Scene from Rødovre Library. (Courtesy of seier+seier at Flickr, CC License.)

Talking is king, but sometimes en god bog (a good book) may be your best friend in your struggle to absorb the charming Danish language! Finding a bibliotek [beebleeohTEHK] (library) is never a problem in Denmark, as even smaller towns use to have a public library. Most often, however, you will need a Danish address and  personnummer (civil registration number) in order to get a lånerkort (library card). Of course, you’re always welcome to stay at the library and read its books and aviser (newspapers) on the spot. Many Danish libraries also have free extra services such as computere and printere and mødelokaler (meeting rooms). Below are a couple of dialogues between a låner (patron) and a bibliotekar (librarian). (Please note that a direct translation between the two languages is not always possible.) Be aware that customer service in Denmark is increasingly web-based, so there’s a chance the librarian might refer you to a hjemmeside [YEMMehseetheh] (webpage, homepage) before the dialogue gets too lengthy! 🙂 Most official webpages also come in an English-language version.

1. Lånerkort (Library Card)

Librarian: Hej (Hello).
Patron: Hej, jeg vil gerne låne den her bog. (Hi, I would like to check out this book.)
Librarian: Okay. Har du et lånerkort? (Sure! Do you have a library card?)
Patron: Nej (No).
Librarian: Okay. Hvis du vil have et, skal du oprette dig som bruger inde på vores hjemmeside. Jeg skal også lige se dit sygesikringsbevis. (Okay. To get one, you’ll need you to register as a user on our homepage. I’ll also need to see your Danish health card.)
Patron: Fint. Det gør jeg. Hvad giver lånerkortet adgang til? (Sure, I’ll do that. What can I access with my library card?)
Librarian: Det giver adgang til alle resourcerne i vores system, fra bøger, lydbøger, cd’er, dvd’er til online-tjenester som Transparent Language Online. (You can access any resource in our system, including books, audio books, CDs, DVDs, and even online services like Transparent Language Online.)
Patron: Fedt! Jeg har allerede registreret mig. Her er mit sygesikringsbevis. (Wow! I’ve already registered. Here’s my health card.)
Librarian: Super. Jeg har oprettet dig som låner, og bogen er blevet udlånt i dit navn. (Great, I’ve established you as a user, and checked out the book to you [the book has been checked out in your name].)
Patron: Hvornår skal den afleveres? (When is it due?)
Librarian: Du skal aflevere bogen igen i løbet af en måned. (You need to return the book within a month.)
Patron: Kan lånet forlænges? (Can I renew it?)
Librarian: Ja, du logger bare ind på vores hjemmeside, og så kan du forlænge lånet så længe der ikke står andre i kø. (Yes! Just log into our website and you can renew it as long as no one has it on hold [no one else is standing in line].)
Patron: Mange tak. (Thank you so much.)
Librarian: Det var så lidt. God fornøjelse! (You’re welcome! Enjoy!)

2. Udlån (Checking Out Materials)

Patron: Hej! Jeg vil gerne låne Den Grimme Ælling, men jeg kan ikke finde den på hylden. (Hi! I’d like to check out The Ugly Duckling but I can’t seem to find it on the shelf.)
Librarian: Lige et øjeblik, så tjekker jeg vores database. (Okay, just one minute while I check our database.)
Patron: Okay. (No problem.)
Librarian: Jeg er ked af det, men bogen er udlånt indtil næste uge. Vil du reservere den? (I’m sorry, that book has been checked out until next week. Would you like to put it on hold?)
Patron: Ja tak. (Yes, please.)
Librarian: Fint. Giv mig lige dit lånerkort. Du får en mail når bogen er tilgængelig. (Okay, let me scan your library card. You’ll get a mail when it’s available.)
Patron: Super! Har du nogle gode læseforslag i mellemtiden? (Great! In the meantime, do you have any other recommendations [some good reading recommendations]?)
Librarian: Selvfølgelig. Hvad for nogle bøger kan du lide? (Always! [Of course.] What kinds of books do you like?)
Patron: Jeg er meget glad for biografier, men jeg læser også en masse moderne faglitteratur. (I really enjoy biographies, but I also read lots of contemporary non-fiction.)
Librarian: Jeg skriver lige nogle forslag til dig. Du kan også søge efter tilsvarende bøger på vores hjemmeside. (Let me write down some suggestions [for you]. You can also search our homepage to find similar books.)
Patron: Fantastisk! Hvor mange bøger kan man låne samtidig? (Awesome! How many books can I check out at once?)
Librarian: Så mange som du vil! (As many as you’d like!)
Patron: Og hvor længe kan man låne en bog? (And for how long can I check books out?)
Librarian: Du kan låne en bog i en måned ad gangen. (You may check out a book for a month at a time.)
Patron: Får man bøde for at aflevere for sent? (Do you charge fees for late returns?)
Librarian: Ja, men vi sender dig først en påmindelse på mail. Her er listen. Sig endelig til hvis du har brug for mere hjælp! (Yes, but we’ll send you a reminder e-mail before it’s due. Here’s the list, let me know if you need any help.)
Patron: Mange tak! (Thanks so much!)

3. God læselyst! (Enjoy your reading!)