Editing National Library of Sweden

{{Short description|Sweden's national library}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox library
| native_name        = Kungliga biblioteket
| native_name_lang   = sv
| name               = National Library of Sweden
| logo               = Kungliga bibliotekets logotyp.svg
| alt                = Logo of the National Library of Sweden
| country            = [[Sweden]]
| established        = {{Start date and age|1661|paren=yes}}
| ref_legal_mandate  = The Government Approval Document for The Swedish National Library (available in [http://www.riksdagen.se/sv/Dokument-Lagar/Lagar/Svenskforfattningssamling/Forordning-20081421-med-ins_sfs-2008-1421/?bet=2008:1421 Swedish])
| location           = [[Stockholm]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|59|20|17|N|018|04|20|E|region:SE_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| items_collected    = [[book]]s, [[academic journal|journal]]s, [[newspaper]]s, [[magazine]]s, [[film]]s, recorded [[sound]], [[television]], [[radio]], [[manuscript]]s, [[map]]s, [[picture]]s, [[printed music]], [[ephemera]] and [[digital resource]]s
| collection_size    = {{c.|18 million}} items, 175 shelf kilometres, and 15.7 million hours of audiovisual material<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Report 2017 to CENL and CDNL |url=https://www.cenl.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Report-from-National-Library-of-Sweden_2017.pdf |website=The Conference of European National Librarians |access-date=28 October 2022}}</ref>
| criteria           = Suecana: publications published, broadcast or recorded in Sweden or  by Swedish originator or concerning Sweden
| legal_deposit      = [http://www.riksdagen.se/webbnav/index.aspx?nid=3911&bet=1993:1392 Yes], and agreements with publishers
| req_to_access      = Free. Registration for loans: be Swedish resident or citizen over 18. (Audiovisual may only be accessed for research purposes)
| annual_circulation = 135,187 (2009)
| budget             = 394,000,000[[Swedish crown|SEK]] (2017)<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Report 2017 to CENL and CDNL |url=https://www.cenl.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Report-from-National-Library-of-Sweden_2017.pdf |website=The Conference of European National Librarians |access-date=28 October 2022}}</ref>
| director           = [[Karin Grönvall]] (since 2019)
| num_employees      = 340
| website            = {{URL|http://www.kb.se/|www.kb.se}}
}}

The '''National Library of Sweden''' ({{langx|sv|Kungliga biblioteket}}, ''KB'', meaning "the Royal Library") is [[Sweden]]'s [[national library]]. It collects and preserves all domestic [[printing|printed]] and [[audio-visual]] materials in [[Swedish language|Swedish]], as well as content with Swedish association published abroad. Being a [[research library]], it also has major collections of literature in other languages.

==Collections==
[[File:National library of sweden.jpg|thumb|left|270px|Main building in [[Humlegården]] park]]
The collections of the National Library consist of more than 18 million objects, including books, posters, pictures, manuscripts, and newspapers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The National Library of Sweden |url=https://www.kb.se/in-english/about-us/the-national-library-of-sweden.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=Kungliga biblioteket |language=en}}</ref> The audio-visual collection consists of more than 10 million hours of recorded material.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Haaramo |first=Eeva |date=25 Jan 2017 |title=Nordic CIO interview: Peter Krantz, Sweden's national library |url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/450411607/Nordic-CIO-interview-Peter-Krantz-Swedens-national-library |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=Computer Weekly |language=en}}</ref>

The National Library is also a humanities research library, with collections of foreign literature in a wide range of subjects. The library holds a collection of 850 [[Broadside (printing)|broadside]]s of Sweden dating from 1852.<ref name="WDL">{{cite web |url = http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11628/ |title = The Old People Mill |website = [[World Digital Library]] |year = 1852 |access-date = 2013-06-30 }}</ref>

The National Library also purchases literature about Sweden written in foreign languages and works by Swedes published abroad, a category known as suecana.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Purchases |url=https://www.kb.se/in-english/about-us/how-we-collect-material/purchases.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=Kungliga biblioteket |language=en}}</ref> The National Library has been collecting [[floppy disk]]s, CD-ROMs, and other electronic storage media since the mid-1990s, along with [[e-book]]s, [[e-journal]]s, [[website]]s, and other digital material.

