On Tuesday, May 16, 2023, members of the Nederland community gathered at Very Nice Brewing Company from 5 to 7 p.m. for a meet and greet with representatives from Nederland’s sister library, Bibliotheek van Zeeland, located in the city of Middleburg, Netherlands. The event, hosted by the Nederland Community Library (NCL), is the first step in an international student exchange program through the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).

Bibliotheek van Zeeland has a total staff of 163 and loaned over 424,000 items in 2021. NCL Director Elektra Greer visited Middleburg and discussed Nederland’s history, as well as discussed our common interests in sustainable living and combating climate change.

The student exchange program between Nederland and Middleburg will strengthen Nederland students’ intercultural awareness, and will provide opportunities for professional, educational, and artistic exchanges, economic opportunities, and assistance in Nederland’s efforts in sustainability.

Greer was present for the meet and greet, as were many members of the Nederland community. Dr. Perry Moree and Jeanine Naerebout from the Netherlands (who traveled for over 48 hours) were present, and joked about their visit to Nederland’s Mining Museum, having learned some unfortunate history about Nederland’s past relationship with the Dutch.

Greer, Moree, and Naerebout signed an “official” certificate honoring the union of the sister libraries while the crowd enjoyed some of Nederland’s finest brews, provided by Very Nice, and some of Nederland’s finest treats, featuring a colorful variety of hand-decorated sugar cookies provided by Peace, Love, and Cake. Local favorites Strangebyrds performed their beloved style of majestic folk music, while guests enjoyed food catered by Busey Brews.

The next steps in the student exchange program include getting the youth from both countries to participate, apply, and start with video calls to get to know their surrogates from another corner of the world. Ten exchange students from the Netherlands will be arriving in Nederland by July 4, 2023.

For more information check out https://nederland.colibraries.org or https://www.ifla.org