Prepared by Amy Taylor and Paulina Sutkutė

1. Conversations in the International Librarian
Networking Program: USA and Lithuania
Amy Taylor, Johnson City Public Library
Paulina Sutkutė, M. Valančius Public Library
Amy Taylor
Johnson City Public Library
Email: amy.taylor@jcpl.org
Contacts
Johnson City Public Library offers a multitude of learning opportunities and entertainment
choices through both traditional materials and emerging technologies, and helps provide
safe, shared spaces where people from all walks of life can come and gather in a sense of
fellowship. Founded in 1895, Johnson City Public Library has grown to include over 160,000
items in their collection and helps serve its community as well as those in surrounding areas.
The program participant, Amy Taylor, is the Teen Services Manager. In this role her primary
responsibility is for teen (ages 12-18) materials and services. She develops and maintains the
teen collections while creating an environment that attracts and invites teens to use the
collection. She also plans and implements teen programming that appeals and encourages
teens to engage and enjoy.
Johnson City Public Library
USA Perspective:
In comparing our two libraries, I learned of quite a few similarities and very few differences.
Both organizations provide a healthy place for fun and fellowship as well as providing all types of
resources for the community. I was impressed to learn of the new technology system that will
allow not only Lithuanian patrons to check out materials but will also include all citizens of EU.
Lithuania Perspective:
When comparing our libraries, I learned that we have quite similar problems and challenges in
our work, for example, the way people still see libraries as some boring place or attraction of
audience. Fortunately, in both countries libraries provide not just books anymore, but is a safe
place where every citizen can find their way of expressing themselves.
Program Format
M. Valančius Public Library of Kretinga District Municipality with its 19 branches is a
progressive institution that promotes information, culture as well as social dialogue,
and directs its activities towards creating a knowledge-based society and enabling
the growth and positive change of Kretinga District. M. Valančius Public Library was
established in 1935 and now serves over 3800 unique readers in Kretinga town
alone.
The program participant, Paulina Sutkutė, works as a senior librarian which covers
many responsibilities: not just working directly with providing books but also
organizing events for young people and adults, hosting two book clubs, helping
users with using technologies, and engaging in Lifelong Learning programs.
M. Valančius Public Library
Our conversations lead us to many interesting discoveries not only
about different ways to accomplish library work, but also about our
own cultural lenses. We learned that we have programs that are
similar and some that are very different. Both library systems have
evolved over the last 30 years to be something completely different
than what it was, yet it still serves the same purposes, providing a
safe space and resources to those in need. Newer ideas, such as
Banned Books Week, are being discussed and people are learning
from the past.
What We Learned
Participating in this program gave me the feeling
that no matter how far we are from each other,
there are not so many differences at the end of the
day. It was a great opportunity to learn how others
work in the similar field and gave a glimpse to a life
in another country. We are planning to continue
our conversation and touch on more professional
topics, digging a little deeper into the impact of
libraries in each country as well as how they help
the community we directly serve. We have
discussed partnering, if possible, to do a teen
program and let them discover the similarities and
differences of being a teen in different cultures.
Final Takeaways
As a part of the American Library Association
International Relations Round Table’s International
Librarian Networking Program, we met bi-weekly
over the course of 5 months. Our conversations
were structured around the program prompts
which included themes of: our individual
backgrounds, the state of the profession of
librarianship in our country, and our current priority
projects and work.
Library Comparisons
Paulina Sutkutė
M. Valančius Public Library
Email: paulina.sukute@kretvb.lt
Johnson City Public Library
M. Valančius Public Library