This study explores the physical location of public libraries, and how the functions and activities that the libraries provide can be affected by where in the city the library is located. Two of the libraries that have been examined are located in subway stations, one in a suburban shopping center, and two in very close vicinity to a city center and transportation nodes. Interviews with five employees working in the five libraries in Stockholm and Gothenburg have taken place.The theoretical framework that has been used is a model developed by Andersson and Skot-Hansen, that divides the public library into four different roles; the social center, the information center, the cultural center and the knowledge center. The four roles each connect with different parts of the library´s functions, and the model tells us something about which profile a library can have in the local community. The results show that the location has both positive and, to a certain amount, negative effects on the public library. The close vicinity to communications, and the easy access in connection with shopping and attending culture events, makes the library a more accessible place where the efforts to become a library user are low. This type of location however, also brings noise and disturbance, which worries some of the librarians who see the library as a place of peace and quiet, and inspiration. Although the libraries examined in this study all have new and innovative locations, the functions and activities that take place are equal to those of a traditional public library.