The launch of the Human Rights Digital Library...

The launch of the Human Rights Digital Library, which took place on the 27 September 2006 in the National Academic Library in Astana.

The Bilingual Library is operational now and accessible via the following web address: http://hrc.nabrk.kz . The interfaces are available in Kazakh, Russian, French and English.The creation of the Digital library is a strong part the process of preparation of the National Human Rights Action Plan in the country and the result of the joint efforts of UNDP Human Rights Project, the Presidential Human Rights Commission, the UNESCO Cluster Office in Almaty and the Information Analysis Department of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, with the support of the National Academic Library of Kazakhstan.

The creation of the digital library is an innovative step forward in improving access to information and justice and providing human rights education for all through opening public information services. It should be especially stresses that it is the first experience in Central Asian countries.

The digital library has several important characteristics:

The digital library is created in Kazakh and Russian Languages in a user friendly version and provides free access for population to legal data base, containing more than 1000 legal documents mostly related to human rights issues.

The library has a particular focus on rural population and the vulnerable groups. Based on experience of the Human Rights Commission in handling complaints of the citizens, the documents in the part ¦how to¦ were systematized in 65 categories providing answers through the national legislation which law or provision is applicable if human rights are violated in this area. There are lawyers- comments answering to frequently asked questions.

The digital library serves as an effective awareness raising and educational tool on human rights.

The Greenstone Digital Library free software, provided by UNESCO allows getting access to the digital library on the Human Rights Commission-s website from any computer with access to internet or without such access that is very important that it works either on-line and off line. Information about product is available byhttp://www.greenstone.org.

The Digital Library of the Human Rights Commission will be disseminated over the territory of Kazakhstan through the extensive net of state libraries spread all over the country. These libraries are being equipped with computers and internet access and staff is going to be trained in program and will be able to provide support to those citizens with no or little IT skills. Thus, we make sure that the most vulnerable groups of the population, elderly and poorly educated people will benefit from the digital library.

The first training for the librarians out of 14 regional libraries of Kazakhstan has been conducted on the 25-26 September 2006 in the National Academic Library of Kazakhstan. The trainers were educated on the content dissemination, searching and consultation of readers on using of the digital library in the human rights protection.

The issue of sustainability of the digital library was discussed during the Launching event and at the meeting of the Human Rights Commission afterwards. The Recommendation of the meeting emphasizes that the Ministry of Information and culture will be responsible for disseminating the digital library via libraries network and Republican Center of legal information of the Ministry of Justice will support regular updating of the legal database contained in the library in Russian and Kazak languages.