In January 2025, Romanians of Washington, DC proudly inaugurated the very first Romanian Library Corner in a public library anywhere in the United States. This initiative, designed to promote Romanian and Moldovan literature and culture, has found a home in two locations within the Worcester County Library system in Maryland: the primary collection is housed at the Ocean City Branch, located at 10003 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, Maryland and a secondary collection is available at the Berlin Branch, located at 13 Harrison Avenue in Berlin, Maryland. You can read the full announcement here.
The Romanian Library Corner was established through funding and support from Romanians of DC in partnership with the Worcester County Library. It aims to benefit both the local Romanian community on the Eastern Shore — which includes many young families originally from Romania and Moldova — and the broader population of nearly half a million residents in the area. The initiative also serves the thousands of seasonal workers, many of whom come from Romania and Moldova, as well as the large number of tourists who visit Maryland’s coastal towns each year.
The project is an extension of Romanians of DC’s mission and highlights its commitment to build a stronger community amongst the Romanians and Moldovans living in Maryland, Virginia and in Washington, DC, while also sharing Romanian culture with a broader audience. By making these books accessible to both Romanian-speaking residents and the wider community, the initiative helps ensure that future generations can connect with their heritage in a meaningful way.
The Inauguration: A Milestone for Cultural Representation
The official inauguration event took place at the Worcester County Library’s Ocean City Branch and was attended by distinguished guests, community members, and local officials who gathered to celebrate this important milestone for Romanian and Moldovan literature in the U.S. It featured remarks by Cathy Moore, Assistant Branch Manager; Julie Presley, Manager of the Ocean City Library; Bogdan Banu, President of Romanians of DC; H.E. Viorel Ursu, Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to the United States; and Cristian Gaginsky, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Romanian Embassy in the United States. The significance of this initiative was further highlighted by the presence of Mayor Rick Meehan, representatives from the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce, the Office of the Comptroller of Maryland, local Orthodox clergy, and members of the local media.
Following the formal inauguration, which also included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, participants were invited to a small reception which featured a delightful sampling of Romanian snacks and food, generously provided by Bird Dog Tavern in Ocean City.
The Library Corner and Its Impact
The collection consists of 160 titles, which includes primarily books in Romanian, along with several bilingual editions designed for young children. The selection spans a diverse range of genres, including Romanian literary classics, works by contemporary Romanian and Moldovan authors, beloved children’s books, and notable titles from American and international literature.
The books in the Romanian Library Corner will not only be available at the Ocean City and Berlin branches of the Worcester County Library but will also be accessible through the Eastern Shore Regional Library network, which serves library systems in eight counties: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester. In numerical terms, this means the books will be available in 23 public libraries, reaching 225,739 library cardholders who, in 2022, made an impressive 815,404 in-person visits. Moreover, because the books will also be available through the library’s honor system, they have the potential to serve the entire population of these eight counties, which stood at 320,414 people in 2022. On top of this, the collection will be accessible to the thousands of visitors who come to Maryland’s shores each year, as well as the many seasonal workers who arrive every summer and form the backbone of the service industry.
A Commitment to Future Growth
Romanians of DC reaffirms its commitment to expanding this initiative in the future. It stands ready to expand this first Romanian Library Corner with additional book donations to better reflect the needs of the local libraries and of their readers. Romanians of DC is also open to exploring ideas and opportunities for joint literary events, children’s activities, and other collaborative initiatives that celebrate Romanian and Moldovan culture.