Norwegians like to think of Norway as an egalitarian society, with smaller differences in standards of living than many other countries. It is a widely held view in Norway that a well-functioning system that provides education and socialization opportunities for children and young adults is a fundamental pillar of a society where everybody can get a job and earn a decent living.
The Public Libraries Act requires all municipalities to offer public library services, which in general shall be operated by the city/municipality and headed by a trained librarian. The Education Act grants all students in primary and secondary school access to a school library.
The school library at Bjørndal Elementary School in Oslo is large and very popular. The library has plenty of books, as well as 
comfortable reading corners, pillows and stuffed animals for the children to enjoy. All classes have weekly library time, where they can listen to stories being read, and borrow books. Throughout the last few years, pupils have participated in writing books about countries where they have their roots, for instance Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Macedonia. All these books are to be found at the library for the pupils to read and borrow, and they have become quite popular.
In order to become a good reader, you have to read a lot. To read a lot, you have to be motivated for reading and enjoy it, says school librarian Jorun Gulbrandsen in this film from Bjørndal Elementary School in Oslo, Norway. Gulbrandsen works on different projects with focus on reading. One of these is the project where pupils with minority backgrounds write books about the countries where they have their roots.