Moldova withdraws from Commonwealth of Independent States agreement on exchange of publications between libraries

Moldova is withdrawing from the Agreement on Interlibrary Loan within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), signed in Rostov in 1999. The parliament today voted, in the first reading, on the draft law denouncing the document.

The document was presented in plenum by Marcela Nistor, State Secretary at the Culture Ministry. According to the authorities, the mechanism provided for by the agreement no longer meets the current realities in the library sector, while international cooperation is carried out mainly through digital resources and platforms.

“At present, the mechanism established by this agreement no longer corresponds to current realities. International cooperation is carried out mainly through digital resources and, according to statistics data, over the past five years, the National Library has had only eight book loans involving CIS countries,” Marcela Nistor said.

The state secretary emphasized that cooperation between institutions in the field currently takes place largely through electronic platforms, while maintaining the mechanism provided for by the agreement entails additional costs.

“At the same time, participation in the mechanism established by the agreement involves operational costs related to coordination activities and the transmission of publications through international postal services, without generating proportionate practical benefits for institutions of Moldova,” the official said.

Marcela Nistor noted that denouncing the agreement would not affect the activities of Moldova’s National Library or its ability to continue international interlibrary loan services.

According to her, Moldova has no outstanding financial obligations or other property-related commitments arising from the implementation of the agreement and its additional protocol.

“Moldova has no outstanding financial obligations, receivables, disputes or other property-related commitments resulting from the implementation of the agreement,” Marcela Nistor said.

During the question-and-answer session, the state secretary also explained the situation regarding the eight loans recorded over the past five years, noting that they did not actually involve the physical transfer of publications.

“I would like to mention that even the eight loans that were made were not physical loans, but digital loans as well. There is no danger; it is rather a formality that we carry out, and there is no impediment to continuing cooperation between our libraries and the ones of other members,” Marcela Nistor said.

The Agreement on Interlibrary Loan within the CIS regulates the physical exchange of publications between the documentary collections of national libraries in member states. The document was signed in 1999 in Rostov and is accompanied by an additional protocol, which has also been proposed for denunciation.

The National Library of Moldova will be able to continue its international cooperation, including with libraries in CIS member states, through international professional networks and such organizations as the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and the European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations (EBLIDA).

According to the Culture Ministry, the initiative is part of the process of reviewing treaties concluded under the CIS framework and is prompted by the agreement’s ineffective implementation for the benefit of Moldova.