A book wants to be read - A weekend among books in Vestmannaeyjar

A autumn visit to Vestmannaeyjar following the kind invitation of Kári, Library Director and Archivist of the Vestmannaeyjar library, offered a reminder of why old books continue to matter.

The island’s library holds a special rare book collection, assembled with personal care and long-term vision. Among its holdings is something exceptional: all eleven complete Icelandic translations of the Bible, spanning more than four centuries. From the moment one steps into the special collection room, the effect is immediate. 

At the heart of the collection stand early landmarks of Icelandic printing, including the Guðbrandsbiblía and the Þorláksbiblía. Seen together with later editions, right up to the most recent 2007 translation, the books form a visual history of language, faith, and craft. To encounter all eleven translations in one place is rare.

One small detail, however, stayed longest. Along the outer edges of the oldest pages, the paper has darkened unevenly. These marks are not stains or damage, but the result of use: where generations of readers pressed their thumbs while turning pages. Hundreds of years of reading, compressed into a soft shadow at the margins.

Placed there, a modern thumb meets countless earlier ones. History stops feeling abstract.

This attention to the physical life of books, the idea that they are meant to be handled, opened, and kept in motion, runs through the care of the collection. The oldest volumes are regularly and gently turned so their pages do not stiffen with age. Preservation here does not mean sealing books away, but keeping them alive through mindful use.

For a small island community, the scope of the collection is remarkable. It exists because of dedication and a belief that printed matter carries cultural significance.

If you ever find yourself in Vestmannaeyjar, visit Bókasafn Vestmannaeyja and ask to see the rare collection. It is a window into Iceland's past. And if you're searching for a rare Icelandic book of your own, you know where to find us.