City library Weilheim: Director says goodbye after almost 40 years

Created: 12/20/2022, 10:00 am

By: Magnus Reitinger

After 37 years as head of the library, Mayor Markus Loth said goodbye to Ulrike Göpfert.

© Gronau

Ulrike Göpfert managed the Weilheim city library for almost four decades - and has completely transformed it over the years.

She has now been retired by City Council.

Amazing numbers were heard.

Weilheim – How much the city library – and the demands placed on its manager – have changed over the past few decades is shown by facts and figures, which Mayor Markus Loth reported on when the long-standing manager was bid farewell at the City Council’s annual accounts meeting: the area of ​​the library has increased almost eightfold during Göpfert's tenure, from 130 square meters in the former domicile next to the town hall to over 1000 square meters on four floors in the building on Unterer Graben.

During this period, the number of active readers rose from 1,370 to 3,000, and that of the media from 7,300 to 39,000.

In the mid-1980s, a good 30,000 loans were recorded each year, and now there are over 163,000.

And then there are more than 27,000 uses of e-media.

Her first task was to design the new building

Nobody thought about the latter when Ulrike Göpfert was hired as library manager in July 1985.

However, it was clear that the library of a medium-sized center, like Weilheim was then, would have to have a larger stock of books and that readings, exhibitions and activities for children would also suit it well.

"However, this required new, attractive rooms as well as the knowledge and drive of a young librarian," says Loth.

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During her studies at the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences for Librarianship (which she graduated with "very good"), Göpfert also took the elective subject "library construction" - which was very useful for her in Weilheim.

Right at the beginning of her career, she was able to put this knowledge into practice with the conception and furnishing of the new city library.

She not only wanted to turn this into a quiet place to look for and borrow books, but also "a second living room to sit comfortably, browse, play and chat with other visitors", as the town hall boss emphasized.

“A perfectly running company”

Göpfert has succeeded "in turning our library into a perfectly running and successful 'company' that always faces the latest challenges of the time," Loth continued.

The offer today not only includes books, newspapers and magazines, but also audio books, music CDs, board games, console games and much more.

Romana Asam, the city council officer for the library, also mentioned the repeated award of the Bavarian quality seal “Libraries – Partners of Schools” as a “highlight” during Göpfert’s time.

The years had "passed by very quickly," the outgoing manager herself summed up after the mayor had presented her with flowers and a gift.

She "always had the good feeling that the library had strong support in the city council".

Such a library, Göpfert added, is basically "one of the nicest workplaces - and the one in Weilheim is particularly nice".