It can be a surprise for many citizens to walk into their local public library and hear someone speaking native English. Usually, the local children are the first to know that a real-life American—a US Peace Corps volunteer—is working with community members through the library, collaborating with librarians to develop and offer new services to visitors, and bringing a new international feel to the town or village.

For the past 3 years, Novateca, local libraries, and the Peace Corps have collaborated to help bring new perspectives, skills and energy to communities across Moldova. Currently, six volunteers are assigned directly to public libraries, and dozens more work with local libraries in their spare time, introducing new kinds of services and activities.

In October 2015, Novateca issued a ‘challenge’ to Peace Corps volunteers to collaborate more extensively with their public library to create new ongoing services. About 30 volunteers accepted the challenge, proposing activities including English classes for adults and kids, IT trainings, book and poetry clubs, and even yoga classes. These activities benefit community members of all ages and gender, and lead to new community interactions.

English classes are taught in ways as varied as the volunteers themselves. An English Education volunteer, Angela Warner, urged by her library director, created a cirruculum, worksheets, and tests for adults, which has been used by other volunteers. The adults in her class include a homemaker, librarian, the hospital director, the district economic development specialist, teachers, and an accountant. “Although I know a little English, this course helped me to better communicate and to understand how to use the plural words,” said one participant. “I learned new vocabulary and most importantly we had the opportunity to speak with a native English speaker.” The volunteer teacher is assisted by her husband, a Small Enterprise Developement volunteer.

For children, English needs to be more interactive and fun. Volunteers create word and image flash cards to match, incorporate a craft activity related to the topic, play vocabulary Bingo, or utilize English practice games on the internet.

Most volunteers live and work in villages or cities with a public library in the Novateca network. This allows for varied IT classes to be offered to the whole community. People learn different ways to to connect with family members working in another country through Skype, Facebook, and email. An “Hour of Code” training event incorporating games like Minecraft, and referencing popular films, helps teach critical thinking skills in an entertaining way.

Libraries can also be a place to stimulate the mind as well as the body and spirit. One volunteer in Telenesti shares her passion for yoga with teenage girls. “It's such a pleasure to practice with them,” said Ellen Swan. “They are so committed to learning the beautiful practice of yoga and show up with so much enthusiasm and openness.”

One recently arrived volunteer brought her love of the famous J.K Rowling character Harry Potter to life for some young people in her library. Each week they read a chapter of one of the Harry Potter books in Romanian. During the club meeting, she leads the participants in a discussion of the latest chapter and the leads a creative activity related to what they read. For example, for Valentine’s Day, notes were written to someone dear to them, and then attached to a picture of the messenger owl, just as in the novel.

Up to now, collaboration between Peace Corps volunteers and public librarians has inspired creativity and drawn new users to libraries, both in towns and villages. What’s more, while volunteers share their knowledge and skills with library patrons, they can also use the opportunity to practice their Romanian and Russian language skills, and learn about Moldovan culture. In this way, the partnerships are beneficial to everyone involved, and the interaction reverberates through the community.

So, don’t be surprised if you walk into your local library and hear someone speaking English or Romanian with an American accent . . . It could just be your chance to develop or take part in a new library service, with an international flavor!