An agreement reached with RA regarding the preservation of the Library of Dagsbrún

The fighting spirit of deceased labor leaders moved upon the face of the waters as Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir, chairman of Efling, and Anna Þorbjörg Þorgrímsdóttir, the managing director of the Reykjavik Academy (ReykjavíkurAkademían – RA), signed an agreement for the preservation and development of the Library of Dagsbrún on the last day of April.The Library of Dagsbrún was founded with a sizeable donation of books from Guðrún Pálsdóttir, the widow of Héðinn Valdimarsson, former chairman of Dagsbrún, on the 50th anniversary of the union on January 26th, 1956. Its original number of books included 3500 volumes from the collection of Héðinn and that of his parents, the editor Valdimar Ásmundsson and the women’s rights activist Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir. Today, the library has almost 9000 books, newspapers and periodicals related to union activities and class struggle in Iceland and around the world.The agreement between Efling and the Reykjavik Academy stipulates that RA will continue to be responsible for the maintenance and daily operation of the library. Also, two representatives of Efling will sit on the library’s board, responsible for its continuing development and organization. The purpose of the operation is to improve the library’s selection of, and access to, the books, whether for academics or the general public.The Library of Dagsbrún was recently placed in a bright space on the 1st floor of the RA-building at Þórunnartún 2. It also has a workspace for academics and other guests.