In Switzerland graduates of the information and documentation (Fachfrau/mann Information und Documentation EFZ) Vocational education get supported in doing a 3-4 months overseas apprenticeship in another library.
Thanks to the I&D Delegation in Switzerland, the organizers, the cooperating libraries in the UK and Germany and of course Movetia who support us financially, I have the opportunity to not only live overseas for a longer period of time but also get to work in a different country and therefore environment. I of course immediately jumped at the chance to gain this valuable work and life experience.
After the process of writing letters of application and holding job interviews via Skype I was chosen by the St. Antony’s College Library for my 4 month internship.
Now moved in with a nice Oxford family I officially begin my internship.
During my internship I will alternate working in the St. Antony’s College Library as well as the adjacent Middle East Centre every week.
The St. Antony’s College Library is a beautiful library with a high ceiling, big windows and an artfully decorated gallery. The Building was built 1891-1894 as a Gothic-Revival chapel and was then opened again in 1953 as the new library for St. Antony’s College.
The main focus of the library lies on economics, Russia and social-global environment, aiming to provide the core teaching material of courses taken by college members. They hold over 50,000 books as well as a small collection of archival materials relating to twentieth century Europe. More information can be found on their Website:
The Middle East Center was originally established in 1957. It was first located in the adjacent Victorian building and has since 2015 been moved to the now permanent new building. The new library with its prestigious investcorp Building was designed by the renowned architect, Zaha Hadid.
The Library is very unique and modern, equipped with pure-white, and wooden walls that give the reading room a rich and inspiring ambience. The newly created storage space is furnished with electronically operated bays which give further safety to the users and workers of the library as well as much needed space for the collection to grow.
The Middle East Center is a graduate library and specialises in the unique and specialised holdings of publications on Humanities and Social Science subjects related to Turkey, Iran, Israel, and the Arab world, covering the period from the late 17th century to the present day.
More information can be found on their Website: