Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar (US Embassy and National Information Technology Park)

A blistering hot day combined with a lot of walking makes for crabby sore people. We did our best with all our appointments today, but it felt as if we were liquefying under the unforgiving sun.

Our first stop was MagicNet, a company that broke off from the first Internet provider for Mongolia beginning back in 1994. Apparently they provide not only dial-up services, but also cable, DSL, satellite, wireless, and wi-fi.

The State Central Library was beautiful with columns and marble lining the interior. Their collection of old and rare books was an awesome sight — the backroom full of rows and rows of multicolored shelves, each sutra wrapped in a silk scarf like a present waiting to be opened. Preservationists were going through each sutra to clean it for those who could read the Tibetan script to find where astrew pages belonged. A very long and arduous task, especially with another "floor" of them, built with makeshift boards as if an attic to an old barn, wide gaps presenting the lower level beneath.

The actual display room for rare books was equally interesting containing the oldest Mongolian book, books written in gold and silver, the smallest book, and many other fascinating relics. A must see if ever visiting Ulaanbaatar.

The open forum library was very modern and the closest example to a North American library so far due to its use of DDC and open stacks. They do not own many book, so we were all very interested to find out they classified the books with a general call number, not uniquely. This does work for the collection size they have, but it will become an issue when it grows or they begin collaborating with other libraries as they wish to do. An interesting misinterpretation of how DDC works, but definitely easier to use.

Our last stop was at the ICTA, the governmental authority over all ICTs. This was our most knowledgeable speaker, explaining all UB’s projects in good detail with forefront knowledge and understanding our other speakers did not have. He has successfully "unionized" the ISP providers to get bulk discounts and lowered telephone call expenses for dial-up Internet access. He is essentially organizing in an efficient and effective manner; bringing high speed high access connectivity across Mongolia. It is unfortunate most of our group was exhausted from the heat and too many meetings that he could see it on their faces, cutting his thorough explanation short.