Our team takes care of the library, manages communication via social media and our website, and organises not only literary events, but also programming for learners of German, translators, and anyone interested in German language and culture.
Our beautiful building at Park Circus is open to all visitors, and we are pleased to offer both an easily accessible first point of contact and a welcoming place for meeting like-minded people on a regular basis. This may happen in the library when you’re looking for a comfortable, collaborative workspace or for study materials for German learners. It may also happen in our monthly film club or book club as a place for inspiring discussions with new friends. For translators, regular (hybrid) events offer practical help with their work and the opportunity to discuss specific topics, such as the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of translation as a profession. Across each month, our events programme offers many opportunities to get to know us and other visitors to our building and is a very enjoyable part of our work.
We may also meet you digitally, perhaps during a lunch talk on Instagram Live, while discussing the idiosyncrasies of the German language with you on Facebook, or in celebrating a successful event with a partner organisation on X, formerly Twitter. In doing so, we work closely with other departments, striving to depict the wide variety of activities across our entire institute.
A particularly enjoyable and special aspect of our work is the Franco-German cooperation with our colleagues at the Alliance Française, with whom we share the building and part of the library space, as well as with the Institut Français in Edinburgh. Together, we have already organised comic events, poetry writing workshops, library rallies for children, and film screenings and we look forward to even closer cooperation in the future.
The Goethe-Institut's global network offers opportunities for exciting projects with other countries on bigger issues — such as how artificial intelligence affects language and text production, or how and if current debates around literature reflect diversity in the publishing world. The interplay of global and local perspectives, as well as the close cooperation with other departments, constantly provides new inspiration, occasionally interesting friction, and always plenty of wonderful variety in our day-to-day work life.
Silvia und Liesel from the library team
"We especially like the variety of our work in the library, there is never a dull moment! The attractive working environment of our downstairs space is often commented on by visitors and creates a pleasant ambience. But we especially like the interaction with the local people, from young to old, and the helpful and friendly interaction with colleagues, whether from the Goethe-Institut or the Alliance Française."
