People of various cultural and linguistic backgrounds seek refuge in Sweden. Policy documents for public libraries state that prioritized areas of operation are children and young people, but also cultural and linguistic diversity. In recent years, the spatial aspects of library buildings have been the subject of major research, especially in Scandinavia. The purpose of this study is to broaden knowledge of how public libraries can design spaces by considering diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In this study, library spaces for children and young people are researched. The methods applied in this research were semi-structured interviews with librarians; observations in library spaces for children and young people in three public libraries in Västra Götaland, Sweden; and a review of policy documents from these public libraries. The theoretical framework for this research is Hans Elbeshausen's and Peter Skov's "Public libraries in a multicultural space: a case study of integration processes in local communities." Elbeshausen and Skov describe the transnational: how people are linked to two or more cultures. This was the theoretical foundation for the transnational screen, a tool for analysis, in which support of multiculturalism and integration would promote a sound transnational. This tool was used to analyze the results of the observations. Findings indicate that public libraries already support both multiculturalism and integration, which means public libraries also reinforce transnationalism. Using the transnational screen for analysis facilitates practical suggestions for improvement in the operation of public libraries.

The aim of this bachelor thesis is to investigate how library users experience the space in their library. In understanding the conception of space, we have used Henri Lefebvre's triad of space which he writes about in The Production of Space (1991). We also used different interpreters of Lefebvre to understand his theory better. For this thesis we have interviewed seven users of one academic library and seven users of public libraries in different cities and communities in Sweden. All the libraries we visited were more-open libraries, that means that the libraries offers the patrons to use the libraries even when the librarians isn't there. The interviews had the character go-alongs, that means that we went along with the user in it´s library while we did a semi-structured interview or semi-structured interviews via Zoom. As a complement to the interviews made via Zoom the users drew a map of their library, in the way that they consider it, the method for this is called mental map. It was used as support for remembering the room and to place us in the room. We analyzed the empirics by using Lefebvres aspects spatial practice, representations of space and representational spaces. In our result we could see that the users experience of the library room was very integrated with others or the absence of others. Analyzing it made us understand what Lefebvre ment with social space and how bodies, our own and others influence the experience of space and how we reproduce space by entering a room. We also found that the users felt at home in their libraries and that the spaces filled their needs. The needs were to be on your own, to be in a place that motivates you, or inspires you in different ways. The library seems to be that place and also what the user expects to find in the library.

This qualitative study examines the browsing behaviours of patrons at two Swedish public libraries. Our methods were semistructured observations and semistructured interviews. The purpose of this thesis is to generate knowledge on how browsing behaviours manifest in practice, especially in the lesser-studied public library context. The research questions were: 1. Which browsing types and browsing activities can be found in our data? 2. How do the patrons describe the changes in their browsing behaviour in relation to the specificity of their information need? 3. How do the patrons describe that their behaviours and choices are influenced by the libraries’ marketing of resources in the physical library room, for example book displays and themed shelves? The results were then analysed in relation to a typology of browsing behaviour proposed by McKay et al. (2019), and in relation to models of browsing behaviour created by Kwasnik (1992) and Bates (2007). The models by Kwasnik and Bates were found to be accurate and useful in describing the browsing behaviours of the patrons we observed. Our data supported some of the types presented by McKay et al.(2019), while other types have been slightly redefined to better reflect our data. The good enough type was proposed as an alternative to McKay et al.’s satisficing type. The patrons displayed different browsing behaviours corresponding to the specificity of their information needs. The patrons show different views towards the library displays. A few patrons looked at them very rarely, while most looked at them more often.

This bachelor thesis examines the access and pedagogic roles of the school library room at a primary school with students in preschool class up to ninth grade. As of 2017 the school library has new premises with the goal of making the school library more available for all students at the school. The purpose of the study was to gain knowledge about primary school students access to the library room, its role and how the room is used for pupils learning by teachers. The method used was semi-structured interviews with the librarian and two teachers from each of the three primary school stages. In the study I adapted Elisabeth Tallaksen Rafste's theory of school libraries as social systems and structures. I related to the influence of teachers and libraries on how they affect the role of the library room through their view of the library. The study shows that the library room is kept in high regard by the teacher, as well as being more available to the pupils than before. Due to circumstances at the school, only the older student had individual access to the library while the younger had to be accompanied by a teacher. None of the teachers use the room for pedagogic activities, though some see pedagogic roles in the room, such as student learning through social interactions. The room has both a learning and leisure role. An unexpected result was the teachers appreciation for and close bond to the librarian.

