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Your answers are important

Statistics Norway (SSB) has conducted surveys on library use in 1998, 2006 and 2015. The surveys have provided statistics describing how the population and students use libraries. The purpose of the Library Survey 2026 is, once again, to produce statistics on the population's access to and use of libraries and library services.

The statistics are an important source of information for the National Library of Norway, public authorities and others involved in planning and developing the country's library services. The results are also used in SSB's own publications, while universities and research institutions use the information for research and teaching. The Library Survey 2026 is conducted on behalf of the National Library of Norway and is funded by the Ministry of Culture and Equality.

Since the previous survey on library use, the role of public libraries in society has changed in line with wider changes in society. This includes, for example, the digitalisation and increased availability of text, audio and images online. Through this survey, we therefore want to map how the population and students use and perceive different library services.

To be able to produce reliable statistics on library use, we will, among other things, ask you about:

  • your use of your local public library
  • your use of school, university and specialist libraries
  • which library services you have used
  • whether you visit the library to attend events

To obtain information about your background, we will also ask you some questions about your health and education.

It takes approximately 15 minutes to complete the survey, although the time required varies somewhat from person to person.

We have randomly selected 4,000 people aged 16 and over from the National Population Register and 2,000 students from the National Education Database (NUDB) to take part in the survey. People aged 16–17 receive all information about the survey themselves, while their parents or guardians receive a letter by post informing them that their child has been selected to participate in the survey.

We need responses from people of all ages and from all parts of the country. If you have been selected to participate, we cannot replace you with someone else. Participation in the survey is voluntary, but it is important that we receive your answers so we can produce statistics on library use that are as reliable as possible.

You will be invited to take part in the survey either online or through a telephone interview.

To respond online, use the link provided in the letter we send you through Altinn, by email or by post (if you have opted out of digital communication), or by SMS. You can choose to complete the survey in Bokmål, Nynorsk or English.

If you are invited to respond online but have not done so within two weeks, one of our interviewers will contact you to conduct a telephone interview. You can also call us on 62 88 56 08 or email svar@ssb.no to arrange a time for us to call you.

If you are contacted by telephone and do not wish to complete a telephone interview, you will have the opportunity to respond online instead.

The questionnaire normally works with all web browsers and on all devices (mobile phone, PC and tablet). If you experience technical problems, it may nevertheless be worth trying a different browser or device. If the problem cannot be resolved, please contact us at svar@ssb.no or 62 88 56 08, and we will try to help you.

If you have not yet been contacted by an interviewer, it may be because we have not been able to find your telephone number. In that case we ask you to contact us and provide the telephone number we can reach you.

  • We use your answers only to produce statistics, and individual responses will not be published.
  • To keep the interview as short as possible, we use information from registers that SSB has access to. We use information about you and your parents or guardians from the National Population Register (Folkeregisteret), as well as education information from educational institutions and the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund (Lånekassen). We also use information about income, employment, benefits and allowances from the Norwegian Tax Administration and the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) concerning you and your household.
  • Before your answers are included in statistical material, you can contact us to withdraw from the survey and request that your answers be deleted.
  • The survey is conducted in accordance with the Statistics Act and the Personal Data Act. If you have questions about privacy, you can email personvernombud@ssb.no or read more about privacy here: https://www.ssb.no/omssb/personvern
  • After 1 December 2027, all responses will be anonymised.

Do you have more questions?

You will find the most frequently asked questions about the survey below. If you have additional questions not addressed on this page, please see our contact information at the bottom of this web page.