Stockholm Public Library

The main public library in Stockholm was being renovated during our visit. It will actually be closed until next year. According to one of the librarians I spoke with, the work will focus on improving the library’s infrastructure, as well as the youth services. It’s sure to be nice, but it was disappointing not to see it on this trip. Instead, we went to the largest open branch, the Tranströmerbiblioteket.

Having seen the fantastic main branch of the Oslo public library only days before, this library was a little underwhelming. It felt a little disjoined, with the collection spread across multiple floors. Not all of the sections were open during this visit, which was disappointing.

The most interesting thing about the library was its cataloging system, Klassifikationssystem för svenska bibliotek. It kind of reminded me of the Library of Congress but is unique to the country. Once it was explained to me, it made sense. As was the case at other libraries in Scandinavia, English was interfiled in the main collection.

Watching the care and thoroughness the staff used when working with patrons was excellent. It is the one thing that has been consistent across libraries, regardless of the country, city, or community. Librarians are committed to the people they serve, a point that has been reinforced by visits to hundreds of libraries. To see them demonized by some quarters is so disheartening. The last thing they are - whether in Stockholm, San Francisco, or Scituate, Massachusetts - are villains.

Seriously.