Thursday July 23
Back in Vienna I miss the group. For three weeks we were together:
25 people from 22 countries: Elisabeth from Austria, Mostafizur from Bangladesh, Magda from Costa Rica, Cecile from Cote d'Ivoire, Anita from Croatia, Osama from Egypt, Thea from Georgia, Muldian from Indonesia, Cheryl from Jamaica, Sarrah from Kenya, Aivija from Latvia, Ramadan from Libya, Jorge from Mexico, Shehu from Nigeria, Nancy from Nigeria, Shaikha from Oman, Mirko from Serbia, Alena from Slovakia, Pateka from South Africa, Yusuf from Sudan, Lucia from Trinidad and Tobago, Linh from Vietnam, Suzanne, Irwin und Stanley, our English language officers from the United States. What an interesting group: 13 ladies and 12 gentlemen, 9 librarians from Africa, 6 from Europe, 3 from Asia, 4 from Middle America and 3 accompanying persons from the United States. At the end we were a family having learned a lot about American libraries, but having also been taught many lessons in tolerance and acceptance of diverse cultural backgrounds. Thank you all for that unique experience!

Our farewell at the Austrian Cultural Forum

Tuesday July 14

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

The flight from Chicago to New York is perfect. The weather allows us a farewell view on the second city and Lake Michigan - similar to the view from the Hancock Observatory and a view on Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island before arriving in New York.


I have an individual date with the Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum and the librarian of the ACF. The building on 52nd Street in Manhattan is a masterpiecec of architect Raimund Abraham! Have a look: http://www.acfny.org/fs.aspx?SID=&EID=&FEID=

Monday July 13

Our time in Chicago ends with the International Librarians' Reception in the Chicago Public Library. At the invitation of the ALA-exhibitors librarians from North America and their internal guests enjoy wine and food in the winter garden of the Harold Washington Public Library on the top floor of the building. What a colourful picture! A lot of the international guests are dressed in their national costumes.

Sorry still no photos available!

Chicago and the Michigan Lake from the Hancock Observatory

The "Silver Bean", one of the new sights of Chicago

Sunday July 12

Today I have a major problem. The transfer from my photo card to the laptop doesn't work. Thus I already thought I couldn't load photos on the blog. But thanks to the internet I've found a good photo there! Hundreds of people from Chicago and tourists rival for the best photo positions infront of the Cloud Gate, the official name of the sight. Millennium Park - sandwiched between Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue - is one of the hot spots of Chicago. There are not only gardens, but interesting architecture like fountains and the Jay Pritzker Pavillon. People who enjoy concerts there usually picknick on the lawn.

Today was a hard conference day. The air conditioning cools down the rooms to approximately 18 degrees. We Europeans freeze!!!

I joined one of the events organized by the Feminist Task Force. Three movies from the "Women Make Movies"-catalogue were shown. "Women's Kingdom" offered a rare glimpse into Mosuo culture, one of the last matriarchal societies in the world. "Guerrillas in our Midst" explores the mechanism of the commercial art world. The Guerrilla Girls managed in putting racism and sexism on the agenda of the art world in the 1980s. "To see if I'm Smiling" is a documentary on six female Israeli soldiers . The film explores the ways how gender, ethics and moral resonsibility intersect during wartime. I admit I could not stay till the end, That film was too hard for me!!!

Saturday July 11
On Thursday our group went by aeroplane from Portland to Chicago. In Chicago, the so-called second city, the Annual Conference of the American Library Association brings more than 15,000 librarians together. Friday is the day for preconferences. Our group attended the preconference "Digitization in Developing Countries". The exhibition with over 1,500 booths opended on Saturday morning. Apart from hard- and software for libraries you can also find the newest books printed in the USA there. After the registration we find ourselves loaded with material and program guides. For the three conference days we choose our individual programs. I'm lucky, the conference interesting lectures e.g. one on "Political Engagement : facilitating greater participation in civil society", but of course there are far more programs for public libraries. The full program is online: http://www.ala.org/

A view from the skydeck of the Sears Tower

The Sears Tower, the tallest US-skyscraper

Chicago, the city of skyscrapers

Green Oregon - good bye!

