Postcard from Bishkek

… but not all the stock!  I had to pay for the textbook that Maxim needed in order to do his Biology homework.

The Odyssey Bookshop in the centre of town held a small ceremony on Friday for the opening of a new section where they are giving away books provided by the American Embassy.

It’s all part of the American Corners programme operated by the embassy which creating “information spaces” in libraries and universities with the aim of promoting greater mutual understanding between the people of Kyrgyzstan and the people of the United States of America.

The programme offers a collection of books, magazines, English language materials, computers and Internet access.  In Odyssey, of course, they are concentrating on providing just printed materials.  The posts on their Facebook page features frequent updates giving information about their various other activities.

The bookshop has given the programme  a section of bookshelves to display journals and publications about the U.S. geography, history, society and values, democracy, gender, etc.  The shelves are quite prominent, just opposite the door in fact, and the materials I saw at opening were quite varied covering topics such as Muslims in America, Water Resources, Entrepreneurship, Gender Equality, Elections, Mark Twain, and so on.  Some of the magazines are month;ly periodicals and so the display will regularly change.

The publications will be in English, Russian, Kyrgyz and Uzbek languages and will be available free of charge.

 

The opening was widely advertised and although over seventy people had said that they would attend, in the end there were only about twenty five there.   That’s probably just as well because, although the shop is quite large and spacious, I think it might have got a bit crowded if everyone had turned up.  Amongst those that did attend were representatives of the programme and the Embassy and some journalists.

It was a fairly informal affair.  There were a couple of short speeches, (very short speeches, in fact), and then people perused the titles on display.

Although the idea of a bookshop giving away books and magazines “free of charge” seems a strange idea, (after all, they are in the business of selling books – not making them freely available), it struck me as an interesting and imaginative initiative representing the elusive goal of a real “win-win” situation; there are advantages in the arrangement for everyone and everyone gains something:

The Americans win in that they have one more outlet where they can distribute their literature.  They gain greater exposure to their “propaganda” putting across information about America, the history, peoples, culture, values and viewpoint.

Personally, I am not sure how successful the programme will be in fulfilling its aim of promoting a greater understanding between peoples.  It seems to me that this is more to do with the way the material is used rather than simply making the material available.

Furthermore, there is the question of whether this is the most appropriate format for the Americans to use in order to get their message across.  There has been some discussion recently, (ironically on the internet), about the bleak future ahead for the printed word in the rapidly developing “information age” in which we live: A world where kindles and i-pads seem to abound and an amazing variety of people, (from young children to pensioners), can be seen tapping at a keyboard – or touch screen – and staring at a screen whilst they sip a cup of coffee in a café; A world where people’s knowledge of literature reflects the films they have seen rather than the books that they have read; A world where “action speaks louder than words” and people don’t seem to have the patience to sit and read a book from “cover to cover”, preferring the précis or abbreviated study guide in order to “get the gist” of the text.  So, is this the right way forward?

It’s a good question but, personally, I am not sure that I agree with this rather bleak viewpoint.  Of course, it may just be a function of my age but, (even though I find my Kindle extremely convenient and an absolute boon), there is something about a book which is comforting and comfortable.  You can take it with you almost anywhere; you don’t have to worry about recharging the battery; it’s often easier to navigate, to flick through and look back over something you read earlier … and then again, there is something satisfying about simply turning the pages.

On the other hand, I have to admit that, if the information is not available in the first place, then no progress is possible at all in this respect.

 

The bookshop wins in that they have one more service that they can offer their customers.

Also, it is one more reason for people to pop into the shop, and whilst they are there, they might also look round and find something else to buy.

Odyssey already offers a wide selection of books with six rooms, (one is more like a corridor), which includes a large selection of novels and what might be called “classic literature”, textbooks for schoolchildren and students, general interest books such as recipe books and photo albums on a variety of themes.  There is also a selection of computer CDs and DVDs.

They also have a interesting and varied selection of books in English, both new and second hand.   English language books are like “gold dust” here.  In the days of the Soviet Union there was a specialist, “Foreign Language Bookstore” in the city, but that was one of the first casualties of the collapse of the USSR twenty years ago.  Many of the books were sold at ridiculously low prices but, as I understand it, that was mainly because they were subsidized from Moscow and with the absence of those subsidies, and the move away from controlled prices meant that the market price of the books made them too expensive for the relatively small market in Bishkek.  Some bookshops carry a few English language books, but they tend to be guide books or special editions likely to be limited interest on local topics.  There was an attempt to run a bookshop in one of the local hostelries, which carried a variety of titles, including some of the latest “best sellers” but most of us ex-pats end up swapping books and there are a number of places, (including the Silk Road Lodge), which operate as “book swap” venues.

To be honest, the available selection is a bit esoteric, but is full of surprises.   The other day, for example, I picked up a copy of “Unman, Wittering and Zigo” – something which took me back to my youth – and I am not sure in how many bookshops back in the UK I might find one of those.

 

Finally, the customers win in that they have greater access to more material  … and, what’s more, it’s “free of charge”.

Tags: Expat, Life_in_Kyrgyzstan