Report

Report of a study visit to Swedish Libraries
14-19 June 2003
By Ingi Abdel Kader and Sherine Said
Within the cooperation between Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Sweden presented by the
project SIDA/SWEBA project, a study visit has been organize for Sherine Said, supervisor
Young People Library and Ingi Abdel Kader, Supervisor Children Library from 13-20 June
2003.
This study tour consists of visiting many libraries in Kungalv, Boras, Vastra Gotaland, G?
oteborg and Kungsbacka.
Following are detailed reports of the scheduled visits:
Monday 16 June: Visiting three libraries
At 9AM we met Elisabeth Lundgren, director of the library,
Rosa-Maj Hjerpe Children’s Librarian,
Asa Tollbom and Anneli Mattiasson Culture Administrator,
Catarina Stake & Kristina Hedblom Young People & School Librarian,
Monika Malmquist Library services for Visually impaired.
First we had a brief introduction about the library and its architecture and the new library, and
than we started to visit each section in the library and having more details about the
collection, the services, the programs and the activities.
The library don’t use Dewey for classification,
Membership is free,
Circulation can be done by the staff of the members themselves,
It accommodate 10 exhibitions per year,
It contains study rooms for Young adults,
Cataloguing is done rarely by librarian it is done in special company the idea of that is to
spend much more time with the child.
• Monika Malmquist Library services for Visually impaired, Blind and Mentally
retarded
Talking Books;
No Braille books;
Special computers with special keyboard with training on how to use them;
Equipment (TV reader of book, Braille printer, Scanner)
System used DAISY;
Books with large print.
• Catarina Stake and Kristina Hedblom Young People and School Librarian
Writing course for children for 4 months during the summer for 4 days with the attendance of
a famous author to be here to help them.

Lessons for children to teach them how to use different kind of source and how to find
information, how to use Internet and how to evaluate the results, these lessons are not only for
children but also for teachers.
• Anneli Mattiasson Culture Administrator
She was responsible of many project: as the one in Uganda; Karibu; Bohusban Big Band it is
a concert for children from 6 to 14; Walking tables it’s a Ballet concerning of 20 minutes play
and 10 minutes workshops between parents and children; story telling; every year she
organize “Young People Festival” children from 10 to 20 can participate during 2 days.
• Rosa-Maj Hjerpe Children’s Librarian
Every new born they give him a book “FORSTS BOX” and when he have 6 years, he can
borrow books and he get lessons on how to use the library and how to get a library card.
For program there is a program called “writing camps” it’s going away with the library for 4
days and write.
At 13PM we went to Stenungsund Public Library,
We met Maria Radberg Children’s Librarian.
First we had a brief introduction about the library, and than we started to visit each section in
the library and having more details about the collection, the services, the programs and the
activities.
Membership is free (12000 members),
Circulation can be done by the staff of the members themselves,
3 sections one for children from 8 to 14 youth section from 14 to 20 and the third one is for
adults,
Children had special catalogue,
For the collection they use colors for different subject,
There is small corner for cassettes,
There are books for blind and people, who cannot hear or talk,
The library had also a BOOK MOBILE,
There are 4 computers for Internet,
Room used for story telling under 12 years and for workshops from 12 to 18 years,
Cinema used either as a cinema or for conference.
At 15PM we visited the watercolor museum, Skarhamn Tjorn
At 16PM we went to Tjorn Public Library,
We met Uno Nilsson director.
First we had a brief introduction about the library, and than we started to visit each section in
the library and having more details about the collection, the services, the programs and the
activities.
Membership is free (8000 members),
“Library Service Company” for cataloguing,

