This thesis explores requirements for a health website made to support Cuba’s and its people’s development, in terms of improved health and wellbeing, through access to user-centred online health information. The study uses semi-structured interviews to investigate how health information is accessed in Cuba today, the need for certain types of health information, and the role of the currently limited internet access in Cuba. The study shows that Cubans often turn to friends, family, and contacts to access health information, due to the slow process of accessing it through the local clinics and the limited possibilities of accessing it online. The study also shows there is a demand for a wider range of health information than what is currently accessible from official sources, in addition to health information that is adapted specifically to Cuban conditions. Employing research based around health website and low-bandwidth design, the study uses the requirements established from the interviews as a basis in the production of a development proposal for a Cuban, user-centred health website.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ways in which Swedish library policies embed the requirements regarding people with a mother tongue other than Swedish and the Swedish minority languages, specified in the Swedish library law. The research questions were: What services do public libraries offer people with a mother tongue other than Swedish? What conceptions of the library’s possibilities to work with integration do the library policies mediate? Are there any differences regarding how integration is worked with in municipalities that are high in numbers of foreign born inhabitants, compared to those municipalities that are low in numbers of foreign born inhabitants? In order to answer these queries a sample of library policies from 16 municipalities were chosen by amount of foreign born inhabitants. Eight were chosen with high numbers, and eight with low numbers. These policies were analysed using discourse analysis and two theories: Ragnar Audunson’s theory regarding high- and lowintensive meetingplaces, and Robert D. Putnam’s theory regarding bonding and bridging as two ways to build social capital. The study showed that the services offered to people with a mother tongue other than Swedish and the Swedish minority languages, were mainly centered around an expanded collection of media in foreign languages, language cafés, library viewings, and providing an open meeting place. The most common conceptions of the library’s role in integration were the conception of the library as a meeting place, and the conception of increasing multi language in the collection and in the cooperation with other actors and organisations. The differences found between municipalities with a high number of foreign born inhabitants, in comparison to those with low numbers, were marginal, and possibly caused by other factors than those mentioned above. It was clear that next to all library policies expressed a view of the library as a lowintensive meeting place in accordance with Audunson’s theory. It was also found that both concepts of Putnams’ bonding and bridging, were applicable to the activities that suppousedly are to take place in these libraries. Hence, the library ought to be an excellent place for people to build social capital.

The study explores the amount of books and other media containing LGBT themes available and the activities aimed towards LGBT people in Swedish public libraries. A comparison was also made between libraries with a LGBT-certification and a study of the librarians' opinions about the certification and their work with LGBT-issues. This is done through a survey sent to a sample of Swedish public libraries and all libraries with a LGBT-certification. The results show that media stocks and activities directed toward LGBT people is relatively small, the work of the LGBT-certified library was on average larger. The librarians were generally positive about the activities towards LGBT people but felt that these activities should be expanded.

This report describes the process of developing a website prototype with a focus on User Experience and Information Architecture. The study has been undertaken on behalf of a relatively small interiordesign company, whose business will eventually be transferred from selling products and services in both their physical store and on their website, to selling only on the web. The focus of the study was to investigate the target audience's information and experience needs when visiting the website, which was taken into account in the process of developing a user-centered website prototype. While the maingoal was to create a user-centered website prototype that aimed to promote positive user experiences, another objective was to develop a website that can also maintain the company's corporate identity. The future users of the website were involved during the design process. A semi-structured interview was conducted followed by two user tests, one on the the existing website and one on the produced prototype. Participants were asked to perform tasks while they gave commentary about their reactions and perceptions. The results from the user test show that there is a significant connection between the audience’s experience and their information needs. This in turn also relates to how the target groupexperiences the corporate identity. The results confirm that structure, content and a esthetics aret hree aspects that are inherently linked and important to consider.

The purpose of this thesis is to achieve new knowledge about how the public library roles and activities are described in the municipal library plans. Activities in these public libraries are varied and research about what should be included in these library plans are limited. That the municipalities should have library plans are determined by law but what these plans should contain according to the law is something that isn’t clear. It has been noted that the context of library plans differs from one municipality to another. Therefor it’s interesting to research how these plans describe public libraries. How does the public library depict activities aimed at library users in the library plans? Which public library roles can be identified in the library plans? These research questions have been answered in this thesis. The result of this thesis shows, among others, that there are multiple themes that can be identified in these plans. Qualitative content analysis in combination with Jochumsen, Hvenegaard Rasmussen and Skot-Hansen’s model “The four spaces” (2012) have been used to analyze the results. The conclusion is that the activities, in most cases, only are mentioned in the library plans and aren’t described. The same can be said about the public library roles as there are rarely any distinguishable descriptions of the roles and those values that the public library are expected to uphold in society.

