“Like a family reunion” – this is how many of the participants described the working meeting of librarians from German-speaking specialist libraries, which took place in Halle (Saale) from 27 February to 29 February 2024.
In the reading room of the Middle Eastern and Ethnology Branch Library of the ULB Saxony-Anhalt, which is also home to the DMG library, an exciting exchange took place over three days.
With its many different languages and scripts, the MENA region is a speciality in the library sector. Especially at libraries where perhaps only one or two people are responsible for this area, there is sometimes a lack of dialogue with specialist colleagues. The working meeting offered the opportunity for a direct exchange and it was used extensively by the participants in the context of presentations and discussion rounds.
But even in everyday situations in library work, questions arise time and time again. In order to be able to solve these more easily within the group in the future, the participants decided to form an association on behalf of the libraries and institutions involved. The division into individual working groups on specific topics should make communication easier in future.
KaTaBa D-A-CH is now the name of this network, based on the linguistic root that is so appropriate for libraries.
We want to continue working together to offer you, our users, the best possible research services and to support you in your studies or research.
If you would like to find out more about the topics discussed at this meeting, please take a look at the report by Dr Vivian Strotmann, which she published in the DAVO newsletter about the event and the presentations given.