1. WESS Germanists Discussion Group ALA, New Orleans June 26, 2011
Hella Klauser, Olaf Eigenbrodt International cooperation for libraries in Germany
WESS
Germanists Discussion Group
ALA, New Orleans
June 26, 2011
Introduction
Presentation of Speakers
Structure of Presentation

2. International Interests in Germany
Participation in international committees
International conferences in Germany and international participation at national annual librarians‘ meetings
Denmark, Spain as ‚Special guest countries‘ in 2007, 2010, partner country Turkey
International interest in Germany - overview
To start with I want to point out some developments to demonstrate the growing interest for international developments from a German perspective :
1 Many German colleagues and specialists are working in a wide range of international committees, associations and boards –more than 50 already within the different IFLA committees – also in highest positions: Claudia Lux as former IFLA president, Barbara Lison as Vize-President of the European library association EBLIDA, Elisabeth Niggemann, director general of the German national library as Chair of CENL (Foundation Conference of European National Librarians) as well as chair of the comite des sage for Europeana. They participate in the international committees, report back to German colleagues, bring own experiences in and take back new ideas.
2 International conferences are being organized and take place in Germany on an increasing and regular level.
Even the national annual librarians meeting, the Bibliothekartag or Bibliothekskongress, to which event about 2000 German colleagues come together every year, becomes more and more attractive even to those colleagues, who do not speak or understand German. This means that the organizers have to think of ways to react to this fact and translate some of the presentations for example. And more international speakers are invited as well into the program so that as many German colleagues as possible may profit from international developments and new ideas which are presented.
Two weeks we celebrated the 100th annual library conference in Berlin with more than 4800 participants. More than 50 colleagues from all different countries were invited as special guests, many more, especially from the German speaking countries, participated as well. It is the biggest library conference in Europe, somebody said the second biggest after the ALA-conference!
3 To develop this ‘internationalisation’ of our library conference, we have decided to introduce a ‘special guest country to the library congress: Spain in 2010, Denmark in 2007, ? In We also established for the first time a partner country: Turkey will be in our special focus for the period
3/21/2017 |

3. International Interests in Germany
Library partnership-programs, sister-libraries
Programmes like LiR, GNARP-Scholarship, ALA/BIB Exchange
Information about developments abroad: newsletter, blogs, reports, journals, best practice
German universities start international semesters and international summer schools
4 I also like very much the idea of library-partnerships. The ties are quite strong especially between libraries in France and Germany, and this project is being coordinated by the Goethe-Institut in Paris. Two libraries – any type, size, location – tie together because of different reasons and strengthen their exchange and relationship by written contract – a very easy, low-cost and effective way of exchange, which can be used nicely for public relations and lobbying. We will also strengthen this idea with libraries in Spain – one result of the special guest country.
5 Not to forget the special programs which support international exchange and interest on a personal basis: LiR, Gnarp, study tours etc. Fortunately there are different ways of receiving a scholarship or financial support to gain experience abroad - we also have a wonderful program between USA and Germany – I will come back to that later
There is a big demand on courses for training English for Librarians, which shows that German colleagues want to improve their English skills in order to act internationally.
Information of what is going on in the world of libraries is asked for and continuously developed
Another interesting aspect is seen in the development of the universities where library science is taught: not only that the students are ‘pushed’ to pass their required internship abroad, but international summerschools in English are offered nowadays (like in Stuttgart) and German Universities like in Hamburg (starting in 2010) offer international semesters in the framework of its bachelor programmes in library and information science in the English language, due to the so called ‘Bologna process’, which organizes the comparability of credits and diplomas within the universities in Europe.
And these examples are, of course, adding to the international relations, which have always existed between specialists, holdings and libraries on all levels, all subjects, all topics.
3/21/2017 |

4. Political Structure of Germany
16 (Bundes-)Länder
Responsibility for cultural and educational matters lies with the 16 Länder (Kulturhoheit)
No national library law
No national library agency
For a better understanding let me give you a brief overview of the political structure in Germany, which is very important for the situation and development of libraries:
Cultural political structure in Germany
The Federal Republic of Germany was founded in May 1949 as a federated country on the basis of a democratic, parliamentarian foundation. Germany consists of 16 Länder. The responsibility for almost all cultural matters and arts, for schools and education, lies fundamentally with the Länder.
This means, transferred to library issues, a nationwide library strategy and policy does not exist in Germany, neither a national library agency or a national library law (library laws now in 3 Ländern ) We do not even have a minister of cultural affairs like other national ministers, because cultural matters are decided on a Länder level, that means every decision has to be multiplied 16 times for every Land.
Well, of course, this sounds like a difficult situation to act in, which is sometimes true and makes developments slow and adjustments necessary, on the other hand we learned how to live and work with this primarily decentralized structure and have very early started to develop strong relationships and connections on a professional basis. And the umbrella association BID (Bibliothek und Information Deutschland), in which the German library association, the two associations for librarians, another one for information specialists and for special libraries are members of, help in this decentralized situation.
3/21/2017

