Launched by Project Harmony Inc. and sponsored by Microsoft Russia, the IDEA Center of the National Library of the Buryat Republic in Ulan Ude first opened in July 2006, with the opening ceremony held as part of the celebration in honor of the library’s 125th anniversary. With its fifteen computer workstations, furniture and other state-of-the-art equipment, the IDEA Center in Ulan Ude became one of the handsomest centers in the IDEA Project and made a wonderful anniversary present to the main library of the Buryat Republic. In her opening address Olga Dergunova, the then CEO of Microsoft Russia & CIS and the National Library board member, said: “The National Library plays an important role in addressing digital inequality in the Buryat Republic. Driven by a strong desire to foster computer and IT literacy, the Library, in partnership with Project Harmony Inc., has launched a computer center which will offer free training in basic computer and Internet skills. We very much hope that the IDEA Center will be instrumental in promoting information culture, equipping local residents with new knowledge and skills, giving them a broader access to information, and enabling them to use the new competencies in their everyday wife and work, thus making a significant contribution to the economic development of the Buryat Republic.”


Since its launch, the IDEA Center has provided Microsoft Unlimited Potential training for more than 700 alumni including people with disabilities, college students, job seekers, senior citizens, Buddhist clergy, healthcare workers, orphaned and neglected children, low-wage workers, etc. As the result of acquiring computer and Internet skills, many of the alumni have found better jobs, increased their employability and professional competence. Success stories, alumni’s feedback, survey responses and media reviews testify of the usefulness and relevance of the IDEA Center’s contribution to disseminating information literacy and bridging the digital gap. In seeking to provide IT training to underserved population groups, the IDEA Center actively partners with local communities and non-profits.


In 2008, alongside with the regular Microsoft Unlimited Potential curriculum, the IDEA Center began to hold free monthly computer courses for rural librarians and job seekers registered with Ulan Ude’s municipal Employment Center, awarding the alumni with regular IDEA certificates.


For more than two years, the IDEA Center has partnered with the municipal Employment Center, providing computer training for more than 140 job seekers. The Employment Center’s clients are invited to sign up for Microsoft Unlimited Potential courses in Computer Fundamentals and Internet and World Wide Web Fundamentals. Computer courses offered by the IDEA Center are held in high regard by job seekers, Internet and World Wide Web Fundamentals being the most popular, since the ability to navigate the virtual space greatly improves people’s chances of finding employment.


Being the administrative and policy-making center for all the libraries in the Buryat Republic, the National Library seeks to promote new IT technologies in libraries in order to address the existing digital gap and train librarians to use the Internet as the primary global information network. As of today, 111 librarians have completed various Microsoft Unlimited Potential courses; the time frame of the basic course in Computer Fundamentals has been extended to fifty-five hours which definitely makes the training more effective.

The IDEA Center is also used as an electronic reading hall with daily Internet access and free workshops in Internet and MS office skills. Since 2007 these workshops have been attended by more than 120 people.


In 2008, the IDEA Center team helped launch two volunteer IDEA Centers in the city, based in Dashirabdan Batozhbai State Youth Library, I.K. Kalashnikov Central City Library, and Mukhoshibir Library.