Leaves from the Library,

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a monthly blog by Felicity Hanson, Librarian

January 2025

100th Anniversary of the Icelandic Hekla Club of Minnesota

A Nation of Book-Worms

It doesn’t take much searching online to discover an important fact about Icelanders, and that is, they love to read. Some say this is because of their deep cultural connection to the ancient sagas that root Icelanders to their island and community. Some say it is because they love a good yarn during the long winters. Whatever the reason, we in the library value keen readers!

Added Contemporary Titles for DAC Library support Hekla

Despite this huge output, it is somewhat difficult to acquire contemporary Icelandic works because few are translated into English. Even so, in the DAC library, we are pleased to have added some new titles to our limited collection of such books. In this way, we support Hekla’s goal to “promote Icelandic social, educational, and cultural themes.” Use our online catalog to see what’s available; search term “Iceland”.

Surveys show that novels are at the top of Icelanders’ reading lists, with crime fiction second. In the DAC’s library you’ll find crime and suspense fiction, feminism and LGBT fiction, as well as literary fiction genres. In addition, we have knitting books connecting to Iceland. Most of the works or their authors have won prestigious awards.

On the other hand, you may be more interested in reading the ancient, revered Icelandic writings that have come down through many centuries… “Game of Thrones,” anyone?

Sagas and Eddas
Fortunately for us non-Icelanders, the Sagas and Eddas are readily available in English translation online. Here’s a quick way to find a match for your reading preferences, plus a link to a free pdf or other source of the work: