GB No. 5-6, summer-fall 1991
The creation of the Ecological Library Foundation is an answer to the aggravated ecological crisis in Poland. The main task for the Foundation is to provide information about the natural environment, its endangered state and its protection, in the form of an accessible biblio graphy of the biological sciences, environmental and health protection, etc. The aim is to encourage society to resolving ecological problems.
The Ecological Library in Poznań, created on May 5th, 1990, has books and magazines collected on a regular basis in cooperation with many organizations and individual persons in the United States and Western Europe.
Twenty-two branches of science are represented in this library, including medicine, agriculture, business and new environmental technologies.
Our Foundation wishes to develop five projects:
The Library has three main roles:
The collection of the Library at present consists of 20,000 volumes and 15,000 magazines (400 titles). The Library is a natural bibliographical source for all education institutions and individuals concerned with environmental protection.
Since the end of 1989, our Foundation has distributed books to university and public libries, research institutions, hospitals, etc. All these books have been supplied by many non-profit organizations in the USA. The Foundation also promotes the creation of independent libraries by democratically-elected citizen committees.
The Foundation cooperates with the Polish National Assembly to develop an alternative energetic concept for Poland. Our Foundation is the first non-governmental organization to carry out such a project for the National Assembly. The concept will determine the strategy of energy development with regard to environment protection and energy losses.
Our Foundation will translate into Polish some of the key Western titles in environmental protection, biological agriculture, ecological behavior, etc.
We collect popular and documental movies. After we have catalogued them, they will be accessible to the general public.
Our Foundation is financially supported by subventions, donations from other organizations and institutions, local and foreign governments, and local offices, enterprises and private sponsors.
There are also many volunteers from the Polish Ecological Club. University and college students from Poznań help the Foundation a great deal.
Address:
ECOLOGICAL LIBRARY FOUNDATION
Kościuszki 79
60-967 Poznań
tel. + 48 61 524139
The environment, the natural one as well the one created by man, has been rapidly deteriorating. Nowadays the Nature's self-defense mechanisms protecting itself and us are greatly insufficient. More and more people have come to realize that in dealing with Nature we are allowed only so many mistakes. Errors and negligence have brought us to the point of selfdestruction. If we want to do anything about it, we must know the causes and effects of the environmental destruction. Only full realization can be the starting point for reconstruction.
The Foundation "Ecological Library" is a chance for all of us. Collecting the world's latest literature on ecology - books, periodicals, computerized data, research projects, videocassettes - the Ecological Library enables better understanding of our many problems. The Foundation's main aim is to awaken the ecological awareness of the whole society. We want everyone to have access to the collected literature and to participate in the Library's various activities.
The Ecological Library as a foundation has to collect funds to provide for its activities, beginning with the renovation of our building and setting up the library to house the 50,000 volumes. At the same time we get new books, conduct educational and informational activities. We must pay an indispensible number of employees. We collect funds mainly in the Polish society. Financial support has been offered by the regional authorities, factories and individuals, from whom we also receive books and periodicals.
Come to us if you want to learn and help. We need help and support. By helping the Library you are helping the environment in which we live. You are not only its part - you are also its creator.
Agata Lawniczak
Help us to maintain and expand our efforts to establish the Ecological Library network by contributing today.