Russian State Library for Young Adults participates in Sister Libraries Project — a programme of IFLA Section Libraries for Children and Young Adults, along with over a hundred libraries around the world. RSLYA is partnered with two libraries in Stockholm: PUNKTmedis (Young Adult Library) and Serieteket (Comics Library).

The three libraries’ largest joint project — STEP BY STEP: 365 days in the library — received recognition among IFLA members. RSLYA came up with the idea of the project and implemented it.

Every day, in the course of the year-long project, the sister libraries posted one photo with a short commentary in English, illustrating the most important event of the day. Thus, the real day-to-day life of libraries in Moscow and in Stockholm could be observed. A final report about the results of the project was made by RSLYA and PUNKTmedis staff at the IFLA Section Libraries for Children and Young Adults meeting.

As part of the partnership, Swedish librarians took part in a number of conferences organized by RSLYA (Today’s Young People in the Modern Library International Conference, Russian Convention for Young Librarians) and in the Section Young Adult Services at the Crimea Conference 2013. RSLYA staff in turn took part in book fairs and comics fests in Stockholm libraries.

A book exchange project was launched in 2013. PUNKTmedis staff carried out a survey of users’ preferences and made a list of books by Russian authors — those books were given to the Swedish library by RSLYA. In return, the Moscow library received 20 books by Swedish authors from the Swedish colleagues. These books became the foundation of a new project Book Patchwork — a collection of books for young adults and about young adults from around the world.