Connecting the Dots

With the project “Connecting the Dots,” the Goethe-Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore is connecting its activities and partners with the network of around 6,000 rural libraries across Karnataka. These libraries areregularly usedby around5 million children and young people, women,general publicand senior citizens.

Over the next two years 2026-2027, the project aims to strengthen libraries as community spaces, provide children with enriching cultural programmes and learning experiences, and promote thedigital skills of librarians and women.

The project is implemented in collaboration with theRural Development and Panchayat Raj Department of the Government of Karnataka. 

In March 2026, a two-day capacity-building workshop led by Dr. Hannelore Vogt, Director of Cologne Public Library, brought together 32 librarians to explore contemporary library practices, community engagement, and the evolving role of libraries as inclusive public spaces. 
 

In collaboration with the India Foundation for the Arts, Growing Together: Libraries’ Way of Engaging Community equips librarians with the skills to transform libraries into dynamic hubs for cultural learning and community engagement. As of September 2026, two phases of the workshops have been conducted in Mysore. 

Loka Library, developed with Gooey.AI, introduces librarians to artificial intelligence through a fellowship focused on AI literacy and the co-creation of culturally grounded datasets.

The Science Film Festival, taking place from October 1 to December 20, will bring internationally curated science films, dubbed into Kannada, to children and communities across the rural library network. Accompanied by educational activities, the festival will make science, technology, and environmental issues engaging and accessible. The jury includes renowned science communicator Sri Kollegala Sharma.

The project also offers online German language classes for children, introducing them to the German language and culture while fostering global connections. It will continue Kinder Katha, an initiative supporting the creation of original illustrated children's books in Kannada, encouraging local storytelling and reading while strengthening the availability of high-quality children's literature in regional languages.

Together, these programmes reimagine rural libraries as spaces where culture, technology, learning, and community come together, creating meaningful opportunities for children, young people, librarians, and women across Karnataka.