This paper discusses the library of the Swedish King Oskar II (1829–1907) and its uses for him as a private person and as head of state. It also discusses the transformation of this library from privately owned to an accessible library museum, archive and research facility. The major research questions concern the history of the library from its beginnings in 1853 until today, and its function as a legitimation tool for Oskar II as well as his descendants. In order to study the library, I have used object biography, a method originating in the fields of archaeology and anthropology, but which has several advantages within the framework of the history of libraries and collections as well. The article is based on the author’s doctoral thesis in library and information science (LIS) at the University of Borås, Över djupen mot höjden: en biografi över Oskar II:s bibliotek (‘Over the depths towards the heights: a biography of Oskar II’s library’).
Arvid Jakobsson (Wed,) studied this question.