Christiane Schmidt- Specialist for media and information services, Bergheim City Library

Professional background & career.

I always wanted to do something with media and literature or even go on TV. Our library played a special role in that since I have grew up here since childhood. I always felt comfortable in the library, visited many children's events and noticed early on how fascinating this place is for me. At school I was then introduced to the profession of specialists for media and information services- that fit perfectly with my interests. After schooling, I did not immediately find an apprenticeship, but used the time sensibly by doing an internship in the city.Biblik.bergheim for six months. In the meantime, I also applied to other places, but after all, I was given a very special way: I was able to do my training exactly where my interest and passion for literature and media were created - in the city.

Von 2005 bis 2008 habe ich meine Ausbildung zur Fachangestellten für Medien- und Informationsdienste absolviert und erfolgreich abgeschlossen. Direkt im Anschluss habe ich bis November 2021 in der Stadtbibliothek Bergheim gearbeitet. Danach zog es mich für eine Zeit zur Zentralbibliothek der Stadtbibliothek Köln, wo ich weitere Erfahrungen sammeln konnte. Im April 2022 bin ich schließlich wieder zur Stadtbibliothek Bergheim zurückgekehrt.
Diese Mischung aus Kontinuität und neuen Einblicken hat meinen beruflichen Werdegang sehr bereichert: Ich konnte nicht nur meine Fähigkeiten weiterentwickeln, sondern auch neue Perspektiven gewinnen, die ich jetzt in meine Arbeit einfließen lasse.

Im Laufe meiner Karriere habe ich die Bibliotheksarbeit immer mehr schätzen gelernt. Früher habe ich die Bibliothek vor allem als Ort für Bücher und Medien gesehen. Heute weiß ich, dass sie so viel mehr ist – ein Ort, an dem sich Menschen begegnen, Neues lernen, einfach mal abschalten oder gemeinsam Zeit verbringen können.
Genau diese Vielseitigkeit macht meine Arbeit für mich besonders spannend. Ich liebe es, kreativ zu sein und mir immer wieder neue Veranstaltungen oder Social-Media-Aktionen auszudenken, die die Menschen überraschen und begeistern. Es macht mich stolz, Teil eines so lebendigen Ortes zu sein, der sich immer weiterentwickelt und auf die Bedürfnisse der Menschen eingeht.

Hier mehr über die Stadtbibliothek Bergheim erfahren.
Bildnachweis Beitragsbild Christiane Schmidt: © STADT.BIBLIOTHEK.BERGHEIM

Personal experiences.

I particularly appreciate my work diversity and creativity. No day is like the other, and I have the opportunity to constantly try new things. The planning of events gives me a lot of fun - in 2015 I have the series of events for children and adolescents: "Bibliversum - Experience your library", which is an integral part of our library today.

I also love to be active on social media and to maintain contact with other libraries through these platforms. Recently we recorded a podcast with the Gummersbach city library - a great experience. I was also able to visit other libraries as part of the digitative and was there in the working group "Target groups and offer profiles", which I enjoyed a lot. It gave me a lot of pleasure to participate here as a specialist for media and information services, since otherwise only the library management will come together at such meetings or events.

My whole passion is in the “Bibliversum - experience” in the series of events. It is simply incredibly beautiful to organize and carry out so many different events for children and adolescents. The Harry Potter evening is particularly important to me, because our library will really become Hogwarts that evening! The highlight is always a visit to the falconry skyhunter in nature, which has been with their owls and birds of prey since the beginning of the biblio verse. It is a magical moment every time the children go home bright and full of luck. You just know why you do this job.

Ein weiteres Event, das mir besonders im Gedächtnis geblieben ist, war die Veranstaltung „Tea Pairing mit Büchern“ zum 20-jährigen Jubiläum der Bibliothek. In Zusammenarbeit mit der Buchhandlung Thalia Mayersche Bergheim und „Die Teekammer“ haben wir einen Vorleseabend mit passender Teeverkostung veranstaltet, das war mal etwas ganz anderes und eine so besondere Atmosphäre!
Aber auch bei den anderen Veranstaltungen wie den Robotik & Gaming-Events, den Leseabenden oder Kreativworkshops merke ich immer wieder, wie viel Spaß es mir macht, etwas zu schaffen, das bei den Menschen wirklich ankommt. 

Meaning & added value.

