Project Description
A description of the erasmus program IPBib 2009-2011
The ERASMUS Intensive Programme IPBib “Das Grimm-Zentrum – (k)ein Bibliotheksmärchen” offers about 25 Library and Information Science students from 5 European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany and Lithuania) the opportunity to gain the theoretical and practical skills for necessary constructional, logistical and classificatory solutions which have to be considered when a new library is built. Within the framework of the European Union Programme for Lifelong Learning (2007-2013), the aim of this project is to support an efficient and multinational professional training that otherwise is not or can only be provided by a very limited number of universities. The necessity of the project results from the fact that most project partners have to deal with the challenge of building innovative libraries nowadays or in the near future.
The IPBib has been started in Berlin in 2009 and used the historically unique situation that Humboldt-Universität was building a new university library on the occasion of its 200th anniversary – the Jacob-und-Wilhelm-Grimm-Zentrum - then. This included transforming a traditional depot library from the 19th century into a modern open access library and moving 12 branch libraries for Humanities together with the central university library into the new building – an amazing new library as in a fairy tale.
The IPBib Partners are:
Universität Wien
State
University of Library and Information Technologies Sofia 
Masaryk-Universität Brno
Humboldt
Universität zu Berlin
Universität
VilniusIn 2010 the IPBib was continued in Vienna, because of the opening of the Library for Education, Linguistics and Comparative Literature there. Thanks to the European Union, the organisation and realisation of the second project year was financially supported. Also here the Library and Information Science students had the exclusive opportunity to experience from the theoretical idea up to the practical realisation by the centralisation of several library collections in a new library building.
For September 2011 the intensive programme is planned in Vilnius where a new university library is also being built.
The project comprises a large variety of methods such as lectures, seminars, workshops and discussions which are complemented with excursions to different public and academic library buildings. Architectural and technological processes are part of the academic programme as well as specific topics.
The geographic origins of the participating partners are bridging the multilateral dialogue between old and new European Union members. Comparing national concepts and experiences, they additionally support the creation of international and interdisciplinary networks on the level of academic studies and education. Working in international groups also offers teachers and students the opportunity to use and prove special learning conditions and teaching methods. Besides, it also enhanced the development of language and social networking skills.
With the help of the MOODLE IPBib platform all participants can work together and communicate as well as find all programme material for the preparation and all presentations of the lecturers.
For dissemination purpose a project website was implemented with all relevant project information and news: http://www.ibi.hu-berlin.de/ipbib
Presently this ERASMUS Intensive Programme is unique in the area of Library and Information Science. The dissemination of project results and promoting the benefits of an Intensive Programme on professional as well as national and transnational levels, is an essential goal of this project.
The participating students can score 4 ECTS points for that programme which they integrate in their curriculum report.