Bridging Borders with Books: The Rise of Romanian Diaspora Libraries

The Romanian migration of the last decades has generated in the world, but especially in Europe, a significant population of Romanian origin, but far from the cultural sources in Romania. The appearance of activities that would bring together the Romanian community appeared inevitable; among them, the initiatives of some Romanian libraries were born naturally, in various forms, sometimes structured on local public libraries or just as personal initiatives. The present article maps and evaluates several European cases of Romanian libraries: three in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and one in Prague, which already has countless branches, especially in the European Union. The investigation shows a strong connection between the Romanian libraries and their communities, especially with the parents of minor children, and a strong appreciation of these libraries' educational and social impact.