It is unknown when Ljungby got its first library. There should have been a parish library sometime between 1860 and 1870, but no traces of this have been found. The only known parish library in current Ljungby municipality was in
Ryssby.
Three room plus kitchen at Storgatan (1920–1928) At the start of the 20th century there were several smaller libraries in Ljungby, with varying access for the public.
Ljungby folkbibliotek (Eng: "Ljungby public library") opened in October 1920 with the creation of its statutes. The library was located in the municipal meeting room and was open every Saturday between two and half-past two. It was managed by the chairman of the library board
rector Gustav Strömvall and librarian
head teacher Algot Björkman.In 1921 there was five libraries in Ljungby;
Ljungby köping,
Ljungby folkbibliotek,
Logen 2876 Ljung,
ABF, and
Logen Finnveden. Ernst Malmertz called the representatives from these libraries to a meeting regarding the possibilities of a merge.
Logen 2876 Ljung and
ABF said that they could not participate in a merger, and
Logen Finnveden was absent. However, the representatives from
Ljungby folkbibliotek and
Ljungby köping agreed to merge their libraries. Shortly thereafter was
Ljungby folkbibliotek'
s collection moved to ''Ljungby köping's
premises at Storgatan''. In 1957 Ljungby's first qualified librarian was hired. During the first trip 2,400 books were carried. Not all of these belonged to Ljungby library as only 700 had been bought during the year, whereof 165 of these were children's books. But since these 700 books was not enough another 2,000 books was lent from
Växjö Library. An additional 40,000 SEK in grant would subsequently be requested from the cultural committee to fill the mobile library with their own books. In 1979 the mobile library accounted for twenty-eight percent of the total lending in Ljungby, which for comparing was as much as the whole library at the end of the 1960s.
The plans of a dedicated library building After the mobile library; step two of the size problem started, the construction of a proper library building. Rejected proposals from 1974 and 1975 had suggested an expansion of the current library. But in 1977 it was found that a completely new building was needed. One that was especially adapted to the unique needs of a library, which could serve for 20 to 30 years. In 1979 the
municipal council decided that the new library building was going to be a
wing of the planned new
municipal building at
block Herkules just outside the central part of Ljungby. The proposal created debate at the same time it turned out that the municipal budget was not enough to build the two buildings, plus the
ice rink that also was planned. To save millions of
SEK and not have to build a
"brag and indulgence library" it was suggested to rebuild an old car hall. In 1981 the municipal council decided to only build the library; the new plans of a municipal building were scrapped and the current municipal building was instead expanded. == Ljungby Library (1982–Current)==