a reciprocal step. Today in Armenia
there are people who could help such organizations in
Diaspora as the Armenian libraries.
Though similar it seemed impossible when Armenia comes
in the help to Diaspora, this Question has been
submitted to management advice ALMA, and the offer was
accepted. Unrealizable idea of Rafael once again
seemed has won.
By then ALMA already had gotten the program for
introduction of the electronic catalogue, and two
girls from Armenia were the first who worked on this
program, and began input of collections of ALMA. After
2 months of working, ALMA already had the electronic
catalogue which totaled more than 5700 units. But this
was not final cataloging of collections of ALMA.
It was decided, that girls will continue execution of
this project the next year. In 2003 Marina Torozyan
has been sent on business trip to Boston for three
months, she continued and in 3.5 months finished the
project, therefore ALMA had the ready completed
electronic catalogue in which have been entered all
books, musical discs' collection, booklets,
videocassettes, more than 15000 units.
This rather necessary project has found a very big
effect on other Armenian centers, and already Cultural
Centre began cataloging of its items. It is uneasy to
predict destiny of these Armenian libraries if in time
there was no help from Rafael, it is needless to tell
as far as his merits as an Armenian, as patriot of the
native land are huge.
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Marina Torozyan,
Head of Publishing Department of RSTL
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Hasmik Kubasaryan,
Head of Electronic Cataloguing Department of RSTL |
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On August 2001 Head court of ALMA
decided to make electronic catalogue in their
library. Its holding is about 17000.
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