In 1953, the National Library purchased considerable amounts of Russian literature from [[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]] and [[Moscow]]. These books were to form the basis of a Slavonic library in Stockholm. These plans were consolidated in an agreement made in 1964 between the [[Lenin Library]] in Moscow and the National Library in which the respective libraries agreed to exchange their countries' literature.

== Legal deposit ==
According to the Swedish Legal Deposit Act publishers of printed material must send one copy of every object to the National Library and six other research libraries. Publishers of music, film, radio and TV must similarly submit copies to the library. In some cases only a sample of broadcast material has to be submitted.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Legal deposit |url=https://www.kb.se/in-english/about-us/how-we-collect-material/legal-deposit.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=Kungliga biblioteket |language=en}}</ref>

In 2012, the Legal Deposit Act for Electronic Material was passed. It states that starting in 2013, publishing companies and public authorities must deliver digitally published content to the National Library.<ref>{{Cite web |title=E-legal deposit |url=https://www.kb.se/in-english/about-us/how-we-collect-material/legal-deposit/e-legal-deposit.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=Kungliga biblioteket |language=en}}</ref>

=== History ===
[[File:Kungl Biblioteket dec 2012f.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Main reading room]]
The obligation to collect all printed works in Swedish was laid down in 1661 in an ordinance from the Swedish Privy Council Chancery. The ordinance (legal deposit) ordered all printers in Sweden to send two copies of every publication printed to the Chancery before the material was distributed. One copy was to go to the [[National Archives of Sweden|Swedish National Archives]] (Riksarkivet), the other to the National Library. The motive for this provision stemmed not from a desire to preserve publications for posterity but from a desire to monitor their contents.

== Library cooperation ==
The library is responsible for coordinating all Swedish libraries, including public libraries.

The National Library is responsible for supplying information to higher education and research, which includes obtaining central license agreements for research and university libraries to increase access to various databases. The National Library developed and maintains LIBRIS, the national library database system. [[LIBRIS]] is freely available to the public via the Internet and contains more than five million titles held in 300 Swedish libraries.{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}} The Swedish [[ISBN]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Swedish ISBN Agency |url=https://www.kb.se/in-english/about-us/swedish-isbn-agency.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=Kungliga biblioteket |language=en}}</ref> Agency is a unit within the National Library. It is responsible for assigning ISBNs having Sweden's country prefix of 91- (and 978-91-).

The library is a partner of the [[World Digital Library]].<ref name="WDL"/>

==History==
The roots of what we now know as the National Library go back to the days of King [[Gustav Vasa]] in the 16th century.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.kb.se/in-english/about-us/history.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=Kungliga biblioteket |language=en}}</ref> The king collected books on a variety of subjects including history, science, and theology, as well as maps. The collections were expanded by [[Eric XIV]], [[Johan III]], and [[Charles IX of Sweden|Charles IX]] and kept in the palace known as [[Tre Kronor (castle)|Tre Kronor]] (The Three Crowns). Some books were purchased abroad, while others were confiscated from Swedish monasteries dissolved in the [[Protestant Reformation]]. King [[Gustavus Adolphus]] gave away parts of the royal book collection in 1620: those books were the foundation of the [[Uppsala University]] Library.

The collection was also expanded through booty taken during the [[Thirty Years’ War]]. These captured treasures included the episcopal library of [[Würzburg]] in 1631, the [[Palacký University of Olomouc#University Library|University of Olomouc]] library in 1642, and the royal library of [[Prague]] in 1649. It was in this connection that the 13th-century [http://www.kb.se/codex-gigas/eng/ “Devil's Bible”] (the [[Codex Gigas]]) came to Stockholm.<ref>{{cite web |title=Devil's Bible. Codex Gigas |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667604 |website=Library of Congress}}</ref> [[Christina of Sweden|Queen Christina]] took much of this material with her to Rome after she abdicated the Swedish throne, but the royal collections continued to grow during the reign of [[Charles X Gustav]] through additional spoils of war and purchases abroad. The manuscript collection also includes the Anglo-Saxon [[Stockholm Codex Aureus]].

