Prost! We Found Our Sister Library in Düsseldorf, Germany By Morgan Day, Marketing & Communications Department
I’d say a toast is in order. Metro Library has secured a sister library partnership with the International English Library in Düsseldorf, Germany, and I for one feel like raising a glass to that. As someone who’s wanted for years to learn more about Deutschland, its people, its history and its culture, it couldn’t get much better than this. Exhibit A: My home is filled with German language flashcards and textbooks from my German for traveling class at Francis Tuttle Technology Center. When I open my phone to view the day’s weather, my brain reverts to “Wie ist das Wetter heute?” (“What is the weather today?”). A 5-pound book of beautiful photos of Germany takes up half my coffee table. I’d be all in on any sister library partnership, but this takes the cake for me. Sit back while I tell you how this whole thing came together and what it means for customers of the Metro Library and International English Library. You’d think every time we got on a Zoom call with our German connections, we’d hear German accents, but that’s never been the case. In fact, MLS staff work most closely with two volunteers — one originally from
Oklahoma with an American accent just like us (though her Okie-isms might have worn off a little from her years in Germany), and another with an Australian accent. The reason? An international team of volunteers runs every aspect of the non-profit organization, from purchasing books to programming events and marketing services to the public. As the only English library in North Rhine-Westphalia, the library aims to connect its customers to its 20,000-plus items and foster a community around English books and culture. Our partnership started with Jynon Hibbard, a 16-year volunteer with the International English Library and member of the library’s board of trustees. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Hibbard volunteered with the Friends of the Library Booksale for several years before relocating to Germany 25 years ago. She made it her mission to connect with an Oklahoma library, and she had her heart set on us. “It’s a real privilege for me to partner with the very library that helped nurture my love for books 55-plus years ago,” Hibbard told me. “And now here I am working with the Metro
DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY 3 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT OUR SISTER LIBRARY CITY
Rheinturm, the tallest building in Düsseldorf, is home to the world’s largest digital clock.
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It’s the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia at the confluence of the Rhine and Düssel rivers.
info magazine · Metropolitan Library System · November 2021
Unique to Düsseldorf, Altbier is a crisp, hoppy beer adapted to colder temperatures.
Library from 8,000 miles away. I feel like I’ve come full circle.” Once she reached out to Metro Library, we had no doubt it was a perfect match. Hibbard said she especially looks forward to the cross-cultural exchange that will take place between our two libraries. She summed it up pretty well with this. “We often have stereotypes of each other, which may be romantic notions, but aren’t necessarily true,” she told me. “Not all Germans wear lederhosen and dirndls, guzzle beer and yodel. And not all Oklahomans ride horses, wear cowboy hats and gingham dresses or live in teepees. Not only is it a goal of ours to learn about the different cultures, but it’s to exchange resources, giving our patrons more available materials and learning tools.” So, how did the International English Library come to be, you ask? The British Forces established the International English Library in 1946 to bridge the gap between nations that were at war during World War II. The British Occupation Office created Die Brücke (meaning “the bridge”), a center for community gathering, cultural events and a library of English books. When budget cuts in the ’90s almost closed the library, a group of private citizens and regular visitors came together to form a non-profit and make it a volunteer-run organization. The library has continued to run on volunteer support since 1999 and represents Germany, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom and many other countries. Customers from both Oklahoma and Germany stand to benefit from the partnership. I’m envisioning lots of great social media content and blog posts from both organizations. Imagine getting a virtual tour of the International English Library via
