Gothenburg’s public library system was founded in 1861 through a sizable donation by James Robertson Dickson. Initially it was located in rented space in the laborers’ neighborhood of Haga. Then in 1897, the Göteborg Stads Folkbibliotek was built in this beautiful art nouveau style. It was the first public library not only in the city but all of Scandinavia. Also called the Dickson Public Library, it served as the main branch until 1967.
