As Sweden mandates staffed school libraries, Stockholm turns to Danish software

The new system, Cicero, will allow school librarians to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time inspiring and supporting students.

Like many other European countries, Sweden is grappling with declining reading skills among children and young people. In response, a new law came into force on 1 July 2025 requiring all Swedish schools to provide a staffed school library with personnel who can actively support pupils. While Sweden already had requirements around school libraries, the new law tightens those rules considerably, with a specific focus on staffing and active library provision. But a staffed library also needs a strong library system.

The Danish software company Systematic has just won the tender to supply a new library system to all of Stockholm's schools. The existing system, Book-IT, which has been in use for over two decades, is being replaced by Cicero - a modern, web-based solution already used by more than 500 public and school libraries across Sweden, as well as a large number of libraries elsewhere in the Nordic region and in Germany.

Cicero was originally developed as a shared national platform for all of Denmark's public and school libraries - a model that remains unique in the world. All 98 Danish municipalities use the same system.

Time for the things that truly matter

The system itself is not the point. It’s not the software that makes a child pick up a book. It is the librarians, teachers, parents, and friends who inspire. But when librarians spend large parts of their working day on administrative tasks in front of a screen, there is less time left to guide and support the pupils in their care.

"We want to give school librarians a modern, stable tool that supports a well-organised library service for pupils and teachers across the city's schools. The system should free up time for what really matters: meeting pupils where they are and strengthening their love of reading and their ability to navigate an information-rich world," says Sebastian Waller Stålnacke, project manager for digital library services at Stockholm’s Utbildningsförvaltning (the Stockholm Education Authority).

The agreement covers around 97,000 pupils across approximately 170 schools, with a collection of 2.3 million physical materials. The contract runs for four years, with the option to extend for up to ten years in total.

"Cicero is straightforward and intuitive to use regardless of library size. That flexibility makes Cicero a natural choice, now that all Swedish schools - whatever their size or staff structure - are required by law to offer pupils a staffed library," says Jakob Ilum Damsgaard, Director of Systematic's Library division.

Cicero is becoming the standard for Swedish school libraries

Stockholm's schools are far from the first to adopt Cicero. The system is already in use at more than 500 libraries across Sweden - from the smallest schools to large city library networks. With Stockholm, Systematic has secured its largest school library contract internationally to date, which Jakob Ilum Damsgaard sees as marking a new chapter in the company's presence in Sweden.

"Sweden is in the middle of a significant push to raise the standard of school libraries, and we are glad to play a part in that. But technology is the means, not the end - the legislation is about ensuring that children and young people have access to a librarian who has the time and space to meet them where they are and help them find what sparks their love of reading and deeper learning," he says.