How freaking beautiful is Malmö! I heard it used to be, and I quote from one of my Swedish friends, "a huge shithole" before money started flowing in since the City was affordable for young people/families and for freshly immigrated ethnic communities. Now, Malmö is kind of a trendy hub, known for its indie and alternative vibe and quirky atmosphere, as well as the ethnic grocery shops.
Walking around Malmö - ducks!
Malmö City Library: Malmö Stadsbibliotek
Address: Kung Oscars väg 11, 211 33 Malmö
Opening Hours:
- Monday - Thursday @ 10:00 - 18:00
- Friday @ 11:00 - 18:00
- Saturday - Sunday @ 11:00 - 17:00
To borrow books from Malmo Library you need to get a library card (pictured above). Here are the steps:
- Enter the library. On your left there should be a small ticket machine - press for a numbered ticket and take a seat on the red sofa bench opposite the reception desk. Your number will be displayed and that's when you can actually go up and seek assistance.
- You'll need to provide some sort of ID: either a passport or your residence permit card will suffice, and fill in a form stating your name, address, gender and email.
- The librarian will process the information and you'll be asked to choose a 4-digit pin number of your choice which enables you to log in to the library catalogue, reserve books, use the internet, scan and print pages as well as borrow books.
- Write your name on the back of the card handed to you!
English fiction section, other languages located in the 'block' behind the shelves
One thing I really appreciate about Swedish libraries is how books are organised by "category", for example, English or Swedish, Fiction/Non-Fiction and then shelved by the author's surname. I find locating books to be so much easier here rather than under the Dewey Decimal System that Australia insists on using /sigh (joke! But seriously, the Swedish system is better).
There's an information desk located upstairs from the main reception both on the left and right, where a staff member can help answer questions about locating books and finding what section of the library (for example, music or film media) you need to get to. They can also show you how to borrow, reserve and cancel reserved books through the online system, Malin Katalog (which can be translated in Swedish and English). You'll need your 4-digit pin and your card number (on the back of your card) to use the online system.
View of the reception area (below) and across to newspapers, magazines and non-fiction section
Children's section
Note: books that are returned are processed through a machine which logs them as "available" on the catalogue. However, that doesn't mean that they're actually on the shelf ready to be re-borrowed: librarians only have access to the crate of books being processed by the machine when the crate is full. So you're better off reserving books online before going to the library - when they're actually available you'll get an email and can collect the books from reception. I learned this the hard way and dejectedly left the library without the book that I couldn't wait to devour: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.
After the harrowing experience of not being able to borrow my book right then I turned to what never fails to make me feel better: vegan food (AHAHAA). I stopped by Lotta Love Superfoodbar which is about a 10 minute walk away. Read about my food adventures here!
On the way back to Lund: Allt i Kök
I came across this shop, Allt i Kök, while walking back to Malmo Central Station. I couldn't help ducking inside to have a close peek at their colourful homeware displays! They have Moomin and Pippi Longstocking merchandise and a range of colourful fika-themed goods.
Swedes really love fika! I would've bought the pink and white fika mug had it not cost SEK130 ;n;
fika mugs
fika tray
fika saucer
fika serviettes
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