Erasmus exchange In Rome at Biblioteca Storia dell’arte

My name is Lenita Brodin Berggren and I come from the northern part of Sweden, Umea, who is situated about 700 kilometers north of Stockholm. During two weeks I have the opportunity to do an Erasmus exchange for staff at Biblioteca Storia dell’ arte.  It’s both interesting and educational to be able to take part of how a Library works and learn to know colleagues in a different country.



Umea University Campus                                     Photo: Jan Lindmark



Umeå University Library is the largest academic research library in the north of Sweden. Our target groups are mainly students and researchers at Umeå University, but we are open to the public as well. Umeå  University Library opened in 1965 and has about 1 500 000 printed items.

Arts Campus                           Photo: Johan Gunséus

I work at a branch Library to Umea University Library, Arts Campus Library, a Library for art, design and architecture. The library opened in 2012 and is about 100 square meters. Today we have about 4000 printed items, 100 journals, films and a material collection. The Arts Campus Library  have the same catalogue as the main Library so all our students, researchers and staff also have access to all the electronically material.



  Arts Campus Library                                                      Photo: Lenita Berggren

For some years ago I heard about the possibility to make an Erasmus exchange for staff. I contacted the international office at our University and got help with to find information in which Universities Umeå has an agreement for Erasmus exchange with. I am very interested in Italian culture so Italy was my first choice and luckily there was an agreement with the University Roma Tre. I am so fascinated by the fact that the ancient history is right under your feet’s and all around you when you are in Rome.  Of course we also have a history in Sweden but it’s of a much younger date and maybe not so visual all the time as I think it is in Rome.

During my first week here at Rome at Biblioteca Storia dell’ arte I have learnt a lot and maybe the most important is the fact that though we maybe work in different ways the main goal is the same, to make our collections visual and accessible for our students and researchers. The similarities are more than the that what’s differ between us. When I come back to my University I will hold a seminar and tell my colleagues about my time here. Whit a better knowledge about the Biblioteca Storia dell’ arte I hope our Libraries can find ways to collaborate in the future.

Lenita Brodin Berggren

Umea Universitetsbibliotek

Arts Campus Library

lenita.berggren@umu.se