Foreign-language users

The public libraries in Denmark are open to everybody and has something for everybody’s needs – adults as well as children, Danes as well as ethnic minorities.

There is no charge, when you borrow library material, use the Internet and e-mail service, receive help from the staff, etc. The service offered to you by public libraries is regulated by Danish law.

Under Facts on service you can see the different types of service offered to you by Helsingør Municipal Libraries (Helsingør Kommunes Biblioteker).

Helsingør Municipal Libraries include 4 libraries and Bølgen lending service, all working together. As a user, you can choose freely among these libraries.

You don’t have to enter the library with a specific purpose, and you don’t have to ask anyone’s permission to be there. You can just walk in, maybe with your children, sit down in the children’s department and read aloud to the youngest, or let your older children play and use the games, while you look through magazines, newspapers and books or use the Internet and e-mail service in the department for adults.

The libraries have an information service. Here you may ask questions about anything without telling your name.

However, if you wish to borrow books, CDs or other materials to take home with you, you must be a registered borrower with a library card. See the lending rules of the libraries …

Library utilities for foreign-language users:

Preserve your mother tongue

It is important to have a language of your own, to keep developing it and to be able to pass it on to your children. The library can offer you books and a minor selection of talking books, music and videos in many different languages for adults as well as children.

Learn Danish

To get along in Danish society, you have to learn Danish. Find out what you can borrow for your language training.

Listen to music

The music library provides music CDs from most parts of the world, which you can borrow and then enjoy at home. The children’s library offers music CDs for children and teenagers. You will find folk and world music, classical music, rock, pop, jazz etc. from different countries – maybe even from your own or your family’s home country.

If you want to borrow CDs that we don’t have, we might be able to provide them. Just ask the staff.

The music library also contains sheet music and instruction books on how to play an instrument.

Receive news from your country

See the list of foreign-language newspapers and magazines that you can read when you are visiting the Helsingør Municipal Libraries.

 You should also try the Global Links compiled at www.finfo.dk. There you will find Internet editions of newspapers and news magazines from many countries.

In addition, www.finfo.dk has multilingual information about rights, obligations and opportunities in Denmark, directed especially towards ethnic minorities.

Search the internet, send and receive e-mails

– and the children can play computer games.

In all the Helsingør Municipal libraries, searching the Internet as well as sending and receiving e-mails is free of charge.

Read the rules on Internet use in the Helsingør Municipal Libraries. Ask the librarian to help you book computer time. We will also help you to start searching the Internet and obtaining an e-mail address, if you aren’t familiar with using computers and the Internet.

If you need more help than the librarian can provide on an average busy day, you can ask the librarian to give you a minicourse at a fixed time and date. From time to time, the libraries offer free courses for small groups. Ask the librarian for the next scheduled minicourse, or look it up under What’s Up – an outline of library events.

Obtain information on the Danish society

The libraries can inform you of the offers regarding social service, education, and cultural and recreational activities in Helsingør Municipality and Frederiksborg County.

We are not case workers, but we can tell you whom to contact. We can also find any information you need about laws and regulations valid in all of Denmark and in the EU.

You should also try www.finfo.dk – multilingual information about the Danish society, directed especially towards ethnic minorities.

Finfo.dk even has a special section about Helsingør Municipality’s offers to ethnic minorities living in Helsingør Municipality.

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