The right to information and knowledge has become more and more important as the gap between rich and poor increases - and between those who have and those who do not have access to knowledge.
Libraries build the infrastructure for democracy and equality in society.
In Sweden we have a long tradition of public libraries and a network from national libraries via county libraries to libraries in each municipality. The seventies was a time for expansion of the welfare society and library activities for disadvantaged groups were firmly established. At that time the multi-lingual library services started and are now part of the regular services guarantied by the Swedish Library Law from 1997. Standards vary, however, and there is a constant need for keeping these questions on the agenda, as the resources of the public community are shrinking. In Sweden today, more than one of ten inhabitants have foreign background.