Reykjavík plans to strengthen school libraries

Reykjavík’s school and leisure council plans to strengthen school libraries, book collections and reading in the city’s primary schools, mbl.is reports. The council approved a majority-backed proposal last week to assess the libraries’ condition and recommend measures to improve their professional work, collections and reading promotion.

The review will cover library facilities, book collections, loan records, professional support, funding for book purchases and how the libraries are used.

“New schools have been built without provision for a library. This is the opposite of what the PISA results are telling us; a library should be the first thing planned for,” said Bjarni Fritzson, chairman of Reykjavík’s school and leisure council.

Fritzson, who joined the city council this spring, has also been one of Iceland’s most popular children’s authors in recent years. He said he had visited every school in the city over the past decade, meeting children and visiting libraries.

“My view is very simple: the library is the heart of the school,” he said. “Children should be able to switch off there, find some peace and lose themselves in the adventurous world that books offer.”

Fritzson said strong reading facilities were particularly important as screens had become more prominent in children’s lives and interest in books had declined. Well-equipped school libraries with skilled staff could be invaluable, he said.

The situation varies between schools, according to Fritzson. Housing problems have forced some schools and administrators to deal with difficult choices, with libraries sometimes being removed or relocated to create classrooms.

In November 2024, Morgunblaðið reported that the total amount spent on children’s and young people’s books had fallen substantially each year from 2018 to 2023, with a total decline of 49 percent over the period. The amount schools spend on book purchases and libraries is currently left to individual school administrators to decide.

Additional funding was allocated to the issue last year, Fritzson said, adding that the council now intended to continue that work and provide more support.