A librarian and eventually director of Statens bibliotektilsyn, she was also involved in legislative work and public commissions, edited library magazines, and served as president of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

Granheim was born on 16 March 1926 in Oslo to farmer Torstein Brevig and Ingeborg Hauge.

After first living with her family in Enebakk, when her parents divorced, she moved with her mother to Trondheim when she was four years old.

This included legislative work, first as secreatary for the commission preparing the Library Act of 1971.

She was also involved in preparing the Public library Act of 1985 (Lov om folkebibliotek).