Librarian in Residence – Goethe-Institut New York

After my time at the Queens Library came to an end, I treated myself to an extra week in New York, so that I could really explore the city. And my enthusiasm for it remains! One of my colleagues in Queens remarked, “Bernd, each week you’re becoming more of a New Yorker.” There’s a certain amount of truth to that. ;)))

So now I can in all honesty recommend a visit to the city to everyone.
Oh yes, and I was also in Washington and Baltimore.
I returned to Germany on July 26, experiencing the same delays I encountered on the flight to New York (somehow British Airways and I are always at odds).
I was on vacation until August 15, and now I’m back at my library again. Everything here has run smoothly in the interim, thanks to my hard-working colleagues!

It is in the center of the African-American residential area in Queens. Founded by the residents of this area themselves, it is the direct result of the fight for equal rights in the 1960s. For this reason, it has up to this day a somewhat different status than the other branch libraries, and rightly so.
It is simultaneously a cultural center and documentation center for African-American history. In this capacity, it has significance well beyond New York. In no other library here have I seen such an impressive collection of art works. The testaments to musical history are also great. Whether Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald or the other greats of jazz: all appear to have lived right near here. Now I am really deeply impressed.

"Adult Learners" and "Special Services"

To itemize departments’ offerings would beyond the scope of this blog. One simply has to imagine a combination of important offerings in the areas library, community continuing education, work agency, and medical information. These things are networked with one another and present at last a holistic offering that consists of concrete assistance in many areas of every day life. This explains the library’s high value to its readers. It really is the first stop regarding very central questions.

Tomorrow is a day of great festivities. Here it’s the American Independence day (a holiday) and in Leipzig, the Courtyard Festival of the city library (still not a holiday) :-) , for which I wish all colleagues a lot of fun.

The long weekend here is being used by the colleagues in Queens for a system change. Beginning Monday, if everything goes right, an entirely new software will be running. Let’s all cross our fingers for them, that "the whole stuff is running next week."