With Secretary of State Kate Brown at the National Archives of Oregon

At Oregon's Capitol, the House of Parliament

At the Oregon State Library

Studying historic maps at the Oregon State Library

Wednesday July 8

We spend the whole day in Salem, the capital of Oregon. Like in Portland all meetings are well prepared, they start and end in time. Our American colleagues are perfect hosts. Since they are so interested in our international group, they always make us present aspects of our work too.

For me as a parliamentary librarian this day is one of the highlights. The Capitol of Oregon, the State Library and the State Archives are situated next to each other at the mall. The three buildings are made of the same beautiful white marble. Without words it is clear that the Library and the Archives are important elements of the society of the state of Oregon. Because of a fire in the Capitol two years ago the Gouvernor lost his office and together with a staff of twenty he has moved to the State Library!

In the National Archives we are welcomed by the Sectretary of State Kate Brown, who spends 20 minutes with us! Kate Brown would take the position of the Governor in case something happened to him.

Oregon is a happy state! There are no security checks in the Capitol. The Secretary of State meets our group without bodyguards or other personal assistants! Oregon has a bi-cameral parliament, but the legislation meets in plenary only every second year!

Portland, a city of bridges

A special evening with Denise and Katharina

At the Pacific University

Tuesday July 7
We start today's program at the Boley Law Library at Lewis & Clark Law School. After having seen the largest law library in Oregon we change to the Cornelius Public Library, where we learn a lot about rural library management. Among other services the library offers a lot of special services to the big Spanish-speaking community and to homebound individuals. Next we are invited to the Pacific University Library which we admire for its stunning architecture and most interesting library services. In the late afternoon we visit the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

In the evening we enjoy Home Hospitality. Each of our group is invited to dinner in a private home. My host, Denise Dallmann, is of German/Austrian descent, and very, very nice.

Monday July 6

After the phantastic weather in Washington, DC, we have a much cooler day at the Northwest Pacific. But our colleagues at the Multnomah County Library give us a warm welcome and engage us in an ambitious program for the whole day.

One of the discussions at the Multnomah County Library

At the Multnomah County Library

Sunday July 5

Today all of us change from the Eastcoast to the Westcoast - time difference 3 hours. Till Thursday we are split into three groups. Magda from Costa Rica, Thea from Georgia, Cheryl from Jamaica, Shehu from Nigeria, Alena from Slovakia and I form Team A. The other two groups go either to San Diego, California, or to Seattle, Washington. Our English language officer Irwin leads us via Chicago to Portland, Oregon, almost 2400 miles from Washington. Since the security checks take a long time we leave early for Reagan Airport, Washington, DC. Both of our flights are in time. The transfer in Chicago OHare is easy, although it is one of the biggest airports in the US. From the plane we can see some of the beautiful landscape of Oregon: mountains with snow on top, green valleys and the Columbia river. Irwin says, Oregon is like Austria. We'll see!

The Independance Day Parade

Saturday July 4

"Happy July Fourth" - that is what you hear most today in Washington, DC. The Independence Day is a national holiday in the United States. On July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed. The signing of this document is generally considered the founding moment of the nation. You feel it. Almost all buildings - public and private - are decorated at least with one flag.

I start at the National Archives, where I enjoy a reading of the Declaration of Independence by the historical re-enactors John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Ned Hector. At the end of the ceremony Duane Moody sings "America the Beautiful" and hundreds of people sing with him.

Thousands of people are in the streets, a lot of them dressed in the national colours red, blue and white. Marching bands, floats, baloons and military units in historic coutumes parade in a celebration of freedom.

The highlight is the Capitol Fourth Concert on Capitol Hill which is attended by thousands of people who have been waiting since the early afternoon for this evening event. It is broadcasted live nationally. Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow and a lot of other superstars appear on the stage. The Rhapsody in blue played by Michael Feinstein and the National Symphony Orchestra tops all. At the end almost everybody is outside to enjoy the fireworks.

Listening to George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue"

It is the evening before July 4th 2009! My friend Pam and her friends welcomed me to Capitol Hill to join them for the rehearsal of "Capitol Fourth".

Suzanne, Irwin and Stanley - we love our English language officers

In front of Georgetown University

In front of the Capitol

At the National Archives

At the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

At the National Library of Medicine

At the European Reading Room of LoC

At the Library of Congress

At the entrance hall of the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress (LoC)

With our English Language Officer Suzanne

At lunch at Busboys and Poets

At Hotel Palomar, Washington

At the Institute of International Education

In front of the White House