The aim of this essay is to try to find the differences and similarities of two public libraries in the town of Kristinehamn and the rural community of Vara during the year 1994. Especially interesting was if the different political traditions of the two communities -left wing majority in Kristinehamn and right wing in Vara- have influenced the forming of the public libraries. The comparison contains accounts from the annual reports produced by the libraries between 1987 and 1994, a more thorough study of the activities and interviews with decision makers in 1994. The interview with the decision makers indicates that there is a distinct difference between the librarians and the rest of the informants, this distinction shows, that in a tight budget situation the librarians prefer not to cut down on staff while the other informants actually favour to make cuts on the procedures handled by the librarians. The general opinion though, is that they all agree that the role of the public libraries is to defend democratic rights. The final conclusion is that the material of this essay supports the opinion that the idea of public libraries is stronger than the political differences in Vara and Kristinehamn.