Awards - Lived Democracy
In Thuringia, Nordhausen, and in Bavaria, Alzenau, there are the Libraries of the Year. The German Library Association in Berlin sees the prize winners as "low-threshold places of living democracy".
The city library in Nordhausen, named after the writer Rudolf Hagelstange (1912-1984), receives the national library prize "Library of the Year 2024" with a grant of 20,000 Euro. The city library Alzenau receives 7,000 Euro as "Library of the Year in small communities and regions 2024". The Awards are planned for the federal "Day of Libraries" on October 24, 2024 in Nordhausen.
Information hub of the city community
Many of the 62 applications focused on the theme of the library as a meeting point and communication and information hub of the city community. Numerous libraries are reportedly developing their offers strategically and tailoring them to the needs and potentials of the city community. The jury followed this trend and honored the prize winners with "two pioneering achievements of exemplary character".
In Nordhausen, the city library offers educational programs for all generations as well as exchange and encounter formats. With its events and numerous visitors and visitors, the library is a central place in the city community. The library receives the award for outstanding work in the areas of education, Democracy, and cohesion.
"Impressive is their far-reaching networking with other social actors such as schools, theaters, memorial sites, civic associations, and initiatives of the Nordhausen civil society," said the President of the German Library Association, Frank Mentrup.
Sustainability goals scaled down
The city library Alzenau is awarded for its educational work and systematic cooperation with the city schools. In addition, there are afternoon offers for adolescents. Elderly people receive support through free consultation services for dealing with digital media. The jury was also impressed by the engagement with sustainability goals, which were scaled down to concrete possibilities for a city library.
The award "Library of the Year" is given by the German Library Association and the Deutsche Telekom Foundation, "to honor exemplary and innovative library concepts in the digital world".
- The city of Nordhausen, located in Thuringia, is home to the Library of the Year 2024, a distinction awarded by the German Library Association in Berlin.
- The library in Nordhausen, named after the writer Rudolf Hagelstange, will receive a grant of 20,000 Euro as part of the national library prize.
- In Bavaria, Alzenau's city library received the title "Library of the Year in small communities and regions 2024" with a grant of 7,000 Euro.
- The city library in Bayern, specifically Alzenau, was recognized for its strategic development of library offers, tailored to meet the needs and potentials of the local community.
- The award ceremony for the Libraries of the Year will take place at the federal "Day of Libraries" on October 24, 2024, in Nordhausen.
