A total of 700 meters of shelves full of books are currently moving in Gräfelfing: the community library is setting up its new home at Stefanusstraße 8 in the former Doemens brewery technical school. To do this, crates of books from the previous domicile in the community center have to find their way to the new interim quarter one kilometer away. It takes six weeks for every book, every film, every magazine and even the coffee machine to find its place again.
“A plan is absolutely necessary,” says Elke Naeve with a laugh. The library move is a logistical challenge. To ensure that books and media arrive at the new location in the Doemens School sorted by topic, the bookshelves were numbered and all moving boxes were given stickers. A moving company packs and unpacks everything – the library team then takes care of the fine sorting. In addition, there are 400 cubic meters of other equipment: computer workstations, tables, office supplies, basement inventory and much more must also be moved. The last moving boxes were transported on Thursday.
The move is necessary because the community center is being renovated and remodeled and the library is being completely redesigned and enlarged. The library will remain in its interim quarters for about two years and has completed a floor change with the move: from the top floor in the community center to the ground floor in Stefanusstrasse. In the new domicile – the entrance is via Schmidbauerstrasse – the library has access to the entire ground floor and a room on the upper floor. It’s going to be a little tight again, Naeve says, but “I have a feeling it’s going to be a good place.” Some of the walls between the rooms on the ground floor were removed in order to connect the rooms, there is new carpeting, the view through the many windows can wander into the green from spring onwards. The new library will open its doors on February 14, until then it can only be reached online.
While the library is being set up temporarily, the planning for the new reading landscape in the community center is going on in the background. “We are actively involved,” says Naeve. For a number of years she has repeatedly spoken to the municipal council and pointed out the urgency of modernizing the lending library. “Now I’m looking forward to the realization.”