This thesis examines how library patrons experience the public library as a physical place and how their emotions and opinions fit into the concept sense of community. Nine informants were selected and interviewed about their habits, experiences, preferences, opinions and emotions when visiting their respective most-used libraries. Using the theoretical framework developed by David W. McMillan and David M. Chavis for the concept sense of community as an analytical tool, the transcribed interviews have been closely studied and analysed in terms of the different criteria that make up a sense of community according to the theory. Some criteria were found to be relatively weak in the interview data, such as a shared emotional bond and strict boundary settings. Other criteria were better represented, such as a sense of personal investment, mutual influence between patron and library, a sense of belonging, fulfilment of needs, and shared values. The informants were particularly unified when discussing the importance of a public library for a local community as a place that welcomes all for free, values culture and knowledge, and provides a multitude of books and media in a calm, peaceful environment. The conclusion was drawn that public library patrons do feel a sense of community with their local library, its staff and other users, and that there’s a connection to this sense of community and the sense of being a citizen in Sweden as a whole. Physical factors such as interaction with staff and the make-up of the collection were found to be of particular importance to patrons, but other physical factors also influenced how they viewed and made use of specific public libraries.

Denna studies syfte har varit att belysa hur bibliotekarier på svenska folkbibliotek arbetar med besöksbemötande och att motverka besökarnas biblioteksångest. Studiens metod var kvalitativ och det empiriska materialet bestod av intervjuer med fyra bibliotekarier som arbetar på folkbibliotek i Sverige: en i västra Sverige, en i Mellansverige samt två i norra Sverige. Det empiriska materialet har först genomgått en tematisk analys varför de fyra huvudteman sen analyserats med utgångspunkt i den tidigare forskningen, symbolisk interaktionism och inbjudandeteorin. Studiens resultat visade att bibliotekarierna anser att besöksbemötande är viktigt för att lindra besökarnas biblioteksångest, få dessa att trivas på biblioteket och besöka det ofta. Av studiens fyra bibliotekarier är det enbart en som får kontinuerlig fortbildning på sin arbetsplats medan de tre andra får enstaka fortbildningsinsatser ibland. Alla respondenterna belyste i resultatet hur viktigt det är att få kontinuerlig fortbildning inom besöksbemötande då detta är en stor del av bibliotekarieyrket. Symbolisk interaktionism och inbjudandeteorin användes i studien för att skapa förståelse för bibliotekariernas interagerande, val att inte interagera med besökarna och deras förhållningssätt gentemot dessa. Studien visar att bibliotekariernas interagerande och förhållningssätt gentemot besökarna i sin tur kan motverka besökarnas biblioteksångest och skapa en trivsam biblioteksmiljö. I slutsatsen konstateras det att bibliotekarierna arbetar med att förbättra sitt besöksbemötande i form av dels att interagera med besökarna under arbetstid, samtala med varandra samt genom fortbildning inom besöksbemötande. Slutsatsen redogör även för att bibliotekarierna arbetar med att motverka besökarnas biblioteksångest genom att bemöta dessa med vänlighet, lyhördhet och hjälpsamhet. Bibliotekspersonal behöver även lära sig att läsa av vad besökarna känner för att kunna motverka och lindra deras biblioteksångest. Vidare framgår i slutsatsen att bibliotekarierna arbetar med att utforma bibliotekslokalen så att besökarna ska trivas och fortbildningsinsatser kan göra att bibliotekspersonalens kunskaper om bemötande, biblioteksångest och den fysiska biblioteksmiljön vidareutvecklas. Avslutningsvis lyfts förslag på framtida forskning fram som att granska hur fortbildningsmöjligheterna skiljer sig åt mellan Sveriges folkbibliotek och inom folkbibliotek i samma kommun, län alternativt region. Ett annat förslag är att granska chefer och beslutsfattares åsikter på fortbildning för bibliotekspersonal.

The aim with this qualitative study is to contribute with knowledge on how the participation of young children is expressed and enabled or prevented in the library room. The result of the study was gathered using the method participant observation which took place at two different occausions in a library where the participants were four librarians, nine caregivers and 11 young children at the age 0–3 years old. The result of the participant observation was then analyzied and categorized through five themes with focus on young children's participation. The analytic framework made it possible to see those five themes. The result of the study showed that young children´s participation was expressed when they used their bodies and senses as they interact with others and the environment of the library room. The librarians had designed the room with some easily acessible furnitures that enabled participation. While other furnitures prevented participation because they created tight spaces where the young children could not move their bodies freely without hurting themselves or others. Some parents enabled participation when they supported the young children’s different ways of expressing participation. While other parents prevented participation when they supervised that the young children instead used the library room as a calm and silent place were they sat down and read books together with the parents. My conclusion is that the librarians have to design the environment of the library room so it attracts both the young children and their parents to express participation together by not only using their voices freely but also their bodies and senses when they interact.

