Malmö Stadsbiblioteket - Free City Library for Everyone

I heard a lot about Scandinavian libraries when I was living in Ukraine: a free space where you can use a computer, read books, meet friends, spend time with children, and have various free activities! Meanwhile, we have more traditional libraries in Ukraine, and very few people visit them: students, scientists, and teachers. From my first days in Sweden, I was eager to know more about Swedish libraries. And they haven't disappointed me! So let me tell more about them on the example of Malmö City Library (Swedish: Malmö Stadsbiblioteket).

The view of the beautiful building of the Malmö City Library from Regementsgatan.

You can't miss this stunning building in the center of Malmö. The old part - The Castle, was built in 1901, and initially, it was a museum until, in 1946, the city library moved here. In 1960th, it became clear that the library didn't fit the existing building. After many discussions, the municipality started to build a bigger building only in 1994. The project was designed by the famous Danish architect Henning Larsen. This new part with the impressive glass facade was finished in 1997, and the reconstruction of the Castle was completed in 1999. Today, the City Library is located in three buildings: the Castle, Cylinder, and Light Calendar (Swedish: Ljusets kalender). 

The park near is also amazing! We celebrated Easter this year on the lawn near the library.

The view from Slottsparken park. Photo: malmo.se.

But, as you might guess, the architecture is not the only thing making the Malmö City Library unique. Besides the tonnes of books in all the languages, which you can hear in Malmö, it is a space for meetings, working, studying, and different kinds of activities. 

At the reception, you can meet a friendly staff who speaks two languages: Swedish and English. Since Malmö is a multicultural city with students and professionals from around the world, you may be sure that you can find help in English in the library. You can register at the reception to use the library services, such as borrowing books, printing documents, etc. But anyway, you can read the books and work with your own computer inside the library without any registration.

To the right of the main entrance, there is a large multi-level hall inside the Light Calendar building, where most of the adult literature is located, including the department "Malmö många språk" - books in the languages, which people in the city speak, such as Arabian, Serbian, German, and Ukrainian.

I love sitting here and reading gorgeous editions about Swedish artists, photographers, history, etc. I want to learn the Swedish language on a level high enough to enjoy this literature to the fullest because Sweden has such great publishers and many good, quality books!

Of course, you can sit on any floor with your computer, work, enjoy the beautiful view in any weather, and use free city Wi-Fi.

Meetings and discussions with Swedish and international authors are also held in this space, so-called Författarscenen, which brought together many visitors. 

The largest space in the library, which hosts different events.

There is a lake with wild birds outside the window. Amazing view!

View from the classical literature department (Swedish novels and poetry).

There are always fresh newspapers, both local and world media.

The children's department for kids of 0-8 years is called "Rabbit" (Swedish: Kanini), and it is located to the left of the reception, in the Castle. Children adore this space! There are cute locations to hide, read, play, and eat if you bring snacks with you. The space is designed so nicely and thought through, as only Swedes can do😊 There are also rooms for master classes and other activities.

And, of course, there are books not only in Swedish for those kids. 

I personally love Swedish children's books since they are easy enough and helpful for those adults who are learning the language.

The department for young teenagers of 9-13 years, "Balagan," is on the second floor. And the collection of books there is just impressive! 

The children's department (9-13 years) has computers, a piano, and games, as well as books, of course.

There is also the department for youth on the 3d floor with classical and modern books. I found there the Ukrainian translation of Astrid Lindgren's book "I keep your letters under the mattress" (Swedish: "Dina brev lägger jag under madrassen"), which is the writer's correspondence with her fan, a little girl. That book impressed me with Astrid's skills as a psychologist who had a deep understanding of kids' and teenagers' problems.

There are also many spaces for learning and meetings, such as speaking clubs.

The books in Ukrainian are presented with Swedish authors or topics related to Sweden, such as European history, climate changes, current social issues, and also modern Ukrainian literature (Sofia Andrukhovych, Bogdan Kolomiychuk, Ostap Ukrainets, and others). I'm so grateful to Malmö City Library for the opportunity to read books in my native language!

Ukrainian books are located on the 3d floor of the library.

Machines for borrowing books.

Machines for returning books.

"The wonderful adventures of Nils" - the book from the Malmö city library.

I read a lot of books from this library. Recently, I wrote about one of them - "The wonderful adventures of Nils," written by one of the greatest Swedish authors - Selma Lagerlöf. I dream that one day, I can read fluently in Swedish, and the world of Swedish literature and culture will sparkle with new colors for me.

Malmö City Library is a huge space with a learning center, speaking clubs, a media laboratory, meeting rooms for people of all ages, musical instruments, computers, workshop studios, etc. The one blog post is not enough to describe the opportunities it creates for self-development, studying, and communication. Its large spaces are full of visitors, especially on weekends and in winter. That was surprising for me, who came from Ukraine, where we aren't used to going to libraries.

So, if you're looking for where to start learning about Sweden - begin with the Malmö City Library!

I spend a couple of hours at the library every Sunday while my child attends the Ukrainian school in Malmö.

Follow me on Instagram @perekotypolestory