The Icelandic Collection

As younger generations of Icelanders in North America made the transition to English, the Icelandic language gradually lost its status as an everyday communication tool. However, the language maintained its status as a powerful reminder and symbol of Icelandic identity due to the efforts of many heritage-minded individuals and community organizations. The creation of the Icelandic Collection at the University of Manitoba was one significant outcome from these efforts.

A quiet reading room with large floor-to-ceiling windows revealing a snowy outdoor scene with tall evergreen trees. Inside, modern black chairs with curved armrests face the window. Display cases with books or artifacts line the room, and soft natural light illuminates the space. A framed artwork hangs in the center of the window.

The Iceland Reading Room is considered the best place to study at Dafoe Library

Black-and-white class photo from 1931 showing students and one teacher from Grades 9 and 10 at Jón Bjarnason Academy. The group is arranged in four rows, with young men and women in formal attire, seated and standing against a plain backdrop. The caption beneath the image reads: Grades IX. and X. Jón Bjarnason Academy, 1931.

Grades IX and X, Jón Bjarnason Academy, 1931

A large donation of books from Winnipeg’s Jón Bjarnason Academy, which closed its doors in 1940, laid the foundation for the Icelandic Collection. The collection has grown through the donation of personal libraries and archives from members of the Icelandic community. Other organizations, such as the New Iceland Heritage Museum, the INLNA, the local libraries in Gimli, Arbog, and Riverton, and numerous individuals have also played pivotal roles in preserving this vital part of Icelandic heritage in Manitoba.

A newspaper article titled Library space nearly doubled from Lögberg-Heimskringla, dated July 28, 2000. The article features a floor plan of the Icelandic Collection’s expanded space at the University of Manitoba, showing rooms such as the Iceland Reading Room, Thorlakson Gallery, study rooms, and work areas. The text describes the new amenities, and ads for Icelandic foods and local businesses appear in side columns.

A Lögberg-Heimskringla article on the expanded Icelandic Collection at the University of Manitoba

Wooden roll-top desk with a glass display case showing medals, certificates, and documents. Above it hangs a framed painting of a white two-story house with trees in the background. A label reads G.J. Guttormsson Collection.

Guttormur Guttormsson’s writing desk in the Iceland Reading Room

Today, the Icelandic Collection houses more than 35,000 items published in multiple languages from all over the world. Its holdings include the most complete record of Manitoba’s Icelandic publishing industry. While donations of Icelandic materials have slowed, the collection continues to receive personal records, diaries, and other materials from the descendants of Icelandic migrants. The archives feature nearly 5,500 unique records linked to the local Icelandic community.

A dark wooden bookcase with glass doors, filled with vintage books in Icelandic and English. The top shelf displays matching gilt-stamped volumes. A small sign on top reads Stephan G. Stephansson Collection. The case stands in a sunlit room with trees visible through a nearby window.

Part of Stephan G. Stephansson’s personal library in the Iceland Reading Room

The University of Manitoba’s Icelandic Collection now serves as a hub for community members, students, and researchers from all over the world. It stands as a testament to the remarkable efforts Icelandic migrants and their descendants have made, and continue to make, to preserve Icelandic culture and heritage in North America.

Transitioning to English Credits and Acknowledgements