Libraries of Regensburg working together for schools

The working group “Libraries of Regensburg working together for schools” is part of the network of libraries, archives and documentation centres established in July 2009 in Regensburg. The network is formed by all academic, scientific and public libraries in the city of Regensburg (the University Library, the Library of the University of Applied Sciences, the State Library, the Public Library and the Library of the Academic Centre for East and Southeast European Studies) working together for the same target group.
One of the working group’s aims is to strengthen further the impact of libraries for lifelong learning in the city of Regensburg and in the Upper-Palatinate region by being one working group, conducting public relations together, getting in contact with civic and ministerial bodies as one contact person.
A concept paper presenting a mission statement, aims and ideas about spreading Information Literacy competency in libraries has been prepared, and is now approved by the directors and presidents of all the universities and institutions involved. After having been officially established as working group this external strategy was further underlined by a module-based training program similar in each member library – to be more easily recognized as one organization.
The active interchange with the Bavarian Ministry responsible for teacher education (ISB) is the basis for the network’s good contacts with the ministerial representatives and is crucial to the working group. As a result a major presentation of the working group’s activities entitled “Discover the library as learning space” was held in April 2010 in the University Library of Regensburg with ministerial support. The target group was the general public, but especially teachers. Invitations were mailed by the head of the Bavarian Ministry responsible for teacher education (ISB) as well as by the Ministry representatives of the different school types in the Upper Palatinate region.
The ministerial support also facilitated the strategy of “train the teacher” classes: The classes can be offered as officially accepted teacher training classes which is very important to the teachers and gives the working group a bigger impact within all the other teacher training class offers. The classes take place at least twice a year and are presented by two members of the working group coming from different library types. A special training class for elementary school teachers has been established by the public library. The training classes for teachers are constantly evaluated and adapted to the teachers’ needs.
 Website: www.regensburger-bibliotheken.de/schule
Presentation from EMMILE
For more information please contact Dr. Naoka Werr, Universitätsbibliothek Regensburg, Naoka.Werr AT bibliothek.uni-regensburg.de