This Master's Thesis studies the attitude that library employees have regarding a sex and gender-neutral treatment of their clients. The analysis is based upon replies to a questionnaire which was submitted though channels directed at library employees, like BIBLIST and BiblFeed. The respondent’s replies contained a number of welldeveloped comments making the resultant analysis both quantitative and qualitative in nature. In performing the analysis a theoretical framework combining Hirdman’s gender system with symbolic interactionism has been used together with literature about gender roles. The questionnaire showed that gender neutrality is a complex concept that can be interpreted in many different ways and is therefore easily misunderstood. It is obvious that sex is an important category when respondents are dealing with their clients, but also that sex and gender are problematic concepts which respondents find difficult to know exactly how to relate to. A lot of the respondents see a need to address gender issues, but a lot of them also state that gender is a biological concept and therefore impossible or unnecessary to have to relate to. In general, in the replies to the questionnaire availability tops the list over important questions to be addressed in the library while sex and gender have very low priority. My belief is that gender norms are possible to change and that sex and gender issues should be prioritized by virtue of being recognised as an availability issue. It is everybody’s individual fundamental values that together form society’s common fundamental values. If we all put on our gender glasses and are prepared to alter how we treat one another we can, eventually, make sex and gender less important categories and begin to see our clients as individuals.

The aim of this thesis is to examine how interested the library sector is in digitalization. In an attempt to study this, I have studied the articles in Biblioteksbladet from 2012–2016. My starting point was that digitalization affects the Swedish libraries and that the subject therefore would have a prominent role in the library magazine. The aim of this thesis is also to generate knowledge about how digitalization affects the retail sector and the library sector to visualize similarities and differences between how operators from private and public sector are affected. Three text analytical surveys were conducted: a survey inspired by quantitative content analysis, a survey inspired by qualitative content analysis and a qualitative comparative survey. The agenda-setting theory was used as an analytic tool to analyze the interest in digitalization. Theories from the business field and previous research were used in order to compare how digitalization affects the retail sector and the library sector. The results of this thesis show that about eight per cent of the articles in the magazine from 2012–2016 is about digitalization. The subject is mentioned in all of the studied magazines except one. This shows that digitalization is treated to a considerable extent in Biblioteksbladet, which is in line with my hypothesis. My study also shows that digitalization is presented as a challenge to the libraries in the majority of the articles. This means that digitalization tends to be evaluated negatively in the material. It proved to be difficult to draw clear conclusions about the library sector’s interest in digitalization using these methods. The interest that appears in Biblioteksbladet doesn’t necessarily reflect the rest of the library sector’s interest. Another result is that there are several similarities between how digitalization affects the retail sector and the library sector. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

Introduction. This thesis focuses on the concept of green libraries with the aim to understand how the public library can promote climate action. Since green libraries for long have been absent in Sweden, the study’s objective is to examine green libraries in an international context to address what features four German public libraries show that green libraries can fulfill; and in a national context to investigate how green libraries can apply to the Swedish public library’s role in society. Method. Semi-structured interviews with librarians at four German green libraries were conducted. The interviews were recorded, and the transcripts was analyzed thematically. In addition to the interviews, the material also consists of documents of different genres used to analyze the Swedish perspective. Analysis. The analytical framework uses a theoretical model specially designed to be used in the analysis, called the re-intermediary-model. The model demonstrates the potential of the public library as a social infrastructure in addressing societal issues, such as the issue of climate change. The analysis maps the empirical material and previous research about green libraries to show which library features it fits into. Additionally, the mapped empirical material helps identify the opportunities for green libraries in Sweden. Results. The analysis identifies several areas of interest. The results show that the German green libraries fit into the features of the theoretical model. The libraries’ green activities and services function as local meeting places; they inspire users to act with more environmental awareness; green libraries educate about climate change and ways to promote climate action in daily life; and they offer creative spaces to let the users experience sustainability. The results also show that there are many opportunities for green libraries to be applied in Sweden. Many aspects of green libraries and climate action conform to the Swedish Library Act, foremost the legislation requiring municipalities and county councils to adopt library plans which enables politicians to include climate strategies in the plans and public libraries in local climate strategies. Swedish libraries could devote themselves to conveying knowledge and information about climate change in several ways, for example through urban gardening, media and information literacy, repair cafés and lectures. Conclusion. Findings reveal that the public library can support civic abilities to participate in climate action. The view of the public library as a space for living and not only a place of books enables the library to convey information and knowledge through various activities and services. The public library’s local connection and inclusive target group give capacity to bring people closer to complex information about climate change, which could benefit climate action and promote community resilience. The thesis also show that Swedish public libraries have a potential site for addressing the issue of climate change and promote climate action.  This is a two-year master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