5. BID Library and Information Germany:
Well, of course, this sounds like a difficult situation to act in, which is sometimes true and makes developments slow and adjustments necessary, on the other hand we learned how to live and work with this primarily decentralized structure and have very early started to develop strong relationships and connections on a professional basis. And the umbrella association BID (Bibliothek und Information Deutschland), in which the German library association, the two associations for librarians, another one for information specialists and for special libraries are members of, help in this decentralized situation.
3/21/2017

6. KNB: Network Expertise for Libraries
provides services for libraries on a national level international cooperation: information, coordination, strategic planning, lobbying IFLA-national committee – coordination dbv-newsletter international
Let me get into some details. I will start with my own job description, which is unique in Germany:
Working for the Network Expertise for Libraries (KNB) at the German Library Association, I am responsible for the international cooperation for all German librarians. This is quite special having the federal system of 16 states in mind, which in Germany are responsible for culture and education. Despite this decentralization, I work in one of the few posts in the library section in Germany which provides services for libraries on a national level!
The Network Expertise for Libraries was founded in 2004, after a national library agency had been shut down. It offers among other services the nationwide library statistics, a benchmarking called BIX, standards, the website-information about libraries ‘Library portal’ , support for EU-funding for libraries and my part, international cooperation – different aspects of German librarianship, which can’t be seen regionally only.
International cooperation:
There are two big fields of action I am dealing with:
Firstly, I inform our German colleagues regularly about new developments, best practice, new ideas from abroad in order to bring innovation to German libraries and to support their own developments. I do this by publishing a monthly online- newsletter with information about what is going on in different countries, in Brussels for European issues concerning libraries (from copyright to the internal services directive) and in international library associations like IFLA and EBLIDA. On our website we collect country reports and back ground information to help German colleagues find more information easily. There is also information about international up-to-date topics like WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society) or the Convention of multicultural diversity by UNESCO. And, of course, I hold lectures, organise seminars, publish articles and so on to spread the news from abroad.
On the other hand, I do a lot to support strategic planning (on a national basis) and lobbying for libraries, and most of it is coordinating between the different partners in Germany and abroad. It is also my job to assure that German issues enter international boards and committees. So I try to motivate German colleagues to participate in international associations like IFLA, to get in contact to colleagues abroad, to speak at international conferences. Hereby I work very closely together with other German institutions and libraries like the German Library Association and their expert commissions, big German libraries, special working groups and specialists and so on. The office of the German IFLA-national committee is also connected to my post. we understood the IFLA-presidency of Claudia Lux as a great opportunity for the German library system not only to attract interest from colleagues and politicians for the international issues of our profession, but also to motivate German colleagues to become internationally involved.
3/21/2017

7. Germany in Europe
We have to keep in mind, that - geographically seen - Germany is right in the centre of Europe.
The European commission provides for many projects within the EU funding, which has to be applied for – in a quite difficult and detailed application procedure and within exact deadlines and programmes. Libraries may also profit from these fundings, mostly academic ones, but also public libraries.
Projects supported by the EU always include different countries as partners for one project. It never is a 100% support, but asks for an own financial contribution, which can also be calculated by man-power, which is put into the project. The EU-projects are timely limited and they support innovative ideas, never the daily routine work. Their focus point is building up a structural net, strengthen connections and support innovation. This is very well, but sometimes difficult.
3/21/2017

8. KNB: Network Expertise for Libraries
Within the network expertise for libraries there is another position for assisting German colleagues in applying for EU funding and and to inform them about deadlines and new EU programmes. My colleague Gerhard Mueller is supporting librarians by applying for EU-funding for library projects and he assists in finding partners and funds for different projects, mostly for academic libraries and by helping to get through the difficult paperwork of applications, by giving information and answering questions.
 We also keep up to date a database on dates and topics of international conferences on library issues and we have launched a website with information concerning project-funding – especially on a European level:
3/21/2017

9. Structural fund EFRE Euro regions Cross-border cooperation
Support for economic development, infrastructure, tourism, ecological issues,education, and cultural projects in these regions
Just to give an impression to the activities with financial support – outside the big EU programmes. There is other funding, smaller budgets, but easier to apply for, and you see here that especially on the borderlines to neigbouring countries the border crossing activities in the different topics are quite strong.
3/21/2017

