Libraries in Sweden Anne Hedrich NRIC 2006 SwedenSverige

Libraries in Sweden Anne Hedrich NRIC 2006

Sweden/Sverige • 173, 731 square miles (roughly the size of California) • population 9, 029, 000 • literacy rate 99%

Umeå • • northern Sweden’s largest town just south of the Arctic Circle at 64° N 110, 000 people home of Umeå University (founded 1965) and a branch of SLU, the Swedish Agricultural University (founded 1977, merging three separate colleges)

Libraries in Sweden • Royal Library in Stockholm (Kungliga biblioteket) • national library catalog: LIBRIS • national direction/coordination of libraries from ABM – Archives, Libraries, Museums (Arkiv. Bibliotek-Museer) • 20 counties (communs) in Sweden, each has a selffunded and self-directed library system • 6 major university research library centers in Sweden (one is Umeå universitet) • 4 library schools in the country (one in Umeå)

Academic System in Sweden • Bachelors degree 3 years • Masters degree 2 years • Post Graduate: Ph. D 5 years, have to publish 5 articles, these students are university employees • Sweden will change to the Bologna system that will standardize higher ed across Europe

Umeå University Library • • • 1. 1 million books 22, 000 periodicals 900, 000 “visitors per year” 280, 000 “web visitors per year” Budget of 80 M SEK per year (+20 m SEK with Research Archives and Medical Library) • 100 employees (+20 with above units)

SLU Forestry Library • branch library of the Swedish Agricultural University (SLU) • 8 employees (6 librarians, 2 library assistants) • not funded by general library system; SLU and its libraries are funded by the national agriculture department

Notes on: Reference Service • Umeå University Library has a large Reference and User Services Department, drawing from many other library departments • Umeå Model of Reference (roving reference) • Forestry Library – reference assistance provided by all staff members

Notes on: Umeå University Library Administration/Organization • subject area departments carry out their own acquisitions, cataloging, instruction, and liaison services

Notes on: Forestry Library Administration/Organization • 8 employees • everyone carries out reference and circulation duties • employees specialize in services in cataloging, ILL, systems, document delivery, instruction, and accounting

Notes on: Instruction • Umeå University Library: 1200 lectures per year; one session provided to each class free of charge, then there is a charge for any desired additional classes • Forestry Library: 4 hours of instruction at undergraduate level, but instructors can schedule more; one week/one credit course for graduates; information literacy a focus

Notes on: Funding These libraries receive funding the following ways: • central funding from government • central funding from university • funding from individual faculties that each library serves From what I gathered, funding appears to be fairly stable.

Umeå University Library features of note • emphasis on providing course reserves and access to class texts in the Red Room • self check-out • call number system – SAB system (Sveriges Allmänna Biblioteks-förening)

SLU Forestry Library features of note • remodeling library to create active group learning areas • call number system is their own; within subject areas books are organized alphabetically by first author, or alphabetically by title if more than 3 authors • the library must pay rent to the state for the space their library takes up; this is a significant cost (20% of their budget)

Issues • Bologna Model – impact on academic system and on academic libraries (especially for instruction classes) • baby boom retirements • competition for library services (Google, etc. ) • impact of electronic publishing on libraries • budget strains (costs of resources, space, and staffing)

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