Despite Corona: the city library is a popular meeting place - the boss draws a positive balance

Created: 01/27/2022, 18:53

By: Dominik Stallein

Read and enjoy: The head of the city library, Silke Vogel, is working on an oasis of well-being in Waldram and Wolfratshausen despite the pandemic.

The number of visitors to the facilities was also correct in 2021. © Archive

Books, DVDs and games are not all that the Wolfratshausen City Library has to offer.

The facility is a popular meeting place.

The numbers show that too.

Wolfratshausen – A city library is not a supermarket: People should not just come into the two branches in Wolfratshausen and Waldram, pack up and leave.

With events and a feel-good atmosphere, the facility has also wanted to be a meeting place for years.

It suffered somewhat from the pandemic - but there were still rays of hope last year.

Despite Corona: Wolfratshausen city library is a popular meeting place - boss draws a positive balance

Even if normal operations were not possible due to Corona, Silke Vogel looks back on 2021 with satisfaction.

"The company is different than it used to be," she says.

"But despite the pandemic, we are very satisfied." Not only the bare figures ensure a good balance sheet.

Against all odds, the library was alive.

"We were able to host a few events," says Vogel.

With fewer guests and a hygiene concept, of course, "but it was still a nice experience".

Books, DVDs and more: The Wolfratshausen library is very busy

"Those are very decent numbers." In the last corona-free year 2019, there were only about 2000 more media that were borrowed.

Vogel: "The fact that the distance is so small makes us very happy."

Rainer Schiessler, Ellen Sandberg, Stephanie Schuster: prominent authors in Wolfratshausen

What had to suffer due to the mask requirement and 2G restrictions was what distinguishes the library beyond its core competence - media lending: the social component.

In the pre-Corona years, the buildings in Waldram and Wolfratshausen were well on the way to becoming a so-called "third place" - i.e. a facility where people can find a balance between professional life and everyday family life.

Vogel would like to retain the meeting place character after the pandemic.

She is already planning events for the current year: Stephanie Schuster will present her novel “Die Wunderfrauen” in spring, and Ellen Sandberg will visit the facility in Wolfratshausen in autumn.

Streaming portal is an alternative to Netflix and Amazon

Because - not least because of the pandemic - many people want to use more digital platforms, the library has expanded its online portfolio.

In addition to “Onleihe”, i.e. an e-book lending model, there are two new offers: the digital Brockhaus and the “filmfriend” media library.

Not only pupils and students find citable information in the digital encyclopedia.

The film platform offers cinema enjoyment away from the Netflix mainstream, such as art house films or high-quality productions for cineastes.

Vogel: “Both offers got off to a good start.

But you have to give such new channels a little time and continue to advertise them until they are established.”