Collections

Stockholm University Library's collections currently include printed and electronic books, journals and maps in the areas of humanities, social sciences, law and science. The collections have gradually been expanded with the addition of a number of important specialist libraries.

The Main Library on the Frescati campus began to take shape in the early 1970s. It was originally built around a few large faculty libraries (the social science, law, arts and Slavonic libraries), which were previously located in the inner city near Observatoriekullen.

The scientific institutions and their libraries gradually moved to the north and south of the Frescati campus area and the smaller department libraries were combined into larger units.

In 1983, the University was given its first dedicated library building at the new Frescati campus, next to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Bergius Botanical Garden and the National Museum. In addition to the Main Library, there are still ten or so branch libraries, most of which are located within the university campus, although others are housed with their own departments in Stockholm city centre.

The Main Library's collections have been expanded with the establishment of a number of specialist libraries: the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Library, The National Library for Psychology and Education, the Working Life Library and lastly the Lärum Library.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Library

Since 1978, when the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Library (KVAB) was nationalised, the collections have been coordinated with Stockholm University Library. When the main library was completed in 1983, the entire library, approx. 14 kilometres of books and magazines, was transferred to the new library building. Under an agreement between the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the State, all books printed before 1800 are still owned by the academy but are deposited at the university library. KVAB has an exceptionally fine collection of old scientific literature, with almost complete collections in areas such as botany, zoology, mineralogy and geology, as well as very large holdings in mathematics, physics and astronomy. Its collection of journals contains virtually all the scientific journals of importance from the 17^th century onwards.

The European Documentation Centre, EDC

Stockholm University Library was appointed a European Documentation Centre by the European Commission in 1995. As an EDC, the library must provide and communicate information about the EU for educational and research purposes. There are also Information networks in other Member States .

The library is in regular receipt of official legislative instruments and legal cases, as well as journals, newsletters, reports and books. On the entrance floor there is an EDC corner with current brochures, information leaflets and other printed matter. The legal case collections are located on level 5. Older printed materials can be ordered from the closed stacks. Newer material is available in the Substansen library catalogue, in the journal and database list or on the EU web portal.  Seminars and other events are advertised under News on the library website.

The Library for Psychology and Education

The Library for Psychology and Education, formerly the National Library for Psychology and Education (SPPB) was a special library within the fields of psychology and education. It was previously the national resource library in these areas, and started life as the Education Library in 1885. The library served as a branch library at Stockholm University Library up to and including 2000. Since 2003, it has been integrated into the university library collections.

In addition to literature in psychology and education, there is a comprehensive collection of textbooks and curricula. The Schoolbook collection includes school textbooks from the 18^th century onwards. The collections also include a deposit of books and journals from the Swedish Psychoanalytical Society (SPAF).

The Working Life Library

Following an agreement between Stockholm University, the Department of Education and the National Institute for Working Life, the library's books, journals and reports were moved to the University Library in 2007. The majority of the collection is searchable in LIBRIS and the the library catalogue and is available at Stockholm University Library.

Operation of the Arbline, database, in which reports, articles and other working life-related literature can be searched, was taken over by the Work Environment College at Lund University. The College also took over smaller parts of the literature collection, such as theses and offprints. Literature orders from other libraries with Arbline as the source must be made through the LIBRIS, as normal interlibrary loans. Local orders at Stockholm University Library are made in the library catalogue.

The Lärum Library

The Teacher Education Department's Lärum Library was a special library in the area of educational sciences. In the autumn of 2011, the Lärum Library was integrated into the University Library's collections and special collections of older materials. The materials can be found in the library catalogue. 

 

Published: Thursday, September 15, 2011

Page Editor:

Updated: Saturday, February 04, 2012