Employer Case Studies
Queens Library
International learning in the local library
From Spring 2003
After a merger of seven community libraries in 1896, the Queens Borough Public library (Queens Library) became one of the three public library systems in New York City. It consists of a central library, 62 branches, and six adult learning centers. Located within the borough of Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in the United States, Queens Library serves 2.2 million residents. With a collection that consists of 9.8 million items, including books, periodicals, and multimedia publications, the library has the highest circulation of any library system in the nation.
Queens Library began hosting AIPT Train USA™ participants in 1998. They’d heard about AIPT through their human resources department. Since then, they have hosted a dozen participants from eight different countries. The participants are called fellows. Fellows are professional, practicing librarians who come to us to hone their skills and learn about the North American model for public librarianship.
“The library provides advanced training for librarians from around the world, and these fellows spend between one and six months at Queens Library, “ said Carol Sheffer, deputy director of planning and development at Queens Library. “Fellows participate in a combination of study and hands-on learning which expands their knowledge of current library practices and allows them to explore the wide variety of services provided by Queens Library.”
Currently, Queens Library has partnership agreements with libraries in Asia, Europe and Latin America, including the National Library of China, the Shanghai Library, the Bibliothèque publique d'information in Paris, France, and the Biblioteca Pública y Complejo Cultural Mariano Moreno in Bernal, Argentina. Queens Library has sister library relationships with the August Cesarec Library in Zagreb, Croatia, the Mayakovsky Central City Public Library in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Chizhevsky Regional Universal Research Library in Kirovohrad, Ukraine. Queens Library also collaborates with the U.S. State Department and the Mortensen Center for International Library Programs.
Sheffer said that the participants spend several weeks acquiring general background, and the remainder of their time with the library is tailored to meet their individual needs and interests. Topics covered include: grant writing, fundraising, public relations, library management, technology, services to children and young adults, multicultural and multilingual services, reference services, and collection development.
“After the fellow returns to his/her own country, the library provides technical assistance via e-mail, mail, fax, or phone for a minimum of one year.” Sheffer said.
Sheffer concluded that the participants have been a great asset to their staff.
“They bring us insight into our customers who are often immigrants from their countries, and give our staff an understanding of librarianship and library trends in the home countries of our newest citizens,” she added. “We feel that it's definitely a win-win situation to have them with us.”
