Malmö stadsbibliotek

in Swedish

Malmö main library

Opening hours and more information

Malmö's new main library was inaugurated in May 1997. The famous Danish architect Henning Larsen has created a monumental building next to det gamla Slottet ↗ svW, which has been the main library since 1946. Many people come here through Gamla kyrkogården (IDstory).

Sune's stones

The sculpture is so large that, paradoxically, one can walk past it without really noticing it. A bit of a rush to get inside or home narrows your field of vision. But here stand two giants in granite, not originally created for this place, yet beside two other great, tightly joined stone forms they fit together well.

The title if the sculpture points instead the former director of Malmö Konsthall, the author and publisher Sune Nordgren.

The stones bear traces. Just like underlined words in a borrowed book. A small night light had illuminated them just like the books in the Calendar of Light.

Public libraries in the future

Covid-19 pandemic closed many libraries but what happens in a slightly longer perspective? The Internet and many new ways to find out more and read more will continue to change libraries. A lively discussion is underway within the library world, which you can follow, among other things, via Bibliotekbladet↗

However, public libraries are losing their unique position as Knowledge Centers and are now looking for new ways and forms to remain relevant. In the past, they were a place where people went not only to borrow books but also to read reference literature, read newspapers and ask librarians for advice. Physical books and other physical media were the basis of libraries. Today, they are talking more about libraries as meeting places and developing new service functions.

Libraries are happy to talk, and rightly so, about their role in strengthening democratic society. However, it would be good if more was developed about how this should be done and perhaps even measured and exemplified beyond the general formulations that most of us can share. A little more precision would increase the strength of the ambition and the arguments.

Libraries and Databases

Anyone who wants to know more today often starts by Googling, and one of the databases/encyclopedias that almost always comes up high in the search is Wikipedia↗. But several libraries in Sweden do not include Wikipedia on their 'Databases' page. The libraries' own service Bibblan svar is completely dependent on Wikipedia but does not pay anything to support that service. Nor is there, for example, a link to excellent Svenska.se↗, a free service run by the Swedish Academy.

Public libraries have an (outdated) perception that they should almost only show the databases that have been purchased (red dots), but from the user's point of view it would be much better with a mix of purchased and free (green dot). Mer om Referensstatus på bibliotek↗ in this PhD thesis.

Calendar of Light

There are several hundred seats for studying and reading. Via elevators and a system of balconies, bridges and stairs, you can find a place right next to the glass facade facing the park or on a balcony with a view.

Here you can browse through books, magazines, newspapers from all over the world, rent films and other media, have a coffee and study.

The new library is well documented in the book Tidernas bibliotek, which can be purchased at the library.

 

References

• About BiBB, a media company and an encyclopedia 4.0
• Regementsgatan 3, Tel 040-660 85 00
• Hemsida: Stadsbiblioteket Öppettider med mera.
• Foto: Jonas Andréasson | Text: Johan Schlasberg

Published: 2004.06 Updated: 2025.09.06

Kategorier 20 Platser och Offentliga rum 20 Malmö 44

---



Tip others about BiBB
- an encyclopedia 4.0



You know a lot, we may add a little^®