After a decently long train ride from Mainz, we arrived in Stuttgart. We immediately got to our hotel, dropped our luggage off, and began exploring.
I went with a small group of people to see the great palace that was near to our hotel. Everything surrounding the area was completely beautiful. We needed to gather early on to make our way to the library school in Stuttgart, so we all stayed close and had about an hour to sightsee.
I found a great lion statue, making me miss my ADPi sisters.
Going to the library school in Stuttgart was one of the highlights of the trip. Even though there are differences in the ways libraries function, many of the same issues are faced in Germany. One of the big differences I noted for public libraries, is that libraries are seen as cultural institutions rather than learning or educational institutions. The similarity that was striking, is that the same stigmas of being a librarian are also associated to librarians in Germany.
The students explained their educational paths, what they have done research on, and what they hope to do in the future. They also met our entire group out for dinner so we could connect and network with one another.
Before dinner, we had about two hours of free time, so Erin and I hopped into the city shopping area and went to the Steiff Galerie. Although I already had a Steiff badger and a souvenir for my mom, I wanted to see one of the huge Steiff bears. I ended up getting myself a bear there, and am very happy. Plus, Steiff gave free gummies out with every purchase. Sweet deal.
He was not worth taking home, but he was adorable.
I ran off to a grocery store to grab a bottle of wine before dinner, and Erin and I each had a glass before we ventured off to dinner. Seeing the fellow library students again was great, and I am happy that we have all been able to connect.
Erin, me, and Victoria out to dinner together.
Our next day in Stuttgart, we started in their state archive. It was exciting that they showed us different books and the damage that occurred…bookworms, paper-eating ink, fire damage, water damage, etc. We were also able to see some great archive information, such as papal bulls and charters.
After a quick lunch, Erin and I ran over to the city library. We scored impressive Stuttgart library cards.
You can be jealous of my library card.
After that jaunt, we began our afternoon at the state library. It was afternoon, it was a bit hot, and after lunch…I was pretty tired. However, I perked right up with the amazing book collection the library holds.
That is me with a Gutenberg Bible. Up close.
I really enjoyed our two days in Stuttgart, and wish I had more time to explore different parts of the city, but I think I ended up seeing the best parts of the city — especially for a library geek such as myself.
