By Bernhard Kirschner
Libraries can play an important role in helping refugees integrate. Tübingen City Library has a section dedicated to Arabic literature in its language library.
There is a lot going on in the children’s book section of the Tübingen City Library. Children are bustling between the shelves, browsing for interesting books. Others sit in the reading corner, immersed in their latest „treasure.” Librarian Shirin König keeps an eye on the activities. She also looks after the foreign-language book section.
Picture books in many languages
In front of the window is a large wooden box divided into sections and filled with picture books. It also contains a large number of Arabic books, including bilingual ones. Of the 100 or so books, many have been borrowed. König is delighted that demand is high. The collection is very diverse, with many Arab authors, including international classics such as „Peterson and Findus” and „Where the Wild Things Are.” English, French, Turkish, and Ukrainian picture books can also be found there.
Bilingual children’s and young adult books
Children’s and young adult books in these languages are also available on two shelves. The Arabic selection is located right at the front. There are fairy tales, stories, and non-fiction books. Sinbad, the sailor from One Thousand and One Nights, is a must. Astrid Lindgren is there, Harry Potter, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but also the classic by Egyptian author Ahmad Schauqi, „The Parrot Drives the Dog Mad,” and „The Fairy Tale of the Sheep” by Gülsum Cengiz. Luna Al-Mousli’s memories of her childhood in Damascus, „A Tear, a Smile,” are very topical.
The German section also has language course books for children and a few books in easy language.
Recommendations and tips
Shirin König gets advice from German library services such as the ekz company in Reutlingen. „They have good recommendations,” she says.
The Tübingen City Library also benefited from a Goethe-Institut campaign in 2023: „A Suitcase Full of Books.” In collaboration with the German Library Association, a selection of Ukrainian children’s and young adult books was made available. König also welcomes tips and requests from readers. For her, it is clear that reading makes an important contribution to integration.
Arabic section for adults
Things are much quieter on the first floor of the Tübingen City Library. This is also where the foreign-language section for adults is located. Four shelves hold books in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Russian, and Ukrainian. A few books are bilingual. Most of them are novels. The selection is very clear. Demand is limited. Of the approximately 70 Arabic books, only three are currently on loan, according to librarian Tilman Köber. Older works are stored in the magazine.
Classics of Arabic literature
There are works by Egyptian Nobel Prize winner Nagib Mahfuz, Syrian Rafik Schami, Salman Rushdi, and Khalil Gibran. Contemporary authors are hard to find, says an employee of tuenews INTERNATIONAL who occasionally visits the city library. She would like to see „The Snail Shell” by Mustafa Khalifa or „The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, for example. But at least there is something on offer, she says.
Large selection of English books
Whether this will be increased is questionable. Normally, about six books are purchased each year, explains Köber. But due to budget cuts, less money is available. There is also a small selection of Arabic books in the district libraries in Derendingen and Nordstadt. The libraries in Reutlingen and Stuttgart are better equipped. They have larger foreign language sections, says Köber. At least there is a wide range of English literature in Tübingen, which is also in high demand. There are a few textbooks and some books in easy language for learning German.
The municipal library in Mössingen also has a small section with around 50 books. Around 60 percent of these are children’s books, most of which are bilingual in Arabic and German.
Press portal of the Tübingen City Library
Librarian Köber also points out the press portal of the Tübingen City Library. Arabic, Persian, and Ukrainian newspapers and magazines can be read online. The membership card is free for holders of the KreisBonusCard of the district of Tübingen, and all services can be used.
There are also guided tours of the city library for refugees, mostly in connection with language courses at the adult education center. Köber says that they also work together with the initial reception centers. In 2024, there were a total of 18 guided tours.
Further information:
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City of Tübingen | City Library
Reutlingen City Library
Stuttgart City Library
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