Library Director Leads Rotary Cultural Exchange Team to England

Liz Metzger, the Director of the Canastota Public Library is going to England this September. Metzger has been an active member of the Canastota Rotary since 1999. This year, she is representing the Central New York Rotary District 7150 and the United States of America as she leads a Rotary International Cultural Vocational Exchange Team.

Metzger’s team is comprised of non-Rotarians from the area who work in the medical field. The team includes a Physician’s Assistant, an Orthopedic Nurse, a Pharmacy Technician and a Massage Therapist. These medical professionals will meet with their counterparts in Manchester, England and the Isle of Man. The goal of this month-long trip is to exchange ideas and provide inspiration to both parties.

“Over the course of the years, my family life has been enriched by hosting three exchange students from Italy, Venezuela and Germany. We learned about the food, customs, politics, educational systems, and much more from these lovely young women.” Noted Metzger.

She is thrilled to be traveling to Manchester, England and the Isle of Man for this adult vocational and cultural exchange.

“It is the closest I will ever get to being an exchange student and I am really excited!” said Metzger.

The exchange groups will be living with British Rotarians, speaking at Rotary Club meetings and learning about how medicine is practiced in the UK. Liz will also have the opportunity to visit public libraries and exchange ideas with other librarians.

When the knitting groups at the Canastota Public Library learned of Metzger’s upcoming trip, the groups quickly began clicking their knitting needles to create beautiful Potato Chip Scarves. They created over thirty scarves for the Rotary Group. The Potato Chip Scarves will be used as gifts for the team to offer to their Host Families and other Rotarian Dignitaries in England.

“I am grateful for our Canastota Knitters who have produced some simply stunning scarves that I will be distributing as gifts,” said Metzger.

Metzger will be emailing regular updates and photos to her staff at the library, which will be posted on the Canastota Library’s Facebook page. If you’d like to share in her adventure, please visit the page!