Towards Peace: One Library at a Time, One Nation at a Time

Constantia Constantinou

SUNY Distinguished Librarian; CIES Fulbright Scholar

Library Director, SUNY Maritime College

CYPRUS O to set foot on Aphrodite's island, Cyprus,. haunted by the Loves,.

who enchant brief Life with sweetness. Euripides, "The Bacchae".

Towards Peace: One Library at a Time, One Nation at a TimeConstantia Constantinou, SUNY Distinguished Librarian; CIES Fulbright Scholar

First Humans - 10,000 BC

Neolithic era – 9,000 BC

Bronze Ages 1,200 BC

Mycenaean – 1,100 BC

Assyrians - 700 BC

Persians -500 BC

Alexander the Great - 300 BC

Middle Ages /Byzantium 1400

Ottoman Empire -- 1570

British Empire -- 1800

Independence -- 1960

CYPRUSCountry Divided- People United

UN peacekeeping forces in one of the earlier missions, Cyprus 1967

Towards Peace: One Library at a Time, One Nation at a TimeConstantia Constantinou, SUNY Distinguished Librarian; CIES Fulbright Scholar

Towards Peace: One Library at a Time, One Nation at a TimeConstantia Constantinou, SUNY Distinguished Librarian; CIES Fulbright Scholar

TRUSTTraitor or Spy

Maximiano Ngabirano, a Catholic priest from Uganda, -- “the only community where most people feel they really belong is one that transcends time, one we are members of forever”.

When he was asked by the reporter what he would take home from Cyprus: “The challenge, is to apply what I have learned here without being regarded as a traitor by my own community — or a spy by the other.”

Letter From Cyprus In a Divided Land, Lessons in Living Together. New York Times, by Nick Thorpe; August 15, 2010

Towards Peace: One Library at a Time, One Nation at a TimeConstantia Constantinou, SUNY Distinguished Librarian; CIES Fulbright Scholar

THE ASSIGNMENT

1. Work with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot University Libraries in addressing their individual library challenges and aspirations

2. Promoting understanding while honoring cultural, ethnic and religious differences

Towards Peace: One Library at a Time, One Nation at a TimeConstantia Constantinou, SUNY Distinguished Librarian; CIES Fulbright Scholar

THE ASSIGNMENT

Work with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot University Libraries in undressing their individual library challenges and aspirations:

• Develop a library liaison program (UCY)

• Assess the findings of LibQual surveys (UCY)• Offer preservation advice to special libraries• Enable OCLC network membership for Cyprus (UCY)• Promoted the Cyprus Library Consortium• Lectures of American Librarianship practices (NEU, UCY,

EMU) • Conversations: Open Forum discussions with

librarians (NEU, UCY, EMU)

Towards Peace: One Library at a Time, One Nation at a TimeConstantia Constantinou, SUNY Distinguished Librarian; CIES Fulbright Scholar

THE ASSIGNMENTPromoting understanding while honoring cultural, ethnic and religious differences

• Learned the language, Eat the food, Observed the customs• Developed trust and shared in each other’s lives and communities

Towards Peace: One Library at a Time, One Nation at a TimeConstantia Constantinou, SUNY Distinguished Librarian; CIES Fulbright Scholar

THE GATHERING

Towards Peace: One Library at a Time, One Nation at a TimeConstantia Constantinou, SUNY Distinguished Librarian; CIES Fulbright Scholar

THE EXCHANGE

• SUNY• CORNELL• COLUMBIA• NYPL

Towards Peace: One Library at a Time, One Nation at a TimeConstantia Constantinou, SUNY Distinguished Librarian; CIES Fulbright Scholar

THE BOOK

Towards Peace: One Library at a Time, One Nation at a TimeConstantia Constantinou, SUNY Distinguished Librarian; CIES Fulbright Scholar

THE LIBRARY