Tour of My Local Swedish Library: “Rundtur på mitt Lokala Bibliotek”

Yesterday I ‘killed two birds with one stone,’ or ‘Hit two flies with one slap,’ as they say in Sweden. I decided to A) get my act together and hunker down to study some Swedish B) finally visit the library that has intrigued me ever since I’ve laid eyes on it three years ago. Using my Rosetta Stone, dictionary and grammar books is something I could easily do at home but I have always needed a serene atmosphere to focus. It’s been over 2 two years since I’ve stepped foot inside a library, which is where I spent most of my free time when I was in college and miss it terribly. Being surrounded by books feels like home to me. I’ve always thought that this library was beautiful, a glass huge structure built  hovering over the river.  While all three of my colleges had spectacular libraries, this one put all the public Queens libraries (that I ever frequented) to shame.

Venturing into the library seems like a small feat but its uncharted territory to me which is always  a bit scary. But it’s a library and that’s something I am familiar with- that’s something I can’t imagine can change too drastically from country to country. I am accustomed to poking into stores, browsing Swedish merchandise, hearing the cashiers speak in Swedish – but the library is different. It’s like walking into a bubble, a place to be quiet and respectful. I immediately wanted to whip out my camera and start taking photos of everything but it didn’t seem too appropriate and I decided to be sneaky instead of obnoxious.

The “Stadbiblioteket,” meaning “The City Library,” is modern, roomy and organized with a cheerful bright lime green theme throughout the three floors. The chairs are comfy and the view is just perfect. There is a full sized tree growing in the center of the building that reminds me a lot of my high school because we had the same thing, which is not very common. (I wasn’t able to get a good photo of it, sadly) It doesn’t feel stuffy and stale like the local libraries I’m used to. There is a beautiful wooden spiral staircase and glassed exhibits scattered around. The shelves remind me more of cozy home book shelves because they are not as packed and daunting. Above is a photo of the self check out, not something I’m used to seeing in libraries in the states, but maybe I just haven’t seen it.


I absolutely adore these circular bookshelves, so much more inviting and fun- really breaks up the boring space that libraries often have. High ceilings, all glass, couches and even a bean bag area for the kids to lay around in as they read. While I didn’t spend much time trying to understand where one section started and the other began you can tell its a place for everyone. The kids area is extensive, there are also study rooms, available PC’s, a cafe and loads of magazine racks.

All and all the trip was a good one, although I looked around and took photos most of the time and only studied for about 30 minutes- but it is a start and now I have a new place to go!

During Swedish Winter: Under den svenska vintern

Swedish News: Sweden’s official twitter account is completely run by its citizens, each week a new Swede is updating for @Sweden, completely uncensored to show the true people of Sweden. Isn’t that neat? See the video here. Right now the user is a lesbian truck driver, and boy is she chatty! I guess I would be too if I was updating for a whole country. I wonder who will be next. I can’t seem to find anything relevant to say on my new twitter. I’m sure the more I experience the more I will tweet? For now I’ll write long comprehensive sentences linked together to make paragraphs, but I think it’ll be fun in the future. For the time being I’ve learned how to use hashtags (#) and read stuff that people are writing about #Sweden and #Swedish.

Our local library (biblioteket)

I try to go for a walk everyday to get more comfortable with my surroundings and stay on some sort of schedule since I’m not working or going to school yet,  but that still doesn’t keep me from sleeping late. Yesterday I ventured out at 10:30am (my earliest outing yet) and saw four long lines of the cutest  little kids walking to and from the library down the block from us (which is a beautiful glass building overlooking the Nissan River that I still haven’t gone inside). Made me want to take my walks earlier from now on, I was tempted to take a picture of the kids but I thought that might be creepy.

Anyway, my new schedule of sleeping late isn’t a habit I’m used to, I love mornings, so I suspect its due to the weather/season. It still hasn’t snowed here yet, instead its all grey skies and lots of wind. At least snow brightens everything up a bit. Depending on what time our alarm goes off the sun still hasn’t risen or seems like its struggling behind the clouds. I’m the type of person who needs light, not only to wake up but to function.

A few people regularly ask about how much daylight I see these days, what time the sun rises and sets.

For those who don’t know anything (or much) about Sweden- its very long and very North (relate to it this way: Sweden is almost the length

For the sake of comparison, I deleted the Atlantic ocean and moved Sweden a few thousand miles south.

of the whole U.S Eastern coast; the Southern

tip in line with Northern Canada, and the North tip in line with Northern Alaska) In Southern Sweden (Where we are least effected by the harshest cold weather and the longest days or nights) we had 6 hours and 47 minutes the winter equinox on Dec 22nd, waslong. In New York the same shortest day of the year was 9 hours and 15 minutes. Today the sun rose at 8:28 and will set at 4:11, and let me tell you it feels like it rises slow and sets fast! I hope you guys are enjoying your extra two hours of sunlight! Come Summer you will be jealous, so it makes it all worth while, I get to enjoy 17 hours and 45 minutes of daylight! It sounds like a lot but its a great way to brighten up your day! I’m just relieved to be in Southern Sweden so we aren’t stuck with even longer or shorter days, that must be rough. At least they have snow now, I’m jealous of that, but not of the weather difference, I’ve been enjoying my 4 degrees C (39 F), which is about to change but at least snow is on its way!