Libraries in the Time of War Symposium / Uppsala, Sweden / March 2023

The 2023 mid-term meeting of the IFLA Rare Books and Special Collections committee was held 15–17 March in Uppsala, Sweden. The first day was dedicated to committee meetings, which were held in the Uppsala University Library main building, Carolina Rediviva. This included discussions about upcoming webinars, satellite meetings, and conference sessions, among other things. The first day ended with a tour of the library, with a special focus on Book Hall and its historical collections.

The second day of RBSC’s midterm meeting was devoted to Libraries in the Time of War, arranged by the IFLA RBSC in collaboration with CERL and hosted by Uppsala University. Nine speakers from three different continents shared their experiences with libraries during wartime, including talks on: how to prepare and prevent loss, how to continue working during conflict, and how to historicize the role of libraries during wartime. Around 70 people attended the symposium in-person, and several hundreds attended virtually via zoom. The day ended with a symposium dinner for the IFLA- and CERL participants, as well as the speakers. A full recording of the symposium can be found HERE.

During the third day, an excursion was arranged to the small town of Strängnäs, about an hour away from Uppsala. The group was welcomed by Elin Andersson from the National Library in Stockholm, who offered a tour of Strängnäs Cathedral, including the Cathedral Library, as well as the nearby Rogge Library, both historical libraries still preserved in their original settings. The day ended with a visit to the sixteenth-century castle of Gripsholm, one of the Royal castles in Sweden. Among many of its wonders was a wonderful eighteenth-century theater that is still kept in the original form.

 

 


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