Well, my academic home anyway. I first studied here in 2009, and I have returned annually to do my research. The International Youth Library was started by Jella Lepman, a Jewish German woman who fled Nazi Germany, survived in London, and returned immediately after the war in 1945 to find the devastation of her homeland. She figured that in order for children to have hope, they needed books, so she wrote to publishers around the world to request donations of books. And thus, the largest collection of children's literature from around the world was established. Researchers from all around the world come here and spend 3 months for research if officially invited, and others come for anywhere from days to months on their own. The interactions with fellow researchers in a field we share makes for deepened understandings of our research, and lifelong friendships.
