UBT Library Receives 25.000 Books, Another 25,000 Expected To Come
20/01/2014Owing to the engagement of Professor Ridvan Peshkopia, the UBT library has recently received 25.000 new books from the United States on all the fields of studies developed at the UBT. Professor Peshkopia has announced that another contingent of 25.000 books is expected to come soon. Below is an excerpt of an interview that Professor Peshkopia has given to the UBT News Magazine, which will be published in the next issue of the magazine.
UBT News: What has motivated you to cooperate with the UBT, in this context with the library in bringing the books from United States?
Professor Peshkopia: After having spent quite some time in a number of American universities, I returned temporarily to Albania and Kosovo (I do not see them divided) in order to be closer to my family and also to contribute as much as I can to the improvement of the academic standards in our country. Ever since I returned, I have lectured in two other universities in Albania and Kosovo, and then the circumstances were created for me to start working full-time at the UBT, and I am very happy that this has been made possible. In fact, I have helped two other universities and I was also engaged earlier in supplying their libraries with books. However, the support I have found at the UBT has inspired me help creating a big academic library here. The UBT has turned to be a serious partner in my plans of establishing a giant academic library, and the start was very providential. We have started with the first 25.000 books that have come from United States. In a few months’ time, another 25.000 will come. Meanwhile, the cataloguing of the books is continuing at the UBT. I am very happy that the UBT is responding correctly and with full dynamics and this is the best way to cooperate with our American partners.
UBT News: Professor Peshkopia, can you tell us something about the books you have brought and the process of bringing them, including the identification of the tittles and finalization of the project?
Professor Peshkopia: The good news is that the process will never be finalized: this is an open process that has no time limits. As long as new books are being printed, we will need to search and bring them to our library. For the time being, we have some short-term and mid-term objectives. The short-term objective is to bring 50.000 new books in 2014. This would make our higher academic library the biggest in the Balkans. We hope that this rhythm will continue in the next years. However, this project will culminate with the construction of a new library building at the Lipjan campus. I cannot say when this will happen, but I know that the UBT has a plan to do this. As regards the process itself, we find the books in the universities or from private owners in the United States and there is willingness there to donate books to every serious partner. The UBT, with its exceptional corpus of students, teachers, and researchers, has shown that it yearns to create a rich university library. As of today, the books have been placed on the library shelves and they are available to all interested readers.