Meet our staff

What do you do in your job?

I serve as a coordinator in the Library Services Division and develop strategies for the Library’s various premises in Uppsala. Since the University Library spans many locations throughout the city, close collaboration and communication with colleagues and staff across different campuses are essential. Beyond our public spaces, we have extensive storage areas for our large collections—items accumulated over four centuries. Much of this material is fragile, requiring special conditions for proper preservation.

What do you find most rewarding?

I love connecting with so many skilled and knowledgeable university employees from various fields. My favourite part, however, is when students express their appreciation for our library environments. I know we provide them with both a quiet place to focus and a space to meet fellow students from different disciplines. It is rewarding to feel I am contributing to a memorable and meaningful time for them at the University.

Why is the University Library an interesting place to work?

There are opportunities to take on a wide range of tasks and engage broadly in library-related issues. For instance, I have worked in instruction, with collections/materials, as a process leader, and in creating our virtual reference service, “Ask the Library.” I have also been able to collaborate with colleagues at other university libraries, receive travel grants for visits abroad, and participate in national networks.

What do you do in your job?

Digitising manuscripts, books, and other materials involves collaboration across several divisions and professional areas. I am responsible for ensuring that our collective efforts run smoothly and efficiently.

I also coordinate external requests for large-scale digitisation of items from our collections—these can come from researchers, organisations, or private individuals. I evaluate whether the request is feasible, provide a cost estimate, and estimate a delivery time. In doing so, I rely on input from bookbinders, librarians, imaging technicians, and others—all of whom play key roles in the digitisation process.

What do you find most rewarding?

Working together to make the Library’s wonderful collections freely available to everyone. It is also a privilege to combine cutting-edge technology with historic cultural heritage materials.

Why is the University Library an interesting place to work?

We are one of the few modern research libraries in Sweden with extensive, unique Special Collections—including medieval manuscripts, photographs, maps, and books printed in the 1400s. Dedicated colleagues with diverse expertise make it possible to supply researchers, students, and the general public with both literature and source material. It is great to be part of such a professional team!

What do you do in your job?

I provide graphic design services to Uppsala University doctoral candidates who will defend their dissertations and need to have them printed. My role is to ensure the dissertations turn out as polished as possible in print.

What do you find most rewarding?

Supporting doctoral students during a stressful time so they can focus on what matters most. I also enjoy the puzzle of resolving layout and formatting issues that arise while preparing their documents for print.

Why is the University Library an interesting place to work?

I get to be one part of a larger system that keeps Uppsala University Library running smoothly.

What do you do in your job?

I work with manuscripts and music at the Division for Special Collections. My tasks include cataloguing individual manuscripts and sheet music, as well as entire archives—for instance, personal archives or organisational archives. Sometimes they are music-related, such as composer archives, archives of music scholars, or choir archives. I mainly catalogue these in the cultural heritage platform Alvin. I am also involved in digitising physical collections and old paper catalogues, allowing both the items themselves and the information about what is in the Library to become available online. Additionally, I regularly staff one of our research reading rooms, the Special Collections Reading Room, and answer questions via email or phone.

What do you find most rewarding?

Honestly, I find the entire job enjoyable. But if I had to choose, it would be the daily interactions with the Library’s users and the hands-on work with our physical and digital collections. It is wonderful to see our music collection studied—and also performed again in recordings or concerts. That is when everything comes full circle.

Why is the University Library an interesting place to work?

It is incredibly multifaceted, and there is always something new to learn. Walking into the stacks can feel like stepping into history, yet the proximity to students and the knowledge that we are supporting current research reminds me to keep looking towards the future.

What do you do in your job?

I am a library assistant in the Information Services Division. I am part of the team that staffs the circulation desks, providing service to students, researchers, and the public. I also help manage our unstaffed libraries – handling returned and reserved books, and ensuring the library environment is inviting.

I have additional duties in the Media Division, such as participating in the MedFarm-TekNat subject team, helping purchase course literature, and assisting with ongoing registration of items received via legal deposit.

What do you find most rewarding?

Being involved in so many different things. One day I might help a student find the right shelf for course literature; on another, I am discussing our collections with enthusiastic colleagues. Simply being part of the university atmosphere is a unique and exciting experience!

Why is the University Library an interesting place to work?

It is a centuries-old library that also looks to the future and to the wider world. Researchers and students at Uppsala University rely on our Special Collections, as do scholars in Sweden and abroad. The Library’s wide-ranging activities, external collaborations, and extensive collections all make it a fascinating workplace. I learn something new here every day, which is wonderfully stimulating.

What do you do in your job?

I work in the Media Agreements and Subscriptions group, where we focus on e-resources. That includes managing and providing support for the Library’s journal and database subscriptions, as well as open access publishing agreements.

What do you find most rewarding?

Right now, I am especially interested in open access, which is a major issue for universities at the moment. But most of all, I appreciate my fantastic colleagues. The University Library is a great place to work!

Why is the University Library an interesting place to work?

We are a large library with a broad scope. Plenty of exciting developments are happening in various parts of our operation. It is an environment where there is always something new to learn.