10. Europeana
Just one word to Europeana: it enables people to explore the digital resources of Europe's museums, libraries, archives and audio-visual collections. It promotes discovery and networking opportunities in a multilingual space where users can engage, share in and be inspired by the rich diversity of Europe's cultural and scientific heritage.
Ideas and inspiration can be found within the more than 15 million items on Europeana.
The German Digital Library, DDB, is about to get started – here the structure of our 16 Länder, different libraries etc. slowed the development down and made it difficult to decide on a strategy and to receive political (and financial) support.
3/21/2017

11. Participation in International committees
International: IFLA – IASL – CDNL et al European level:
EBLIDA
NAPLE
LIBER
CENL
Let me talk a little more about participation in international committees
There are the international ones like IFLA, IASL, CDNL:
The International Federation of Library and Information Associations IFLA with its more than 40 sections and special interest groups is very important to us. Kick from the IFLA WLIC in 2003, Lux as president, Schleihagen, Lison and many others: national committee is part of my job, we have just decided to strengthen the exchange between the active members, have seminars, information for others, try to interest many.
Financial support, but many of them also have to add own money or time to participate at the conferences, for example.
IASL for school librarians is important for us, or CDNL (Conference of Directors of National libraries ( for national libraries is a must, of course.
Europe, European committees are of a special importance to us. More and more political decisions are prepared and decided upon on a European level – some decisions also affect libraries: think of copyright issues or orphaned works. That is why we also have to get together, cross borders and national interests and advocate for European library issues as well.
There exist several professional associations on an European level:
First of all let me name EBLIDA (European Bureau for Library, Information and Documentation Associations : an independent umbrella association of library, information, documentation and archive associations and institutions in Europe, which is lobbying for library issues
EBLIDA is mainly concentrating of copyright issues. There is also a German member at their expert group on Information Law EGIL involved. Another Expert Group which I chair concentrates on the topic culture and information society, because this issue plays a growing role within the EU and in the culture programme there is also funding involved which could be interesting for library projects as well. The EG on Digitization and Online Access will focus strongly on e-books in the near future. German participation and support of EBLIDA was always strong.
NAPLE (National Authorities on Public Libraries in Europe ( which focuses on Public library issues in the context of working on common strategies for political decision makers. I wish our participation would be stronger, but as we do not have a national agency it is difficult to find adequate representatives.
3/21/2017

12. Exemplary Projects, Services, and Library Buildings in Germany
Current Digitalisation projects
Virtual branch
Online Tutorial
Serving multicultural populations
Subject areas: German and European Studies, North-American Studies, Language and Literature
Academic exchange: LIS schools and institutions
Buildings and equipment

13. Digitalisation projects
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, Frankfurt a.M. / Leipzig
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, München
Sächsische Landesbibliothek – Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden
Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen
Berlin School of Library and Information Science
Due to ist federal structure, Germany has a varied library system with many different cooperative as well as independent digitalisation projects.
The Zentrales Verzeichnis digitaler Drucke (Central Index of Digitalised Prints, zvdd) tries to make them retrievable.
There are federal projects like Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (German Digital Library, DDB), which is connected to Europaena and the Allianz schriftliches Kulturgut bewahren (Alliance for the Preservation of Written Heritage). Government authorities, libraries, archives and museums are working together in these projects.
The most prominent example for a PPP is the cooperation between Bayerische Staatsbibliothek and Google in mass-digitalisation.
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek München, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin and Niedersächsische Landesbibliothek Göttingen run the major digitalisation centers.
E-books on demand is a network project of European academic libraries, users can order a digital copy of free works instead of interlibrary loan.
Berlin School of Library and Information Science is an active academic partner doing research in the field. Among others it's running a German LOCKSS/IEX project together with Deutsche Nationalbibliothek (German National Library, DNB).

14. Virtual Branch
Bücherhallen Hamburg (Public Library System of Hamburg): eBuecherhalle
The public library system of Hamburg (Bücherhallen Hamburg) started its virtual branch last year. It offers e-learning courses, access to databases and electronic ressources and the possibility to bourough digital media like music, e-books and audio books.

15. Online Tutorial University Library, Münster: LOTSE Online Tutorials
LOTSE is a platform for specialised online tutorials on information research and academic skills. There are step-by-step tutorials as well as quick overviews. Originally launched at Münster university library, the system is now being used in customised versions at seven different universities.

