This thesis is about new technology in academic libraries in the form of Patron Driven Acquisition. As libraries take part in the digital era, a new model of patron driven acquisition has emerged. This model gives users more influence over the libraries electronic book collection. The collection development model changes libraries traditional role in the collection development process, from collecting for the future to the present.The purpose of this thesis is to gain knowledge of what acquisition librarians think about the effects of PDA on the collection, the acquisitions role and the cost structure. The theoretical framework relies on Christensen’s theory about disruptive technology and was used to interpret outcomes of new technology in libraries and its staff.Five librarians from four different Swedish university libraries were interviewed using a qualitative semi-structured method to carry out the investigative part of this thesis. The analysis of the interviews were performed using a qualitative content analysis and the answers were thematised using the theory and research questions. The analysis of the results indicate few changes done by PDA to the collection and the acquisition role, but a changed cost structure was identified. The results also identified that the academic libraries are moving away from the traditional acquisition role. There are signs of both sustaining- and disruptive technologies in the results. However stultification of the library and the librarians’ role in the acquisition as predicted by the theory of disruptive technology is not possible to see in the present extent of PDA. / Program: Bibliotekarie

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the view on reading and reading promotion in the Culture of Reading (SOU 2012:65), based on three different approaches to reading and reading promotion; the pragmatic, the emancipatory and the traditionalistic. The thesis is based on the following questions; which view on reading can be seen in the Culture of Reading and which view on librarians’ reading promotion can be seen in the Culture of Reading. To answer these questions, I am going to apply the aforementioned approaches on the Culture of Reading. The Culture of Reading is an official report from the Swedish government and parts of it will be subject to a qualitative content analysis. The results from the analysis shows that all of the approaches, to some extent, can be seen in the report. Reading is presented as something of great importance to the nation and the individual. The approach most prevalently seen regarding librarians’ reading promotion is the emancipatory. Librarians are also given a pedagogic role. The need for cooperation regarding reading promotion is also underlined in the report. The thesis also shows that libraries and the librarians can be very influential when it comes to creating readers and laying the foundation for a future interest in reading and literature. / Program: Bibliotekarie

The aim of this bachelor thesis is to find out the possibilities for librarians and book bloggers to collaborate. We find this relevant because of blogs being a new medium that could be useful for librarians to embrace. Book blogs are often networks of blogs connected to each other through their common interest in literature and we have examined how this could be of use for librarians.The method we have used is semi-structured interviews, which gave us the possibility to adjust our questions based on the informants’ answers, when necessary. Our informants have been both librarians and book bloggers; we have met some of them and interviewed the others by e-mail. The questions we used were meant to show us how librarians use private book blogs, what bloggers’ relation to libraries look like and their respective attitudes about a possible collaboration.Our study showed that librarians have a positive attitude towards collaboration, but are slightly anxious about its operability. Book bloggers on the other hand focused on the possibilities rather than the difficulties. Collaboration options, recommended by the informants, were that book bloggers could write on the library blog or connect to the library blog via links. Book clubs between librarians and book bloggers was yet another option. / Program: Bibliotekarie

The aim of this bachelor’s thesis is to gain deeper knowledge about how librarians in public libraries in Sweden view theirprofessional role with regard to the last decades of change in the library field. Especially concerning the technical evolution and towards a higher user orientation and market mindset, and in which ways this has influenced the librarians everyday working tasks. A particular focus has been placed towards the reference transaction, the use of computers and e-media, and the stock development. We believe that there currently is a changeover, from the libraries traditional line of function, towards them as more of service institutions.The method used in this study for answering the research questions and to gather empirical information is semi-structuredinterviews. The division is three more experienced librarians, with twenty years or more from the field, and three newlygraduated with less than five years as active librarians. We seek to compare if there are any differences in views between these two categories. The theory used for analyzing the results is Anders Ørom’sabout different librarian identities together with Trine Schreiber’s development of the model. Conclusions drawn from this study are that there is a similarview on the librarianship; the traditional role and the information intermediate roles has earlier been considered incompatible. Now they seem to come together in a “traditional tasks in new packaging”-thinking. / Program: Bibliotekarie