This thesis aims to investigate how librarians work with acquisitions of multilingual literature and how their work has changed due to the European refugee crisis. In this study four main librarians with a special responsibility for this type of acquisitions have been interviewed. The questions were created to explore their experiences of changes, difficulties and existing qualifications. The study uses a new theoretical model, inspired by Evans and Saponaros’ (2005) “Collection development process”, to illustrate how librarians create relevant collections. Since the model was not enough, Andrew Abbott´s theoretical conception “External sources for system change” was added. The conception completed the model, since the study’s aim also included changes. The findings were that all librarians had identified changes in their work with acquisitions of literature. For example, they all pointed out language barriers and difficulties locating literature as the most palpable factors. All respondents found that the library’s purpose was to reflect the societal needs, which constantly change. Another challenge was therefore that the librarians constantly needed to redirect the way they worked with collection development, since the users and their needs aren’t always the same. Another finding was that collaboration between libraries and/or other institutions may become more common. Sharing of knowledge seems to be a necessity since the challenges are of different natures. They are not something foreign or unexpected, but they might require the libraries to ally in order to bring these tests to a soluble level.

This thesis aims to examine how public librarians talk about users in the context of self-service libraries in the library press, that means papers whose main group is librarians or people working in some kind of library oriented operations. The strategies has mainly been based on Foucaults theories based on monitoring and power and been investigated through a discourse analysis. The results showed that the user is mentioned in some different situations, often when talking about the library’s mission and services but also when speaking about security and monitoring. The discourses that has been identified have focused on the library as a place for all types of activities or a more market economy view of the library. A more security-oriented discourse could also be identified in the analysis. The conclusion is that users often are mentioned by librarians when speaking about the library as a place and the service provided by the library. Also when talking about security the users are mentioned. Users are often mentioned when talking about something positive or negative. The user is seen as both a possibility and a threat. Mainly the user is winning the trust from the librarians, but they need guidance and support from them. This view of self-service libraries raises the question of who will monitor the users when the librarian is not in place.

The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to examine the user experience of Narhalsan.se, the website of the regional public primary healthcare organisation, as well as forward suggestions on how different aspects on the website can be developed to improve the user experience. To evaluate the user experience on Närhälsans website we’re using both quantitative and qualitative methods, such as a survey as well as Contextual Inquiry in combination with think-aloud. The methods used are followed out from a usability perspective, and are focused on the needs, preferences and user experience of the target group. The suggestions for development of the website include simplifying the structure, reducing information on the contact page and further development of the searchresults.

The aim of this study is to examine the user education that librarians at university libraries have with students on the medical programme, to present how the user education is conducted, to identify which approach emerges and how the user education can be developed. The theory underlying this study is four approaches that Sundin (2005) identified when examining web-based user education: A source-oriented approach, a behavior-oriented approach, a process-oriented approach and a communication-oriented approach. By highlighting these approaches, it becomes clearer which focus the user education have with students on the medical programme. To get hold of this knowledge, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four librarians who work with user education with students on the medical programme. The collected material was analyzed using qualitative text analysis. The result shows that user education is organized in different ways. In common is that all librarians meet students in semester one and ten. Mostly the user education has the form of lectures but even practical exercises are included. All four approaches emerged in the user educations but the most prominent was the process-oriented approach. All librarians describe the students’ understanding as central in the user education which can be connected to a process-oriented approach. Students’ understanding is mentioned several times during the interview, and even when the librarians talk about what is most important for them to pass on in user education. All librarians have a great variety of suggestions on how user education can be developed in the future.

The aim of this study is to gain deeper understanding of how older patrons (65 years of age and above) experien- ce the Stockholm Public Library: how the older patrons use the library, experience information about events and programs; experiences in contact with librarians; how user-friendly they find the library and what might attract or detract visits. The study consists of qualitative interviews with five older patrons of the Stockholm Public Lib- rary who were approached during a library visit. The study also contains interviews with two librarians from the library. The interviews have been transcribed and the results are organized into six areas: using the library and its services; digital aspects of the library; contact with librarians; the library space in a user-friendly context; the cultural value of the library building; library programmes; events and programs. The theoretical framework of the study is that of sociologist and philosopher Zygmunt Bauman and his ide- as about the individualised society and consumerism. Bauman's thoughts on the individualised society where on- ly the desired consumers are welcome even in public spaces have also been included. These theories are combi- ned with research on how society views aging and older people, international studies and studies on older pa- trons and libraries in Sweden. This study finds that a main issue in accessing the library's services and material is how they are placed: shelves that are too high or low to reach, and problems with finding material without help. The patrons are drawn to places where books are exposed, whether on purpose or not. The study concludes with the suggestion of crea- ting national guidelines for how libraries can make their spaces more welcoming to older patrons, such as ex- isting guidelines in the U.S. And Australia. Previous research shows the mere existance of guidelines may high- light the issue in itself and create a helpful start for libraries wanting to accommodate older patrons better.