Subject are arrange alphabetical and there is a separation between reference and other book,
Equipment (3 Internet, 1 Catalogue, 2 Email and Chatting),
Almost every thing is for borrowing,
Biographies are collected together and divided by area and by time,
13 employees
Opening hours (every day from 10 to 7, except Saturday from 10 to 2, and closed Sunday).
Tuesday 17 June: Visit to Boras (The university College and the
Swedish school of library and Information Science, SSLIS)
Arrival by train at 10 AM Kerstin Rydsjo, lecturer, meets us at the station.
We had a coffee break and a brief orientation.
At 11AM we had a visit at the Norrby Oppna Forskola (open kindergarten)
We met Anna-Karin Albertsson, children’s librarian,
Pernilla Runstedt, preschool teacher,
Gunilla Engdahl, trained social worker.
3 persons working in this kindergarten,
Books for children in different languages,
Books for parents,
These books are from the library of the town.
At 12PM30 lunch
At 14PM visit at the country library of Vastra Gotaland, Public library of boras,
we had meeting with Katarina Dorbell Creator of the Virtual Children
Library.
An overview about the VIRTUAL LIBRARY and the Contains of this virtual children library,
it is not a physical library it is only on the net, with one employee financed by the state,
Online 30 Swedish books,
Activities (chatting with author, discussings books with other children, writing poems, story,
links to interested children sites, etc.)
The contact between children and katarina is by mail
Landing e-books to children whom had password and user name
“Ask a librarian” form for answering the child request
For more information just visit this site: www.barnensbibliotek.se
Idea from this meeting to do in our libraries:
1. Book of the year by writing a small abstract with sound effect.
2. Book reviews
3. Games
Ex: Memory by the cover of books
4. Camp between children and author

5. Writing books
6. The child by him self can write his own book
7. Links to different subject that interest the child.
At 15PM30 discussion and orientation at the university college and the Swedish
school of library and information science,
Meeting with Anna-Karin Augustsson and Anette Eliasson, lecturers.
Wednesday 18 June: Study Visit to Gothenburg
Public Library
At 9AM we meet Margareta Dahlstrom children’s librarian Adviser,
Lotta Alverlin children’s librarian.
First we had a general introduction about the library,
There is 25 branches of this library it is not the head library it is the city library, every branch
has a responsible, there is meeting 6 time per year to discuss how to develop the services, the
staff receive a training,
National reading day is in 14 November,
Section for handicapped children but there is no activities for them; they can participate in
any activities of normal children,
Section for reference books,
Section for parents but not for teacher,
Section for children,
Activities for The children section (book of the week, festival for young people in October,
workshops, competitions, books for handicapped),
The library is divided into 6 floors,
Idea from this meeting to do in our libraries:
1. Having the same logo for the same project.
2. Preparing competitions between children in different fields.
3. Having symbol for a special collection like Braille books, reference books, etc.
At 11AM we meet Anna Brigitta Eriksson, Diakonia
It is a project supported by the Swedish government and SIDA, which they want to extend the
project in the Middle East starting by Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon.
They all ready start in Palestine by distributing books and to improve the idea of making
readers they started courses to person related to children literature (author, illustrator, etc.)
She will visit Alexandria 26/6/2003.
At 12AM country library of Vastra Gotaland
Meeting with Lena Skoglund director
Ewa Kollberg children’s librarian adviser,

Katarina Dorbell children’s virtual library
It is an organization called “Vastra Gotalandsregionen”,
Its task is to work with issue of the library development,
It contains 49 municipalities,
48.000 are working in this organization,
10 consultants working in this region and each one of them is responsible of one section in the
library,
They produce 6 news paper non printed but in tapes (cassettes) for person who can read the
magazine,
The out come is a project for KULDA (digital product for library) and project of the virtual
library with Katarina,
They help also loan between libraries.
Idea from this meeting to do in our libraries:
• Story by games.
Thursday 19 June: Study visit to Kungsbacka Public
Library
At 9AM we meet Kajsa Noreen children’s librarian
First we hade general overview of the library and than we started to visit its sections.
The library has 6 branches and on mobile library,
Membership is free,
Section for youth from 10-15 years,
Activities for youth such as (workshops, puppet show, story telling, competition, writing cam,
music lesson)
Section for handicapped (film for the sign language, CD for disable).
As a conclusion of this study visit, we would like to thanks SIDA for organizing this visit. We
are also thankful to the host librarians for their kind generosity and hospitality.
This visit will help us to:
1. Getting experience by sharing thoughts, problems with other libraries.
2. Having lots of idea concerning our two libraries (Children + Young People) especially
in collection development, services and activities.
3. Building a good network with specialist in this field in Sweden.
4. Knowing that we are on the right way of developing the reading, creativity, and skills
of Egyptian’s children.