Years ago, in communities where Swedes made up any considerable portion of the population, there would be quite a strong demand that Swedish literature in the Swedish language be made available in the public libraries, and often certain politicians, who for some reason or other wanted to please the Swedish voters, would support such demands.

A Swedish-American colleague reported the other day that Sven Hedin's latest great work, Trans-Himalaya, in the language of the original, is to be found on the shelves of the public library of one of our largest cities. There is no good reason why such a notice should seem particularly remarkable, but it did, because such items are becoming rare in our press. This is, at least 2partly, the fault of the Swedish-American reading public. Those public libraries which have purchased Swedish books with the idea of building up a representative collection have not met with an encouraging response. Swedish patrons have been apt to complain that they could not find the books they wanted. They should realize that under the circumstances the library cannot be expected to offer such an assortment as one would find in a well-stocked Stockholm bookstore. On the other hand, it must be admitted that the libraries have not always exercised good judgment in making their selections, and that many of the books are more suitable for Sunday-School pupils than for grown-up patrons with a somewhat discriminating literary taste. They have offered too many of the works of rather obscure Swedish authors, and not enough of the really great names. The books in a public library should present a representative cross-section of the best literature produced in any particular language.

A good collection of Swedish books, be it a part of an American public library, or in the possession of some Swedish organization, is of great potential value in stimulating interest in Swedish culture, and keeping open the spiritual roads leading to the old fatherland.

Interest has been waning of late. Few additions have been made to existing collections of Swedish literature, and those that we have are not being used much. It is up to us Swedish-Americans to bring about a change.