ELCA Electronic Library Consortium of Armenia  newly created non-profit consortium of libraries and research institutions in Armenia  consortium-building grant by OSI since Sep. 15, 2002 to Sep. 15, 2003

MAIN PRINCIPLES OF ELCA ACTIVITY  Union of non-profit organizations – libraries, universities, scientific, research and humanitites institutions  Transparency and openness of all activities  Built around Fundamental Sci. Library of the Nat. Acad. Sci. [NAS] (more than 50% of scientists and humanitarians are concentrated at NAS)  Service center oriented – 5 service centers at largest libraries  Financial sources of ELCA subscription funds:  membership fees and special contributions of members (can’t be substantial by now)  State (zero-sized yet)  Foundations (will be main source for the nearest future period)

CURRENT SITUATION & DIFFICULTIES  Absence of library & institution funding from the State in terms of acquiring electronic information  Severe lack or absence of computers in libraries  Problems with Internet connection (high Internet traffic prices) making Internet unaffordable for many state institutions  Common passiveness of institutional and library heads in sense of using and acquiring electronic information (root of the problem: conservatism, lack of skills, understanding, etc.)  Unwillingness of the state and majority of scientific and research institutions to pay minimal contributions for EBSCO usage threatened the availability of EBSCO at all  Weak usage of eIFL Direct during

CURRENT RESOURCES AVAILABLE eIFL Direct databases (eIFL Direct, eIFL Sci&Tech., eIFL Russian) eIFL Direct databases (eIFL Direct, eIFL Sci&Tech., eIFL Russian) INASP/PERI databases sponsored by INTAS (Emerald, Oxford University Press, Springer-LINK, Blackwell, some quota on SUBITO document delivery service [DDS]) INASP/PERI databases sponsored by INTAS (Emerald, Oxford University Press, Springer-LINK, Blackwell, some quota on SUBITO document delivery service [DDS]) Resouces available via Yerevan State University (limited access to Fresno Univ. DDS) via grant from NFSAT (Nat. Foundation of Science & Advanced Technologies) Resouces available via Yerevan State University (limited access to Fresno Univ. DDS) via grant from NFSAT (Nat. Foundation of Science & Advanced Technologies) Now since May 12 also DOAJ – Directory of Open Access Journals – about 350 open acess journals via eIFL Now since May 12 also DOAJ – Directory of Open Access Journals – about 350 open acess journals via eIFL

ADVANCES  ELCA Web-site creation is being completed  At first stage – point of acess to information about ELCA, its activities and resources  Shortly listserv to be launched  To be turned into single-point information portal for ELCA members  ELCA statute is drafted and adopted recently  Initial 11 founder organizations of ELCA  State registration documents being prepared to perform it soon  Licensing sub-contracts being studied, adapted and translated for later use  Licensing and copyright workshop to take place in Armenia on May (headed by Tuula Haavisto, Finland)

GOALS-PROSPECTS-EXPECTATIONS  Regions still not involved – related fundraising activities planned with ministries and foundations  More vigorous promotion activity with members  Assisting ELCA members through training courses and publication of native-language detailed guides for eIFL databases usage  A proposal is being prepared to take part at Budapest Open Access Initiative in sense of creating first Armenian Open Access Journal in sciences and humanities  To create an electronic information center for young scientists (incl. post-graduates)