Ahead of the new academic year, C-Quadrat Ampega donates 500 new books to libraries across Armenia’s 10 regions

With the support of pension fund manager C-Quadrat Ampega, community libraries across Armenia’s 10 regions have received 500 new books published by Newmag. 

The donation was made as part of the “Empowering Community Libraries” program ahead of the new academic year. As a result of the initiative, 10 libraries in the regions of Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Gegharkunik, Lori, Kotayk, Shirak, Syunik, Vayots Dzor and Tavush have received new collections of contemporary literature.

The books were selected with the active participation of the C-Quadrat Ampega team. The selection was based on their educational and cultural value, relevance of the topics they address, potential to broaden readers’ perspectives, and appeal to different age groups. 

The collections donated to the libraries include international bestsellers, classic literature, contemporary fiction and non-fiction, as well as works by Armenian authors. All books are in Armenian, in modern editions and high-quality translations. Among the selected titles, for example, is Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens, which explores the history of humankind, the development of societies, the role of information, and technological change.

“As a company managing the pension assets of hundreds of thousands of people, we view our mission from a long-term perspective. For us, caring for people’s future also means contributing to the development of the society in which they and their families live. Access to education, knowledge and culture is one of the essential foundations of that development. Our team has sought to select books that are not only engaging, but can also provide new knowledge, raise questions and broaden readers’ perspectives. We hope that each of these 500 books will find its reader and become an opportunity to discover new knowledge, spark new interests, or simply encounter a good book,” said Arman Vardanyan, CEO of C-Quadrat Ampega.

The “Empowering Community Libraries” program is an initiative of Newmag Publishing House through which community libraries across Armenia receive new books with the support of private companies, philanthropists and foundations. Many of these libraries have not had their collections replenished with contemporary publications for decades.

“In Yerevan, a newly published book becomes available almost immediately, while in many communities readers may go years without seeing a new publication. The primary goal of our program is to reduce precisely this inequality. With the support of C-Quadrat Ampega, this time we were able to reach all 10 regions of Armenia simultaneously. This is particularly important at the beginning of the academic year, when libraries once again become active meeting places for children, teachers, students and readers. Our goal is to make contemporary books accessible in every community across Armenia,” said Artak Aleksanyan, CEO of Newmag Publishing House.

“The “Empowering Community Libraries” educational and social program aims to gradually renew the library collections of more than 350 communities across Armenia by providing them with contemporary, high-quality literature. Through this book donation supported by C-Quadrat Ampega, 500 new books are now available to readers across Armenia’s 10 regions,” the news release reads.

C-Quadrat Ampega Asset Management Armenia is a pension and investment fund management company committed to providing high-quality asset management services in Armenia in line with international best practices. The company manages more than AMD 760 billion in pension and investment fund assets on behalf of approximately 460,000 participants. The company is founded by Austrian & German asset managers.

Newmag is one of Armenia’s leading publishing houses. Its mission is to introduce Armenian readers to contemporary, high-quality literature across a wide range of genres while promoting a culture of reading and lifelong learning. The publishing house offers Armenian and international fiction and non-fiction, as well as children’s books. Newmag organizes book launches, author events, and its own literary festivals, supports community libraries across Armenia, and participates in international literary festivals. The company began its journey as a magazine in 2007 and has operated as a publishing house since 2018.