One of the reading halls of Sarkis and Marie Izmirlian Library of the Yerevan State University (YSU) opened after renovation on October 1, 2019.

The renovation of the Philology reading hall was Izmirlian Foundation’s gift for the YSU 100th anniversary. The Izmirlian family has been supporting the University since 1994, when the library building was renovated through the support of the Foundation.

Photo: Mediamax

“Recognizing the role and impact of academic institutions in supporting development agendas for countries in transition, the Foundation continues its patronage of the library in supporting its current needs. Since Sarkis and Marie Izmirlian Library of the YSU serves a large number of students and researchers, one of the primary goals of the Foundation is to support it in complying with internationally accepted standards,” said the newly appointed Country Director of the Izmirlian Foundation Armen Chobanyan.  

Photo: Mediamax

An area of around 400 square meters was fully renovated through the support of the Foundation and furnished by the University. 

Photo: Mediamax

“Most importantly, the reading hall now has ventilation system installed. It was one of the main problems of the library. The furniture is brand new and there are three conference zones separated from the rest of the hall with glass walls. Moreover, the restrooms are now accessible for people with disabilities,” said the head of the library, Yeznik Mirzoyan.

 

The library has around 16,000 readers. The renovation has significantly increased the flow of students and the renovated hall currently hosts from 3,000 to 4,000 people on a daily basis.

“The flow of students has increased dramatically after the renovation, and sometimes we have to provide additional chairs to accommodate all the students. We had several desks in the hallway, which we had not managed to place in the reading hall yet, and once I was passing by and saw the students already sitting at those desks and studying,” added Mirzoyan.

Photo: Mediamax

“The renovation, certainly, was of utmost importance, since a quality learning environment supports all students in their learning processes. They used to come only for the purpose of reading, and now they also prepare for their exams in the comfortable environment offered. The separated zones are utilized by the students for organizing discussions, group works and the glass walls are used for writing things down,” said Armenuhi Sargsyan, the librarian.

Photo: Mediamax

Although according to the Charter, the library services extend to only YSU students and faculty, however, as per the management decision the library services are accessible for students from other universities as well.

Photo: Mediamax

“The quality environment of the library supports the learning process. I prefer studying in the reading hall, since it is hard for me to concentrate at home,” said Meri Dabaghyan, student of YSU Geography and Geology Department.

The YSU library has three more reading halls and upon possibility the reading hall of the exact sciences will be renovated as it is in a poor condition.   

Lusine Gharibyan 

Photos by Emin Aristakesyan