In 2004, the Library’s international partner was the Dublin City Public Libraries in Dublin, Ireland. The goal of this exchange was to share professionally how each country uses storytelling in a library setting and to present workshops on the importance of multicultural programming in a public library. In April 2004, librarians from both countries participated in several round table discussions in Dublin about this topic, and met with administration and staff working on improving community outreach programs. Miami-Dade team members (an Assistant Director, a Children’s Librarian and a Children’s Services Specialist) also had the opportunity to share stories at a storytelling gathering and were totally captivated by the richness of the Irish storytelling and musical traditions. They returned the favor by presenting several programs to groups of Irish children of different ages and social background.

A month later, the Miami-Dade Public Library System welcomed the Dublin City librarian/storytellers, who happily shared their expertise with library staff, visiting and performing in several branches. For one week, The Art of Storytelling featured Irish culture in a variety of ways including music, dance, and storytelling. Many of the Irish groups in our community also participated in our activities.