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Berlin Libraries Stage Reading Flashmob at Alexanderplatz to Demand New Central Library

Organizers say converting the Galeria department store would replace two small, decaying sites with a modern Zentral- und Landesbibliothek, demanding a political decision.

Overview

  • The action took place on Sunday, September 6, with library staff and volunteers gathering at the Brunnen der Völkerfreundschaft on Alexanderplatz to make the campaign highly visible.
  • Programming combined child-focused events and quiet public reading including a children’s 'Lese-Orchester' from 14:00 and a one-hour Silent Reading Party starting at 14:30, with books available for on-site lending and Tina Kemnitz as moderator.
  • ZLB director Jonas Fansa publicly proposed using the current Galeria building at Alexanderplatz as the site for a consolidated Zentral- und Landesbibliothek and urged city politicians to seize the opportunity.
  • The event was organized by the Verbund der Öffentlichen Bibliotheken Berlin (VÖBB) and ran as part of #BerlinIstKultur campaign weeks protesting cuts to the city’s culture budget.
  • Organizers say the move would end the ZLB’s split across two cramped, aging buildings and improve access to services, but the municipal government has not made any formal commitment and a political decision is still pending.