In my view, libraries are incredibly important because they promote equal opportunities and give everyone access to education and information what is more important than ever today. Here people come together, no matter where they come from, how old they are or what origin they have. At a time when it is becoming increasingly difficult to rely on reliable information, libraries strengthen democracy, promote media literacy and help to promote social cohesion. I find it particularly important that we can contribute to an open and just society through our work.

In the Stadt.Bibliothek.Bergheim we offer numerous initiatives to meet the needs of the community: from AI workshops for seniors and the maker space, in which new technologies such as 3D printing and robotics can be tried out, right down to language sponsors, which support German learners with homework and conversation. In addition, we offer a variety of materials for migrants and refugees, such as multilingual books and learning aids. The monthly language café invites people of all language levels to relax and strengthen the cooperation. The topic of dementia is also promoted by low -threshold offers and the networking of actors in the field of dementia (the local alliance for people with dementia). Our reading sponsors, who regularly read in kindergartens and events at events, also help to promote reading and joy in books in the community.

Recommendations.

I recommend working in the library because it is one of the most beautiful professions: versatile creative and close to people. The tasks are incredibly diverse and not a day like the other. In the library you have the opportunity to work in a creative and inspiring environment that is constantly evolving.

My advice: Take a look at different libraries and explore what they offer. An internship can help you get to know the work processes and find out which area suits you. Public and scientific libraries are different - try out where you feel more comfortable and get your interests.

One should be changeable and can adapt to technical and digital innovations, because libraries are constantly developing. In addition, customer orientation, organizational talent, teamwork and curiosity are important in order to successfully master the versatile tasks.

Teamwork and communication are an essential part of my daily work. They are important in order to effectively work together in a team, with cooperation partners and also in contact with customers and to successfully design the library.

Developments & future prospects.

For me, the library work will be strongly shaped by digital developments such as AI and robotics in the future. Libraries must remain flexible and face these changes. I find it particularly exciting that libraries offer more creative rooms, such as social media studios or areas where music is made. It is about involving people more and designing the library as a place that responds to the needs and wishes of customers. This means that libraries not only have to be visible on site, but also on social networks such as Instagram, Tiktok and other digital channels. You have to get out of the people so that you can really use these offers - both digitally and on site. Especially in the field of event work, it is crucial to take into account the wishes of the customers and take the team with them. At the same time, all employees have to be trained in order to keep up with the new technologies and trends. The best offers are of no use if you do not reach the right target groups. It is not about reinventing the wheel, but using the right tools, making the team fit and ensuring that the work is also fun and the library remains accessible to everyone.

Oh ja, wir bieten in der STADT.BIBLIOTHEK.BERGHEIM wirklich eine ganze Menge an! Es ist uns wichtig, dass wir für die verschiedensten Menschen in unserer Gemeinschaft da sind. Da gibt es zum Beispiel unsere KI-Workshops für Senioren, bei denen sie spielerisch neue Technologien entdecken können. Oder der MAKERSPACE, in dem Technikbegeisterte mit 3D-Druck und Robotik kreativ werden können. Für die Deutschlernenden bieten wir Sprachpaten an, die bei Hausaufgaben helfen und beim Üben der Sprache unterstützen. Und für Migranten und Flüchtlinge haben wir mehrsprachige Bücher und Lernhilfen, um das Ankommen zu erleichtern.Besonders hervorheben möchte ich unser Projekt „Die Sprachabenteu(r)er“, bei dem wir mit 12 Kitas zusammenarbeiten. Hier kommen Vorschulkinder regelmäßig zu uns, erleben Bilderbuchkino, basteln und dürfen sich ein Buch für ihre Kita ausleihen. Und bei einem besonderen Besuch laden wir auch die Eltern ein, damit sie sich unsere Angebote anschauen und ihre Kinder direkt anmelden können. Mit unserer Veranstaltungsreihe „Biblioversum – Erlebe deine Bibliothek“ bringen wir Kindern die Freude an Büchern näher.
Zusätzlich arbeiten wir mit vielen tollen Partnern zusammen – von den Jugendzentren über die VHS bis hin zum Museum der Stadt Bergheim und dem Jobcenter. Für uns ist es klar: Die Bibliothek soll ein Ort für alle sein – zum Lernen, Austauschen und Wohlfühlen. Wir möchten, dass jeder hier seinen Platz findet und die Bibliothek als Bereicherung erlebt.

I am a fami with passion and think that our profession is great and deserves much more attention. We do great work that we can be proud of, and I hope that this will continue to be more recognized in the future, precisely because our tasks are becoming more and more versatile. I would be particularly beautiful if we could network Famis even more and strengthen each other to bring our profession together!