Flera studier visar att en del ungdomar har en negativ och föråldrad inställning till vad folkbiblioteket är och erbjuder. Till detta framkommer det även att folkbibliotekarier tycker att ungdomar är en svår målgrupp att arbeta mot. Dock har folkbiblioteken en vägledande roll när det kommer till utvecklandet av barn och ungdomars läsförmåga och kunskapsinhämtning där det finns studier som visar att utformningen av biblioteksrummet påverkar ungdomars läsning. Därför är syftet med denna studie att undersöka hur folkbibliotekarier arbetar med målgruppen ungdomar genom sitt arbete med biblioteksrummet och hur detta arbete är tänkt att påverka ungdomars läsning. I denna studie har semistrukturerade samtalsintervjuer används som metod tillsammans med en miniobservation för att samla in empiriskt mateiral ifrån sju folkbibliotek. Resultatet för denna stuide har analyserats genom ett rumsligt teoretiskt ramverk med Henri Lefebvres rumsliga enhetsteori. Studiens resultat visar att det är viktigt att arbeta med biblioteksrummet för att kunna påverka ungdomars läsning. För att kunna arbeta läsfrämjande med målgruppen ungdomar behöver man utforma biblioteksrummet som en trygg plats med låga trösklar och skapa relationer till ungdomarna. / Several studies show that some young people have a negative and outdated attitude towards what the public library is and offers. In addition, it appears that public librarians think that young people are a difficult target group to work with. However, public libraries have a guiding role when it comes to the development of children´s and young people´s reading ability and knowledge acquisition, where are studies that show that the design of the library room affects young people´s reading. Therefore, the purpose of this studiy is to investigate how public librarians work with the target group of young people through their work with the library room and how this work is intended to affect young people´s reading. In this study, semi-structured interviews have been used as a method together with a mini-observation to collect empirical material from seven public libraries. The results of this study have been analyzed through a spatial theoretical framework with Henri Lefebvre´s spatial theory of unity. The resutls of the study show that it is important to work with the library space in order to influence young people´s reading. To be able to work to promote reading with the target group of young people, you need to design the library room as a safe place with low thresholds and create relationships with the young people.

Denna kvalitativa studie ämnar till att undersöka hur bibliotek som plats verkar för barns rättigheter i samhället, och hur bibliotekarier inom olika bibliotekstyper ser på detta. Det empiriska materialet består av en kortare dokumentstudie av tre styrdokument för biblioteksverksamheten i Stockholms stad, samt två intervjuer med personal på ett folkbibliotek och ett barnbibliotek. Med en beskrivande idéanalys analyseras det empiriska materialet med hjälp av teoretiska verktyg från Giroux’s teori om gränspedagogik och radikal demokrati. Som komplement har även begreppen barnperspektiv och barns perspektiv lyfts in som teoretiska verktyg. Studien visar att bibliotekarier tänker på liknande sätt kring barns rättigheter och bibliotek som plats, men att skillnaderna i arbetet mot barns rättigheter i rummet ligger i utrymmet och de resurser biblioteket har. Studiens centrala slutsatser är att barns rättigheter bör vara en grundbult i biblioteksverksamheten för barn, att barnens eget inflytande får ta plats, och att relationsskapande och trygghet är viktiga komponenter. Även att skapa separatistiska platser för barnen och att personalens barnperspektiv formats utefter barnens perspektiv. / This qualitative study aims to examine how the public library can function as a place for children’s rights, and librarians’ views on this. The empirical material is based on a shorter document study of three governing documents for the City of Stockholm, and two interviews with personnel at a public library and a children’s library. The empirical material is analyzed with a descriptive idea analysis, using theoretical tools based on Giroux’s theory on border pedagogy and radical democracy. As a complementary theoretical tool, the concept of child perspective and children’s perspective have also been brought in. The study shows that librarians’ thoughts about children’s rights and the library as place is similar, but that there is a difference in the work towards children’s rights which lie in the space of the room and the resources given. Central conclusions of the study show that children’s rights should be a cornerstone of library operations towards children, that children’s own influence is allowed to take place, and that creating relationships and safety are important components. As well as creating separate places only for the children, and that the child perspective is shaped with the children’s perspective in mind.