Stockholm Public Library is part of an extensive citywide system comprising more than 30 branches. However, it was this very library, built to the design of the renowned Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund in the first half of the 20th century, that became the first library open to everyone. At present, it houses about 800 thousand books written in more than 100 languages of the world.
Access to the books is unrestricted. Thanks to clear bright symbols and labels, visitors can easily find the edition they are interested in on the shelves of almost endless bookcases. It is also important that the library is computerized. When issuing books, the staff use a special program to keep track of them, and all editions have special barcodes.
Stockholm Public Library serves up to 3 thousand readers every day. There are even special sections for children here, equipped with miniature shelves, and in a separate hall little ones are shown performances based on the most famous fairy tales.
