Sweden - Libraries and museums



The four major libraries, the Royal Library at Stockholm (three million volumes) and the university libraries of Uppsala (5.4 million), Lunds (3.2 million), and Göteborg (2.7 million), receive free copies of all Swedish publications. There are technical and other special libraries, all of which have an interlibrary loan scheme with the university libraries, the state-aided municipal libraries, and the 24 county libraries. The largest public libraries are those of Stockholm (two million volumes) and Göteborg (1.6 million).

In 1997, Sweden had 324 public libraries. Altogether, the public library systems had a combined total of 46.3 million volumes. The Swedish Authors' Fund administers a library loan compensation system that pays an author royalties each time a book is borrowed.

Sweden has about 200 museums. Most of the outstanding museums are in Stockholm. Especially renowned are the rich art collections of the Swedish National Art Museum and the sculptures of Carl Milles in the artist's former home at Millesgarden in Lidingö. In Stockholm are located the Swedish Museum of Natural History (founded 1739) and the National Museum of Science and Technology (founded 1924). The Aquaria Vatten Museum, opened in 1991, is a natural history museum that includes a shark aquarium, salmon ladder, and living rainforest. Göteborg has a number of museums including the Göteborg Art Gallery and a maritime museum reflecting the interests of that city. The finest Swedish folk museum is in Skansen, near Stockholm. Göteborg also has a public affairs museum including an exhibit of the history of the East India Tea Company of Sweden. Lund has the Museum of Cultural History and the Museum of Zoology. In Uppsala can be found the Victoria Museum for Egyptian Antiquities.

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