16. Serving multicultural Populations
city bibliothek Berlin (Berlin City Library): Special programs for people with immigrant background
Encouraging Diversity
- Strengthening Cohesion
City library Berlin is a system of 14 libraries serving a population of around 600,000 inhabitants in two central districts of Berlin: Mitte and Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. About one third of the population has an immigration background (around 81 countries). The city bibliothek Berlin offers those people several programs like labguage and reading skills, cultural programs and cooperative events. Each branch has an individual collection of language material.
Bibliothek am Luisenbad - Berlin

17. Subject areas (selection)
German language and literature
Northern European Studies
English Language and Literature
North American Studies
Eastern European Studies
French/Italian language and literature
Spanish/Portuguese Language and Literature
Jewish Studies
German History
European Ethnology / Folklore Studies
University Library, Frankfurt a.M. (SSG)
University Library Kiel (SSG)
University Library Göttingen (SSG)
John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies, FU Berlin
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (SSG)
University Library, Bonn (SSG)
State and University Library, Hamburg (SSG)
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (SSG)
University Library HU Berlin (SSG)
SSG = DFG-sponsored special collection
Germany has a unique network of special collections (Sondersammelgebiete, SSG) in academic libraries. It is government-sponsored by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). The goal is to have at least one comprehensive collection for each subject. This collection is used for interlibrary loan and additional reference services. The special collections mostly are running www-portals for informations on their subject.
This is a selection of the special collections on European subjects. Since the German disciplinary tradition used to separate language and literature from ethnology, sociology, and history, most special collections focus on language and literature. But sometimes culture, society, and history are incorporated, too.

18. Academic Exchange (LIS schools)
Berlin School of Library and Information science: Bachelor, Master, and PhD programs, distant education (postgraduate); only university department of LIS in Germany.
Universities of Applied Science: Cologne, Darmstadt, Hamburg, Hanover, Leipzig, Potsdam, Stuttgart (Media University): Bachelor and Master programs with individual focus.

19. City Library, Hamm, North Rhine-Westfalia
3/21/2017
Deutscher Bibliotheksverband e.V. | Kommissionsname | Max Muster

20. Information, Communication, and Media Center, BTU Cottbus, Brandenburg
3/21/2017
Deutscher Bibliotheksverband e.V. | Kommissionsname | Max Muster

21. Public Library Augsburg, Bavaria
3/21/2017
Deutscher Bibliotheksverband e.V. | Kommissionsname | Max Muster

22. Jacob-und-Wilhelm-Grimm-Zentrum, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
3/21/2017
Deutscher Bibliotheksverband e.V. | Kommissionsname | Max Muster

23. City Library Stuttgart, Baden-Wuerttemberg (under construction)
3/21/2017
Deutscher Bibliotheksverband e.V. | Kommissionsname | Max Muster

24. University Library TU Darmstadt, Hesse (under construction)
3/21/2017
Deutscher Bibliotheksverband e.V. | Kommissionsname | Max Muster

25. How to get to Germany Different programs and possibilities:
ALA/BIB Exchange
Participation at Bibliothekartag 2012 in Hamburg
Participation at IFLA WLIC in Helsinki 2012 in combination with professional stay in Germany?
ALA/BIB Exchange
The Berufsverband Information Bibliothek (BIB) and ALA’s International Relations Office have agreed to work together to facilitate exchanges between librarians of the two countries. The object of the exchanges is to provide knowledge and understanding of the library science practices in another country. If you are interested in doing an exchange in Germany please contact the International Relations Office at There are no funds available through ALA, so the cost of the exchange would be at your expense. Hopefully you will be able to find assistance through your institution or another source.
First, fill out the BIB-ALA Exchange Interest Form ALA will then forward your request to staff at BIB, who will contact you to begin the search for a welcoming host library in Germany.
The length of the exchange and the time of year is whatever works best for you, so exchanges can be as short as a week or as long as a couple of months.
Though some knowledge of German is helpful, it is not a requirement as English speaking staff at the library will allow for a rewarding interchange. You are able to request what type of learning experience you are looking for, and BIB will search for a library in Germany that could provide such an opportunity. Once a possible host institution is established, they should be able to provide advice/assistance on possible housing options during your exchange.
Bibliothekartag 2012 in HH:
IFLA Helsinki 2012: August 2012
Termindatenbank mit Konferenzen in Dtl: bibliotheksverband.de
3/21/2017

26. BI-International Financial support for: professional stays
international conferences
study tours in Germany
Welcome to Germany and financial support by BI-International
German libraries have become more and more interesting for colleagues from abroad to contact and to visit: the number of international specialists, who exchange with German institutions or colleagues is constantly rising.
Fortunately enough, we are able to offer financial support to those colleagues, who are interested in coming to Germany for a professional stay, a study tour or participating at an international conference in Germany.
BI-International, a permanent commission of our umbrella association BID (Library and Information Germany) supports annually several colleagues from different countries, who stay for a professional visit, participate at an international and national library conference in Germany or are member of a study tour. Here we work closely together with the different Goethe-Instituts around the world.
So if you are interested in strengthening your professional contacts and knowledge to German institutions, contact our colleagues from the Goethe-Institut in New York!
I brought some brochures with information concerning exchange possibilities with Germany and, of course, you find a lot of information on our websites.
3/21/2017

27. Vielen Dank für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit
Vielen Dank für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit! Thank you very much for your attention!
See you in Germany!