Bendik Rugaas

Bendik Rugaas (born December 31, 1942 in Sør-Varanger ) is a Norwegian politician and librarian of the Arbeiderpartiet (Ap). From 1996 to 1997 he was Norwegian Minister for Planning. He was also the chief librarian of Oslo University Library and later the national librarian of Norway.

Life

Rugaas grew up in Kirkenes . He studied at the University of Oslo until 1967 and then attended the state library college until 1971.

From 1967 to 1969 he worked as a lecturer at the state teaching school and from 1969 at the state library college. There he took over the post of rector between 1975 and 1982. Between 1982 and 1987 he was chief librarian at Oslo University Library. Until 1996 he was then first as an imperial and then national librarian. As such, he decided, among other things, to found the national library in Rana . Between 1988 and 1992 he was Vice President of the Conference of Directors of National Libraries . He then served as President of the Conference until 1996.

On November 29, 1996, he was appointed Minister of Planning and Coordination. He held this office until the end of the Jagland government on October 17, 1997. With his resignation, he returned to his position as national librarian. In 2001 he was appointed Director General for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport in the Council of Europe . From 2004 to 2006 he was Counselor for Culture at the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, DC

Web links

• Storting biography (Norwegian)
• Biography on nbl.snl.no in Norsk biografisk leksikon (Norwegian)
• Biography on snl.no in the store norske leksikon (Norwegian)