Under the Chancery Decree of 1661, all book printers in Sweden were required by law to submit two copies of everything they printed – one copy for the National Archives and the other for the National Library. Rather than to acquire newly published literature for research purposes, the decree reflected the desire of a great power to exert state control and censorship.

Much of the library went up in flames during the [[Tre Kronor (castle)|Tre Kronor Palace]] fire of 1697 when 17,286 bound volumes and 1,103 manuscripts were lost. Only 6,700 volumes and 283 manuscripts survived. Thereafter, the books were stored temporarily in various noble palaces in [[Stockholm]], first in Count Lillie's house on what was then Norrmalm Square (1697–1702), and later in the [[Bonde Palace]] (1702–1730), and Count Per Brahe's house on [[Helgeandsholmen]] (1730–1768). Finally, in 1768, the collections could be moved into the northeast wing of the new royal palace.

The collection grew further in its new home when the Antiquities Archive was dissolved in 1780 and most of the books kept there were transferred to the National Library. In 1792, [[Gustav III of Sweden|Gustav III]] donated his private library of 14,500 works and four years later, [[Gustav IV Adolf]] donated 7,500 works. As a result, the National Library owned about 40,000 works by 1814.

Several large book collections, either donated or purchased, came to the National Library in the 19th century. Space was limited in the palace and a new home for the collections was required. In 1877, the National Library moved into new, dedicated premises in [[Humlegården]]. The library began installing electric lighting in 1887, but the library was not fully electrified until 1964.

=== Book thefts ===
In 2004, it was discovered that dozens of rare books from its collection had been stolen.<ref name="nyt">{{cite web|last1=Cohen|first1=Patricia|title=National Library of Sweden to Recover Stolen Books|url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/23/national-library-of-sweden-to-recover-stolen-books/|work=New York Times|access-date=18 August 2016|date=23 July 2013}}</ref> The subsequent investigation revealed that the thief was [[Anders Burius]], a senior librarian working at the National Library. At least 62 books were stolen<ref name="nyt" /><ref name="fbi">{{cite web|title=United States Returns Stolen Antique Books to the National Library of Sweden|url=https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/newyork/news/press-releases/united-states-returns-stolen-antique-books-to-the-national-library-of-sweden|website=Federal Bureau of Investigation|access-date=19 August 2016|language=en-us|date=17 June 2015}}</ref> and then auctioned off at a German auction house. The police investigation was closed in 2006 and reopened in 2014 upon appeal. The investigation closed after a year and a half with no books repatriated.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bergvall |first=Greger |date=2016 |title="Cold case" – The story of inside thefts at the National library of Sweden |url=http://library.ifla.org/id/eprint/1350/ |website=IFLA Library}}</ref>

In 2011, the first book was returned to the library-an atlas by [[Cornelius Wytfliet]]. It had been bought by a map dealer in New York from a Sotheby's auction in 2003. Its value was estimated at $450,000.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cohen |first=Patricia |date=2012-06-27 |title=Swedes Find Stolen Atlas in New York |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/books/swedish-royal-library-recovers-stolen-1597-atlas-in-new-york.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In 2015, some books were repatriated to Sweden by the [[United States Attorney|U.S. Attorney's Office]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cascone |first=Sarah |date=2015-06-17 |title=US Returns to Sweden Millions in Antique Books Stolen by Suicidal Librarian |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/stolen-books-return-to-sweden-309156 |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=Artnet News |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2021, ten books were returned. As of 2021, 17 out of 62 stolen books have been returned.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Benne |first=Susan |date=25 October 2021 |title=Ten Stolen Books Returned to the National Library of Sweden, More Still Missing |url=https://www.abaa.org/blog/post/ten-stolen-books-returned-to-the-national-library-of-sweden-more-still-miss |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America |language=en}}</ref> The library maintains a list of the missing books.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stolen books |url=https://www.kb.se/in-english/about-us/stolen-books.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=Kungliga biblioteket |language=en}}</ref>

==The building==
At first, the royal book collections were kept in the Royal Palace (Tre Kronor), which burned down in 1697. The National Library moved into its current building in Humlegården in December/January 1877/1878. The building was designed by [[Gustaf Dahl]] and built using cast iron. Two wings were added in 1926–27.

