Erfurt/Jena/Zella-Mehlis/Sonneberg/Nordhausen (dpa/th) - The Thuringian city and community libraries are again experiencing a lively influx. "In many libraries, the number of visitors and loans has reached the pre-corona level, in some places they even exceed it," said Sabine Brunner, head of the state department for public libraries in Thuringia. Reliable figures will only be available in April, but the positive development is already foreseeable.
In many libraries, the number of visitors had dropped significantly due to the partial closures during the pandemic. According to a spokeswoman, the number of users in the Nordhausen city library fell from almost 90,000 visitors to less than half at times. In 2022, over 71,000 users came to the library again. According to spokespeople, the development is also similar in Jena, Sonneberg and Zella-Mehlis.
In 2021 there were 207 libraries at 234 locations in Bavaria. Although there have been individual closures since then, among other things due to community mergers, even small communities have recognized the value of a library for the general public - they invest there even in times of tight budgets, says Brunner. "We hope that the municipalities will continue to be aware of their responsibility." The greatest challenge for the future is to find suitable personnel.
