Odesa Library Wins Goethe-Institut Competition
The Odesa National Scientific Library has claimed the top spot in the annual Goethe-Institut Ukraine competition among partner libraries. The award was received by the German Reading Room for its vibrant cultural projects carried out in 2024. Library director Irina Biryukova shared details of their project, participation, and victory with the media.
The German Reading Room at the Odesa Scientific Library was recognized as the best among fifteen partner libraries of the Goethe-Institut in Ukraine. The evaluation focused not only on consistency but also on the variety of events: from educational meetings and language courses to children's games, musical performances, and new literary works.
As a prize, the Goethe-Institut provided a selection of Ukrainian-language books from the "Best Book Design" collection, along with new publications for the "German Shelf" — a permanent stand featuring contemporary German literature.
Support and Partnership
Special recognition was given to the team and librarian of the German Room, Viktoriya Zayets, who has also interned in Germany. The German Reading Room is part of a larger library network. Each year, a new focus is selected, and this time, Odesa was in the spotlight. However, director Irina Biryukova emphasized that the title is not the main goal; it is about continuous progress:
"This is not about winning. It is about being useful to people — and changing the world around through knowledge".
Not Participation, but Daily Work
The competition win was not the goal, as there was no conventional participation format, Biryukova explained. Librarians simply did what they do best — organizing events, training, and cultural meetings, even amid the war.
"There was no formal competition for which we applied. We were just doing our job. The project has been ongoing for 25 years: a tripartite agreement was initially signed between the library, Goethe-Institut, and the "Bavarian House Odesa". The latter provided the venue for meetings, and then the project evolved, utilizing all available resources of the library: personnel, space, and technology," noted Biryukova.
The demand has not waned, the director assured — on the contrary, it has grown: people seek knowledge, communication, and support.
A Bridge Between Cultures
Today, the German Reading Room is not just about language courses or bookshelves, but a full-fledged space for intercultural interaction: with books, music, cuisine, and traditions.
"This project is indeed much broader than just library work or providing informational services. It involves a deeper process: understanding culture in all its forms, the culture of a partner country through literature, music, and familiarization with intangible cultural heritage, such as culinary history," explained Biryukova.
Meetings are held for people of all ages: storytime for children, discussions, training, and themed events for adults. And all of this is offered free of charge.
