One of the pleasures of not being a secretary general is being able to join in activities that ordinary delegates can take time out to do, such as library visits. This year I chose Library Visit #18, to Högsbo Public Library. It serves a population of around 17.000 in a suburb of Gothenburg and is located in a building erected in 1954 as part of a small shopping center. The building, which was extended in 1999, is not particularly striking but it seems functional and has worn well. A collection of around 30.000 items is on offer, and around 600 library visits are recorded daily. The staff numbers six, of whom four librarians. And they keep pretty busy. We were impressed with the activities on offer. This is grassroots, community-orientated librarianship in action, Swedish style.

See a few pictures of my visit at: http://picasaweb.google.com/PeterJLor/HogsboPublicLibrary#

Thank you, Swedish colleagues, for arranging this visit and the many others, and thank you, Högsbo librarians, for your hospitality.