Vad rymmer klassikerhyllan? : Medieurvalet på Stockholms stadsbiblioteks klassikerhyllor

This study aims to understand the selection of media that shapes the classics sections of Stockholms public libraries. Using a hermeneutic approach and texts by Sainte-Beuve, Eliot and Coetzee, the study interrogates a list of all media placed in the classics section from angles pertaining to genre, language and time. The study also compares the selection to that of the required reading for a basic course about the history of literature at Stockholm university. Some of the findings are: the classics section mostly contains novels, most of the material is translated to Swedish and there is little representation of literature before the 19th century. Part of this is attributed to the material limitations of books, and the contingent organization of library shelves. The comparison to the required reading shows a complicated relationship between the concept of the Classic and the History of literature