Over the coming years, the Faculty of Science’s four subject libraries will be brought together under one roof. The libraries for geology, biology, physics and astronomy, and chemistry will leave their current premises and move into a shared home in the Astronomy Building, where a study centre is also planned.
The relocation of the libraries is the result of several changes: an extensive densification effort at the faculty and the decision to merge two departments and a centre into the new Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Geocentrum – where the need for more space quickly became apparent. When the question of the Geology Library’s future arose, the idea was born to create a joint library service and a shared space for study and meetings.
“This is an exciting opportunity to bring together all the subject libraries while also creating an open space for students,” says librarian Annika Nilsson enthusiastically when we meet just before the summer holidays. She is also the one managing the collections project.
What happens to all the books?
Before the move to the Astronomy Building can take place, extensive work is required – not least with the collections themselves. In total, around 100,000 books and journals must be reviewed, assessed, and either preserved, placed in storage, or weeded out. Items to be kept for the long term are sent to the University Library’s storage facility at the Arkivcentrum Syd.
“We librarians go through every single title, and it’s a huge job! So far, we’ve sent off 50 pallets for freezing at the University Library’s freezers in Höje, where they are stored for two weeks to kill silverfish and other pests that can damage the books,” says Annika Nilsson.
The relocation will take place in stages. First to move are the Geology Library and the Biology Library, followed closely by the Chemistry Library and the Library of Physics and Astronomy. The Astronomy Library has already undergone an initial weeding process in connection with its earlier move from the Astronomy Building to the Department of Physics.
The project follows a clear timeline – everything is to be completed by 2028. During this period, about 90 percent of the shelving metres will be weeded or placed in storage, according to established criteria.
“We know roughly how much shelf space we’ll have in the Astronomy Building. That’s why we only keep what is most frequently used or unique. We don’t discard anything that cannot be obtained elsewhere – we make sure there are always copies available somewhere in Sweden.”
An important basis for deciding what to weed out is the actual usage of the materials. In the former Astronomy Library, statistics showed that only about 10–15 percent of the collection was borrowed or used on site.
“We use those statistics when deciding which books will remain, so that what we keep is material that students and staff actually want to read,” says Annika Nilsson.
From bookshelves to the future
Materials that are weeded out are rarely thrown away. They are primarily donated to other libraries, researchers, or students who may find them useful.
“We recycle as much as we can. If we have discarded anything, it has been older journals that already exist both digitally and in several printed copies in Sweden.”
Some materials have also been sent to other higher education institutions:
“For example, we have supplemented collections at Chalmers University of Technology and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). The idea is to see Sweden as a shared library where we exchange resources to both preserve and make materials accessible to as many people as possible,” Annika Nilsson continues.
“Even though much of the material is placed in storage, it will still be easy to access – you can simply order it and pick it up at the library that suits you best, on any campus within the university. I am convinced that more university libraries will follow the same path we are taking now,” Annika concludes.
