The Oslo Public Library - Deichmanske bibliotek serves the county of Oslo and is Norway´s largest public library. Its services are available for everyone - individuals, institutions, students in the public school system and at the university level, the business community and public administration.

The library has approximately 300 employees spread over 15 branches/departments in the city. In addition, there are several specialised departments, such as the Mulitilingual Library, which serves the entire country with its collection in approximately 37 languages. The collection includes both fiction and non-fiction, in addition to a wide selection of children´s literature.

Patrons can also choose from among a large selection of books in Nordic and other European languages, especially English and German. The majority of departments also offer graphic novels, videos, DVDs and audio books for circulation.

The library´s activity is based upon a testamentary gift from the estate of Chancellor Carl Deichman (1705-1780). Through this gift, the library was bequeathed a collection of handwriting and approximately 6,000 books, nearly all of which are preserved today. The library building from 1933 is much too small for its current level of activity, and plans are now underway for a New Oslo Public Library in the vicinity of the Oslo Fjord and City Hall. The library places great emphasis on the 24-hour Library, web-based services that are available around the clock, in addition to its traditional on-site services. This focus will continue to be important as it moves into the future, and into its new home.