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The Latvian National Library Foundation is a public non-profit organization created in 1998 in order to promote the Library Project and raise funds in Latvia and internationally. It consists of over 100 prominent people from Latvian society representing the humanities, architecture, journalism, science, universities, the arts, the IT sector and private business.
The Law on the Realisation of the National Library of Latvia establishes that the Foundation is represented in the Supervisory Council of the Project and gives it the right to raise funds.
The Foundation includes an advisory Board of Trustees and a statutory Executive Board.
The Board of Trustees:
Chairman : former president of Latvia Guntis Ulmanis
Board members:
Dr. Janis Stradins, President of the Latvian Academy of Sciences Senate
Imants Freibergs, President of the Association of Information Technologies and Telecommunications (spouse of former President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga)
Mara Zalite, writer, poet, President of the Copyrigt and Communications Consulting Agency/Latvian Author Association
Ramona Umblija, Head, Humanities Department at J.Vitols Latvian Academy of Music and former Minister of Culture
Arvils Aseradens, President of the Printing House 'Diena' and former president of the Executive Board
Karina Petersone, former Minister of Culture, serves as the Executive Director of the Foundation.
The Foundation has worked to raise awareness of the National Library Project not only within Latvian society, but also internationally. It has organised local and international conferences, seminars and public discussions on the project, as well press conferences and other media events.
The Foundation has worked closely with UNESCO, which passed a resolution in 1999 appealing to member states to provide all possible support for the implementation of the Latvian Library Project. Working with the UNESCO expert commission, the Foundation has studied similar projects in other UNESCO member states and analyzed fundraising methods and opportunities.
The Foundation has worked with the government, particularly the Minister of Culture, to develop a multi-faceted political, public and financial campaign to build support for the project.
This has included activities to:
- gain international visibility for the project
- build long-term support and participation in Latvian society
- devise political guarantees and promote favourable decisions
- create politically acceptable financing mechanisms
- create a fund-raising strategy
- build public and private sector partnerships for fund-raising
- maintain the critical role of UNESCO involvement
- obtain counsel and financial support from the Council of Europe and European Union
- obtain in-kind support from international foundations and other countries
With political support in place and public enthusiasm for the project growing in Latvia, one of the Foundation's top priorities in the near future is to build international awareness and support for the project. This support should grow as potential partners and donors come to appreciate the contribution that Latvia's Castle of Light and Lightnet will make toward the preservation and promotion of global knowledge and education.
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