The aim of this master's thesis is a comparative study on units for civic information in Göteborg. The study is based on a project currently in progress at the main public library in Göteborg. It is observed that according to the library's mission statement the library aims to become the most competent intermediary of civic information in Göteborg. This statement suggests a competitive strategy towards other intermediaries of civic information. The mission statement does, however, also state that their goal is to be obtained in cooperation with other intermediaries. Thus, we will study how four public service units for civic information in Göteborg operate. These are then compared to the department of civic information at the main public library. Five areas are considered: 1) the definition of the concept of civic information, 2) mission statements, 3) target groups and users, 4) service offered, 5) personnel qualifications and accessibility of the information unit. The study is based on interviews with representatives at the different units. We conclude that for citizens to be informed, individual activity in acquiring information is necessary. Also, one service unit for civic information rarely offers the full range of the civic information. Consequently, there is a need for a number of information units. Each unit may have their own profile and thereby fill different needs. Thus, in order to provide the citizens of Göteborg with the best service possible, we find that cooperation between public service units for civic information is preferred to competition. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The usability of the Internet increases for every year. The Weblog phenomenon makes it possible for anyone to easily publish, find information and get in touch with other people through the net. This Essay treats the possibilities the Weblog medium offer Swedish libraries and librarians in library contexts. The purpose of the study is to examine the Web phenomenon: Weblogs, and their significance for a total of eleven Library Heads and librarians together with their view on the Weblog activity at each library connected Weblog, to get comprehension and new knowledge on the usability of Weblogs in the library sector. The foundation for the Essay consists of a qualitative interview study, built on asynchronous e-mail interviews and telephone interviews with blogging librarians and Heads of libraries. Theoretical frames and concepts are taken from Internet Research Theory, Socio-cultural Theory and Theory of Library- and Information Science. From the result and analysis can be found that Weblogs serves a purpose as virtual arenas, where people can meet, communicate, discuss and exchange information along with networking. The Weblog is a complement to other information channels as for example Web, e-mail and intranet. Weblogs are used for the purposes of communication and information, for marketing and for pedagogical activities. My conclusion is that for libraries and librarians the Weblog activity means a new way of communication and dialog with the surrounding world. The Library Sector can make its activities come into sight and the librarians can inform and communicate with colleagues and users. / Uppsatsnivå: D

During recent years the professional role of librarians has changed considerably. Development in the areas of information technology and the Internet has had a strong impact on libraries. Today’s visitors are in greater need of librarian support for information seeking and other services. This has led to a shift towards the development of a more complex pedagogical role for librarians. The aim of this Master thesis is to analyse the pedagogic and professional role of librarians, and of the nature of co-operation between librarians and teachers. Our research is based on interviews with librarians at a University library and with teachers. The interviews were analysed through a qualitative, thematic approach. The most important conclusions of our research are that librarians are very motivated to work together with the teachers and that they use every opportunity to do so. The teachers need librarians’ knowledge about sources, methods and search strategies to be able to carry out relevant information seeking tasks in a class. Findings indicate that some of those tasks might have been impossible for the teachers to assist their students with without the co-operation of a librarian. Teachers and librarians have several forums where they can interact. One example is the library’s reference group. As a result new forms of cooperation have evolved. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The aim of this Master’s thesis is to examine the librarians’ perception of the users of children’s and young people’s literature. Questions posed in this study are: How are the librarians described according to appearance, personality and interaction with the users? How are the librarians described compared to former studies on the subject? Which perception can be seen, based on Douglas Rabers’s theory which describes the role the public libraries can take in the society? The study is based on content analysis. We have examined 15 descriptions of librarians in both picture books and literature for young adults, published between 1985 and 2006. The theoretical starting-point in our study is Rabers’s theory on the three different approaches to users that a public library can take; Social activism, The conservative response and The populist initiative. The result of the analysis indicates that Raber’s Conservative response has a slight predominance in the librarians’ perceptions of the users. The all-in-all-perception that is shown in the literature for children and young adults, is that the librarians’ interactions with the users is rather tame. The librarians are often invisible and seen as part of the library inventory. However, when help is requested, most of them are kind and helpful. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The aim of this thesis is to investigate librarians’ experiences and opinions about a system for fiction retrieval based on the subject headings list Att indexera skönlitteratur. I want to know if librarians experience that subject headings searches for fiction literature are a good working tool, if there according to librarians are other resources and means that makes fiction available and searchable, and how they estimate the possibility of non-professionals to use subject headings for fiction retrieval. Six librarians at public libraries in Göteborg where interviewed. The interviews dealt with their work with fiction literature, their experiences of subject headings as a fiction retrieval tool, and with their contacts with patrons. The study revealed a great variation among the six librarians. Some said they used subject headings regularly and found them useful for fiction retrieval, while others said subject headings had a minor role in their work with fiction. As alternatives to subject headings where mentioned handbooks that describe fiction literature, the competence of librarians, shelf classification and exhibitions. Some librarians thought most patrons have limited use of subject headings, while others thought subject headings can be a good help for patrons. It is a common experience among the librarians that students ask for fiction dealing with certain subjects, and a common view that students above others can benefit from subject headings. To improve the retrieval of fiction in public libraries in Göteborg it is suggested that the structure of the subject headings list is exposed to the persons searching. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The aim of this study is to examine Swedish public libraries preservation of rare book collections. In this study a rare book is rare when it become over a hundred years. I will investigate if libraries have any written policies or plans when it comes to preservation and also what the librarians’ opinion about rare book collections are. This is of interest because public libraries have a lack of responsibility when it comes to preservation. The librarians’ opinions will be based on Svante Beckman and Magdalena Hillström’s theory of museums four idealtypes. The four different types are the treasury, the archive, the school and the theatre. The theory then will let us see if the librarians think their rare book collections are subject only for the audience or the collection. I will examine six librarians from six different cities in Sweden. To my help I will use a questionnaire. There will be for example questions about aims, problems, visions and care. The study will then be based on a method of qualitative content analysis. The result of the analysis reveals that the majority of the librarians’ think their rare books are subject for the collections. They includes in the Treasury and the Archive. No preservation documents were written at the chosen libraries and there were only two libraries that had written something about cultural heritage and preservation in their library plans.