Hjalmar Pettersen

Hjalmar Marius Pettersen (13 January 1856 – 18 January 1928) was a Norwegian librarian and bibliographer, best known for editing the ''Bibliotheca Norvegica'', a bibliography of Norwegian literature. Born in the country's capital to a family of means, he became early a voracious reader, eventually embarking on a philological career. After longer stays in Paris, a city he adored, he sought a post at the University Library of Oslo, becoming employed as its lecturer in 1887.

During the 1890s Pettersen published numerous bibliographies, having procured exotic works from foreign libraries. After the exit of his fellow librarian Jens Braage Halvorsen from the University Library, Pettersen occupied the position as chief librarian. Having begun on the ''Bibliotheca Norvegica'' around the end of the 19th century, he finished it four years before his death, leaving the 21 first sheets of paper for the fifth volume behind.

Having become a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in 1903, he was rewarded the Order of St. Olav in 1909. In 1928, two years before his eventual death, he was upgraded to a Commander of the same order. His biographers usually describe him as a industrious yet gregarious man. Provided by Wikipedia