A Letter to Sneja from Elena
You are alive in my present and in my future…
Memory by Dr. Elena Koeva – Yurchenko, Director of the Library and Information Complex at the Varna University of Management
Good morning, Snejko!
Please, forgive me! I found out very late that you have left our world. Probably because just like you I don’t like to surf the social media. Immediately I lit a candle and asked the light to find you somewhere in Space. At that time, I didn’t know that on December 10th, 2020 some of your friends will name to a star after you in the Orion constellation.
I didn’t write to you on December 26th last year, but I am writing to you just before March 8th, because it is the date of your birthday that remains important to me.
Dear Sneji, our last telephone conversation was in November 2019. You didn’t tell me anything about an illness I hope you didn not suffer pain! During all these years of our acquaintance you very rarely shared anything about health problems, you ignored them with a smile. You always had dreams, ideas and plans. There was no time for you to visit a doctor but you helped a lot of people to reach the right doctor, so their health problems would be resolved. You are among the few real altruists I know. When your sister called me, I nearly lost my voice out of emotion. I can’t speak about you in past tense, Sneji. In my life you are here and now forever. I am grateful to the forces, which helped us meet. I am grateful that I know you! You taught me a lot of things – in my professional and private life. You provoked in me stronger courage to work towards the completion of the ideas I believe in. I owe you my best professional achievements. You didn’t provoke me with persuasion but with support. Not with the formal “just try”, but by constructive discussions, direct and objective criticism, valuable advice, concrete co-operation for carrying out my sometimes-crazy ideas. And most importantly – with endless patience, a patience typical for you, somewhat invisible, that can be appreciated only by the people who knew you well.
Your strength is in the professional knowledge about the world library and information environment, the deep knowledge of the professional problems and personal characteristics of the professional community, the trust which all Bulgarian and international library and information specialists have towards you, including library leaders in various countries.
You know that I have been working on my doctoral dissertation for a long time. In the dissertation I offer a new model of library and information support for the city of Dobrich. This model was highly appreciated by the UniBIT instructors, who spoke at the preliminary defense; and by the jury, and by a lot colleagues during the public defense. This model is based to a great extent on the knowledge I acquired during the time of my participation in the international program “Information Management and Library Knowledge” in the USA in 2002. This participation I owe to you.
Dear Sneji, I have spoken and I continue to speak with you about thousands of things. And I can ask you a thousand time “Do you remember, Sneji, when...?” I can remind you about various instances of our team work, about our meetings and conversations with different people – librarians, mayors, cultural leaders, politicians. I remember with what respect the American colleagues, whom we met on the “Sister Libraries” program, communicated with you in the USA and in Bulgaria. For example, I remember the respect of Jamie LaRu and Nancy Bolt, when they talked to you. It was more than respect; it was mostly trust – collegial and personal.
I would like to tell you about one of the memorable moments for me in my professional carrier, which is connected to you. We were side by side on a big stage in Atlanta, Georgia, at a meeting with international guests. This was the Annual Conference of ALA and we together signed The International Trademark Use Agreement – this is the document giving rights to our Union of Library and Information Specialists to use the logo of the campaign “@your library”. This is in fact the document for the Bulgarian Library and Information Union joining the world campaign of the American Library Association, supported by the International Federation of Library Associations. This campaign gave a lot of support to Bulgarian public libraries. It started at my library in Dobrich in the autumn of 2002 with the logo in Bulgarian “@вашата библиотека”.
Snejko, you remember my colleague Ertan Geldiev, who also specialized in the USA, but in the ABLE program. You know that since the summer 2005 we have been working together to establish the High Institute for Management. Sometimes we talk about you. Not only with good feelings but also with admiration. Ertan is preparing his Doctoral dissertation and I hope that in part his courage to do this has come from the vast experience and incredible results, which we had together. You remember for sure how in the old building of the American Embassy Ertan and I presented the first electronic catalogue of a public library on the Internet – this was the catalogue of the library “Dora Gabe”.
We keep the pictures of many guests from the American Embassy in Bulgaria and their visits to us – John Byerly, Eric Rubin, cultural and other attaches, advisors. These visits were possible thanks to you. I believe that my colleagues and our students, including a lot of international students, many citizens, having the chance to meet these diplomats, will always remember the conversations with them.
And before I finish, Sneji, do you remember how we established the Association “American Library Experience”? Its founders were 20 Bulgarian library and information specialists, who participated in programs for educational exchange of the USA State Department. This meeting happened in Razgrad on my birthday and I still keep the presents I received. What a road we covered in the years in order for our guild to have so many new opportunities! I am sorry that our idea was not fully developed. But a new generation of librarians comes and I am convinced that you, just like me, believe in the future, which travels to us at a great speed.
And I beg you, dear Sneji, not to forget – you are in my heart as one of my closest friends in spirit. You are always welcome in my thoughts and dreams! You are alive in my present and in my future!
I wish your soul to be satisfied with your terrestrial path! I wish freedom to your spirit in your other world!
With deep respect and love,
Elena Koeva - Yurchenko
