Porto-Franco City

The Odesa National Scientific Library has secured first place in the annual competition held by Goethe-Institut Ukraine among partner libraries. The German reading room was recognized for its impressive cultural initiatives executed throughout 2024. The library's director, Iryna Biryukova, shared insights about the project and its triumph with the media.

The German reading room at the Odesa Scientific Library emerged as the best among fifteen partner libraries of the Goethe-Institut in Ukraine. The recognition highlighted not only its consistency but also the diversity of events: from educational meetings and language courses to children's games, music, and literary novelties.

As a prize, the Goethe-Institut presented a collection of books in Ukrainian from the "Best Book Design" series, along with new publications for the "German Shelf" — a permanent display of contemporary German literature.

Acknowledgment for the Team

A special recognition was awarded to the team and librarian of the German room, Viktoriya Zayets, who notably interned in Germany. The German reading room is part of a larger library network. Each year, the focus shifts to a new space — this time Odesa was in the spotlight. However, as stated by the director of the Odesa Scientific Library, Iryna Biryukova, the essence lies not in the title but in the continuous forward motion:

"This is not about winning. It is about the opportunity to be useful to people — and to change the world around us through knowledge."

Not a Goal, but Daily Work

The victory in the competition was not an objective, as there was no conventional participation format, Iryna Biryukova explained. According to her, librarians simply did what they do best — organized events, learning sessions, and cultural meetings, even during wartime.

"There was no explicitly announced competition in which we applied to participate. We were just doing our job. The project has been around for 25 years: a tripartite agreement was once established between the library, Goethe-Institut, and the "Bavarian House Odesa". The latter provided the premises where meetings took place. Then the project evolved, and we integrated the resources available within the library: staffing, spatial, and technical capabilities," Biryukova noted.

The demand for knowledge has not diminished, rather it has increased: people seek learning, communication, and support.

A Bridge Between Cultures

Today, the German reading room is not merely about language courses or bookshelves, but a full-fledged space for intercultural interaction: featuring books, music, cuisine, and traditions.

"This project is indeed much broader than just library work or the provision of informational-library services. It is about a much deeper process: understanding culture in all its manifestations, the culture of the partner country through literature, music, and familiarizing with intangible cultural heritage, such as culinary history," Biryukova explained.

Meetings are organized for all age groups: fairy tales are read for children, and discussions, training, and thematic events are held for adults. And all of this is free of charge.