Columnist Eleonore af Schaumburg-Lippe writes in her weekly column about life as an expat in Romania. This week she tells the story of getting her first Romanian library card and her struggle to find a book at the library.

Recently I decided to get myself a library card and go to the library to borrow some books. I went to the National Library at what looked like the reception, and said “Hello, I would like to get a library card!” The young man looked at me and said: go around the corner! He was not smiling, but that I had not expected, this was serious business I was there for – a library card.

I then went around the corner, passing the wardrobe area - actually finding it pretty cool that there was a wardrobe area at a library, it seemed to be a library of quality, a sort of luxury library. Behind the wardrobe were two ladies in the “other” reception, they were very smiling and helpful. All was in order to get a library card, I just needed a picture, which I had not thought about bringing.

They kindly told me go to Universitate, to have a picture taken. So I went there. This was a whole experience in itself; I went into a copy/printing shop and asked for help. A young man pulled down a gray background from the ceiling and said: Stand there! Then he took the picture, but to my surprise he began to Photoshop my picture. Freckles where removed etc. At one point I almost wanted him to stop, saying: hey, smiley, wrinkles are okay! But he didn’t agree and said with a smile, “Photo shopping is part of the package.” I looked in amazement, thinking this was going to be the best looking picture I had ever had on a library card, laughing a little about how important image is here in Romania. Usually in Denmark, passport pictures are indeed not known for their beauty.

Back again to the library with my new great looking picture, I proudly handed it over to the ladies at the second reception, and then I got my library card, so proud indeed I was. They then called for a girl, and said that she would show me around the library. Wow, what a service, sightseeing included in the new card.

We then went to Mr. Not Smiling, who was now smiling a bit more, but I also had the exclusive access card – the library card, so I was maybe considered ok now to smile at. Then I was given a key and two more cards. I was thinking: more cards, for what? Then I was instructed not to bring anything to the library, and only to drink water there, I took this very seriously, and did therefore not even bring paper or a pencil into the library, which I later realized I should have and could have done.

With the new card, the first door opened to THE library. The girl then said: “you can sit here at the computer and search for the books”. “But where are the books?” I asked. Since I was expecting to go around looking at the books, like at the library back home in Denmark, but I couldn’t see any books anywhere.

“It’s not like this here, you register at the counter over there, where they will give you a place to sit then you will go where they seat you, and there you will search on the computer for the books, and then write down author and title of the book on a little piece of paper, and then we bring the books to you.”

For how long can I borrow the book? 30 days like in DK? I had brought a bag with me to carry the books home for the same reason. “No, you can’t borrow the books,” she says. What? But it is a library, am I supposed to sit here and read the whole book? I didn’t really understand the concept, but thanked the girl for her help.

I then went to register. At the counter they asked me what kind of books I was searching for. Apparently that would indicate where I should be seated. She then placed me on seat 9 on the second floor.

I went up the to the second floor, searched but couldn’t find my seat, so I asked a man at a reception desk. The otherwise very kind man pointed at a desk with no computer and said “that is your seat.” “I didn’t bring a computer so I can’t use that seat.” He then told me to go to another room, where there is computer with internet access.

I went to the other room, there were a lot of computers. Very silently, a young library user next to me helped me, so I could find the booksearch link, after some time, I found the books, wrote the author and title down on the little paper, handed it over to the desk lady in this room. Good news, in a very few minutes I had two books.

But since I had not brought any paper and pen and I was not allowed to borrow the books, and I didn’t have time to sit here and read the whole book. I decided to make a copy of the most relevant pages. But where was the copy machine? My desk lady was not there, so I decided to leave the room, and ask a lady at a desk in another room, where I could take a copy of the book. She looked at my as if saying: why do you want to do that ? Well, because I cant borrow the book. She said I had to go back to my room and there ask the desk lady there for a printer, next to her was a printer, but it didn’t sound like I could use that one.

I then went to my room and asked my desk lady who has returned where to print, she was also standing next to a printer, but she told me to go to floor number 4, I then ran up the stairs, believing I must be on the 2 floor. I ended up walking around on floors with a lots of doors, but either they were looked or offices, and it seemed a little hopeless to find the printer.

My wish to print from the book turned into a little stairways competition, that didn’t seem to lead to heaven, but rather to more gray halls and locked doors in this library labyrinth. I then asked a girl I met on the stairs, where the printer was. She explained I had to buy a printer card first, and to go on the first floor. So down the stairs I went, decided to go to the desk where I had registered my seat earlier that day but she pointed to another desk, where I should buy the printer card. I went there, bought the printer card, and felt a little uplifted. Finally, the right direction in this adventure. The printer room was on the 4th floor – this time I took the elevator.

On 4th floor, there were rooms with books, but no access to them. But two printers appeared in big room, I was the only one in the room. The printer needed some paper and the instructions where in Romanian, but I managed to fill the printer with paper, and then I began to print like I had done nothing but printing before, and was now happily copying and printing from the book.

I then had to find the room where I had been seated because I had given her my library card to sit there, but what floor and room was that now ? Well, after a little further running around, I found the room, got my card. And then went down to the reception desk where this little adventure had begun some hours before, and almost proudly showed them my prints, that they did not seem to be so impressed to see as I was. I then handed in the two cards and the key and got my library card back. Then out again in the fresh air, a whole experience richer. I almost hold up my papers like a winner receiving the gold medal. So, expats, if you need advice how to battle the library system, let me know!

By Eleonore af Schaumburg-Lippe, columnist

Eleonore is Danish, she holds a BA in Organization and Management and specializes in Corporate Communication & Strategic Development. She is also a Market Economist and a Multimedia Designer. As a Danish Viking in Romania, with a great passion for ’covrigi’, she has a burning desire to find out more about Romania especially Bucharest, and enlighten the small differences in the culture between Denmark and Romania. Her weekly columns gives insights into an expat's life in Bucharest, written with humor and a big Danish smile.