Swedish Council Salutes Librarian

Aina Abrahamson, emeritus librarian at Cal Lutheran University, has received the Award of Merit from the Swedish Council of America.

The award was presented to her and 17 others in Chicago recently for their contributions to Swedish America at the grass-roots level.

“She certainly is deserving of a commendation, especially from a Scandinavian organization,” said Lynda Fulford, spokeswoman for Cal Lutheran.

Abrahamson was a Cal Lutheran librarian from 1961 to 1982, when she retired. Since then, she has volunteered her services to the library and Cal Lutheran’s annual Scandinavian Festival.

The event, which will celebrate its 25th year in the spring, is one of the largest and longest-running Scandinavian festivals in the state, Fulford said.

While in Chicago, the award recipients were taken to Andersonville, the city’s old Swedish neighborhood, and to the Swedish American Museum to view the exhibit “From One Life to Another: Migration to and from Sweden.” The exhibit was presented most recently in a Stockholm museum.

The gathering also included singing of the American and Swedish national anthems, a discussion on current issues in Sweden and a tribute to Swedish Americans who preserve and honor their heritage.