The National Library was reopened in spring 1997 after comprehensive remodeling and additions. Two large underground stacks, which were built into the bedrock below the building, now contain the bulk of the library's collections, while library patrons, other visitors, and employees share the space in the main building.

The new section, called the Annex, contains auditoriums, exhibition rooms, and a newspaper reading room. Many Swedish daily newspapers and a large number of foreign newspapers are available on microfilm and in a digital search tool in the Microfilm Reading Room.

==Organization==
The National Library is a state agency that reports to the [[Ministry of Education and Research (Sweden)|Ministry of Education and Research]]. [[Gunilla Herdenberg]] has been the National Librarian of Sweden since March 2012.

==Audiovisual media==
Until 2009, the [[Swedish National Archive of Recorded Sound and Moving Images]] collected and archived audiovisual material. In 2009, the archive became a part of the National Library and ceased to be an independent institution.

==Digital collections==
Beginning 24 March 1997, the National Library also archived the Swedish part of the [[World Wide Web]] as part of a project called ''kulturarw3'' (a play on words; ''kulturarv'' is Swedish for cultural heritage). Initially, the contents were not available to the public due to [[copyright]] issues, but after 2004 visitors to the library could access the archive from dedicated read-only computers on library premises.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kulturarw3 – The Web Archive of the National Library of Sweden |url=https://dhnb.eu/projects/kulturarw3-the-web-archive-of-the-national-library-of-sweden/ |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=DHNB |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2010, mass digitization of Swedish newspapers began, and as of 2016, over 12 million pages had been processed.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Heidi Rosen|author2=Torsten Johansson|author3=Mikael Andersson|author4=Henrik Johansson|title=Experiences from Digidaily|url=http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/mow/VC_Rosen_et_al_28_A_1440.pdf|publisher=Unesco|access-date=25 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Page count query|url=http://tidningar.kb.se/?q=*&sort=asc|website=tidningar.kb.se|publisher=National Library of Sweden|access-date=25 August 2016}}</ref>

In 2020, the library, along with the university libraries in Lund, Gothenburg, Stockholm, Uppsala, and Umeå, launched a project to digitize physical materials printed in Sweden.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=27 Sep 2021 |title=National library collaboration will digitize Swedish printed material |url=https://www.ub.lu.se/en/article/national-library-collaboration-will-digitize-swedish-printed-material |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=Lund University Library |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Open access in Sweden]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Kungliga Biblioteket}}
{{Commons category|National Library of Sweden}}
*[http://www.kb.se/english/ National Library of Sweden], official site in English
*[https://twitter.com/kungbib Twitter account]
*[https://www.kb.se/hitta-och-bestall/hitta-i-samlingarna/kulturarw3.html Kulturarw3], description of the Kulturarw3 project (in Swedish)
*[http://libris.kb.se/index.jsp?language=en LIBRIS] Swedish union library catalogue
*[http://smdb.kb.se Swedish Media Database (SMDB)]

{{National libraries of Europe}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Libraries in Sweden]]
[[Category:National libraries|Sweden]]
[[Category:Culture in Stockholm]]
[[Category:Education in Stockholm]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Stockholm]]
[[Category:Government agencies of Sweden]]
[[Category:1661 establishments in Sweden]]
[[Category:Government buildings completed in 1878]]
[[Category:ISBN agencies]]
[[Category:World Digital Library partners]]
[[Category:Swedish digital libraries]]
[[Category:1661 in literature]]
[[Category:Educational organizations established in the 1660s]]
[[Category:Libraries established in the 17th century]]
[[Category:Deposit libraries]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1661]]
[[Category:17th-century establishments in Stockholm]]