Problemformulering och syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur de nationella minoriteterna synliggörs på ett svenskt folkbibliotek samt hur bibliotekets arbete kan förstås utifrån R. David Lankes teoretiska ramverk för The New Librarianship. Enligt tidigare studier är det flera av Sveriges folkbibliotek som idag inte uppfyller det lagstadgade uppdraget gentemot de nationella minoriteterna. Uppdraget ska realiseras av olika aktörer i samhället, däribland biblioteken och bibliotekarier. Hur uppdraget utförs verkar vara beroende av resurser men framförallt av professionens kunskap och kompetens vilket sannolikt är något som påverkar målgruppens synliggörande på biblioteken. Det avser både på individnivå och institutionell nivå. Det skapar en ojämlikhet i samhället och är problematiskt ur flera aspekter men främst på grund av att man inte uppfyller lagstiftningen om demokratiska, mänskliga rättigheter. Lisa Hussey (2010) menar att det sätt som professionella inom biblioteks-och informationsvetenskap tillhandahåller tjänster kan stärka positiva sociala strukturer men det kan också förstärka orättvisor.  Metod och teori: Undersökningen är en kvalitativ fallstudie av Upplands Väsby biblioteks arbete gentemot de nationella minoriteterna i Sverige. Det empiriska materialet består av en semistrukturerad intervju med två respondenter, en observationsstudie av biblioteksrummet och en textanalys av Upplands Väsby kommuns biblioteksplan 2021–2024. För analys av studiens resultat, används utvalda delar av R. David Lankes teoretiska ramverk The New Librarianship. Material och resultat: Genom studier av den semistrukturerade intervjun, observationsstudien och närläsning av Upplands Väsby biblioteksplan framkom det sju teman som resultatet delades in i. I undersökningen framgår det att den enskilda bibliotekariens engagemang, kunskap och kompetens spelar en viktig roll för bibliotekets arbete med att stärka och främja de nationella minoriteterna. Det framgår även att det är en politisk fråga och en fråga om resurser som påverkar hur målgruppen synliggörs i samhället. I resultatet lyfts även vikten av samverkan fram, dels med minoriteterna själva, dels med andra aktörer i samhället. Slutsatser: På Upplands Väsby bibliotek drivs det ett medvetet och riktat arbete för de nationella minoriteterna. Det kan ses som en utveckling av uppdraget och en ny bibliotekarieroll, som med rätt kompetens och kunskap har utrymme att bedriva ett värderingsstyrt biblioteksarbete. Med begränsade resurser behöver prioriteringar göras och man kan även med små medel synliggöra och samverka på olika sätt. Genom omvärldsbevakning och att vara i samtal med andra kan man vidga sin kunskap. De delarna tillsammans och att verka för mångfald av människor, litteratur och programverksamhet kan ändå åstadkomma viss skillnad i bibliotekens arbete gentemot de nationella minoriteterna. / Problem and purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how the national minorities are made visible in a Swedish public library and how the library´s work can be understood from R. David Lankes theoretical framework The New Librarianship. According to previous studies, several of Sweden’s public libraries do not fulfill their statutory mission towards the national minorities. The mission must be realized by various actors in society, including libraries and librarians. How the assignment is carried out seems to depend on resources, but above all by the librarian’s knowledge and competence, which is likely something that affects the visibility of the target group in the libraries. This applies both at the individual level and at the institutional level. It creates an inequality in society and is problematic from several aspects, but mainly due to not complying with the legislation on democratic, human rights. Lisa Hussey (2010) argues that the way library and information science professionals provide services can reinforce positive social structures but also reinforce injustice. Method and theory: The survey is a qualitative case study of Upplands Väsby library’s work towards the national minorities in Sweden. The empirical material consists of a semi structured interview with two respondants, an observation study of the library room and a text analysis of Upplands Väsby municipality library plan 2021-2024. For analysis of the study’s result, selected parts of R. David Lankes theoretical framework The New Librarianship are used. Materials and results: Through studies of the semi-structured interview, the observation study and a close reading of Upplands Väsby’s library plan, seven themes emerged which the result were divided into. The survey shows that the commitment, knowledge, and competence of the individual librarian play an important role in the library’s work to strengthen and promote the national minorities. It also appears that it is a political issue and a matter of resources that affect how the target group is made visible in society. The result also highlights the importance of cooperation with the minorities themselves and with other actors in society. Conclusions: At Upplands Väsby’s library, a conscious and targeted work is carried out for the national minorities. It can be seen as a development of the mission and a new librarian role, which with the right skills and knowledge has room to carry out value-driven library work. With limited resources, priorities need to be set, but even with small funds you can collaborate with and make the national minorities visible in different ways. By observing the world around you and being in conversations with other, you can expand your knowledge. Those parts together and working for a diversity of people, literature and program activities can still make a certain difference in the work of the libraries for the national minorities.