Reykjavik library cuts five positions as staff warn of strain
Saturday 31st October 2026 on 00:45 in
Iceland
Reykjavik City Library will cut 85 million krónur, or 5% of its operating budget, next year, with five positions being eliminated, the library’s staff were told at a meeting Friday, mbl.is reports. One employee has been laid off and two others will work reduced hours, librarian Guttormur Þorsteinsson told the news site.
Four of the five positions were already vacant because of a hiring freeze. Guttormur said library managers had explained the changes to staff and tried to protect services as much as possible.
The cuts will reduce activity at the Workshop, where visitors can use 3D printers and explore technology and equipment. Half a position in inclusion work and services for people of foreign origin has also been cut, which Guttormur expects will mean fewer events in that area.
He said staff were already under considerable pressure and that fewer positions would add to the workload. Staff illness could also make it harder to keep smaller libraries operating, he said.
Management positions have also been reduced. The manager of the library in Gerðuberg will now oversee the library in Úlfarsárdal as well.
The changes come as a separate review of the library’s finances and future structure is under discussion. A majority-backed proposal for the review was postponed by the culture council on October 21 and has since drawn strong reactions.
Guttormur said the cuts announced Friday were tied to next year’s funding framework, not to the planned review. It remains unclear whether further cost-cutting measures are planned. He said staff did not believe city authorities had sought their views before the proposal was prepared, adding that the lack of consultation had not built trust in the process.
The proposal says library managers and staff are to be consulted during the review. Guttormur said he would not oppose a professional review if it were conducted in good faith. He described the library’s central administration as small and said staff worked to get as much as possible from each króna.