The teacher and author Ingela Korsell sits on the state Reading Council with the task of promoting reading. She is also one of many who argued strongly for a state requirement for staffed school libraries.
— The money will of course not be enough, but before that it was not there at all. It is an important step in the right direction – but preferably more money, she says.
Prepare oneself
According to the proposal presented by the Liberal party leader Johan Pehrson and Education Minister Lotta Edholm (L), the government allocates SEK 218 million, but only in the 2025 budget, and then for the autumn semester. According to Lotta Edholm, the investment will only come then so that the principals – municipalities and independent actors – will have time to prepare.
“This investment is part of fighting gang crime, hello politicians!”, says Ingela Korsell, member of the Reading Council. Press photo.
From 2026, 433 million will be set aside annually, which is significantly less than the 500 million kroner that Gustav Fridolin called for in his investigation into school libraries already in 2021.
“Hello politician!”
Ingela Korsell describes the staffed school libraries as an educational investment that helps both teachers and students.
— Today, more and more people end up outside the reading and democracy community. The consequence is exclusion, segregation and, in the long run, gang crime. This investment is part of fighting gang crime, hello politicians!
Silvia Ernhagen, secretary general of the Swedish Library Association, describes the announcement as long-awaited and “extremely positive”.
— Access to school libraries with trained librarians is sometimes absolutely crucial for children to learn to read properly. What we’re going to do now is try to make sure that the new legislation doesn’t include a bunch of exemptions that erode this.