This thesis examines the literature promotion towards adults in an established literary magazine. The basis for the study are the different surveys noting the decline in the populations reading and writing abilities. The aim of the thesis is to investigate the attitudes towards, and images of, reading and literature appearing i the magazine Vi Läser, from 2011 to 2015. The research questions are concerned with the beliefs and perceptions in regards to reading that Vi Läser convey, and what aspects of literature the magazine emphasizes. As a theoretical basis the critical discourse analysis as formulated by the linguist Norman Fairclough has been utilized. It is supplemented with Pierre Bordieus work on social differentiation and the theory of reading dimensions outlined by Sten Furhammar. A close reading has been applied to the selected issues of Vi Läser, whereby three dominant discourses has been made visible. These are termed ”the prestige discourse”, ”the utility discourse” and ”the pleasure discourse”. The studys findings are put in relation to the relevant discursive and social practices. The discursive practice examined is the realm of printed journals. This proved to be marked by a variety of approaches towards reading, and it was found that the discourses prevalent in Vi Läser constituted only a small selection of the mediated images of the activity. The social practice of interest is the realm of the public library. The findings illustrate a considerable congruence between the images of reading promoted in Vi Läser to that of official documents and reports. At the same time, it is stated that adults are a low priority in the context of the public library. Vi Läsers literature promotion is considered to have an important role to play in this regard. Finally, it is suggested that public libraries embrace Vi Läsers pleasure discourse in its literature promotion towards adults. This is a two years master’s thesis in Archive, Library and Museum Studies.

M.A. (Information Science) / Management is usually concerned with the motivation and job satisfaction of employees. When workers are adequately motivated and they derive sufficient satisfaction in their job, it is assumed that their productivity is likely to be enhanced. However, even without relating it to productivity, workers' job satisfaction is considered important enough to deserve serious attention from managers and researchers in various disciplines. This study intends to examine the motivation and job satisfaction of information specialists in public libraries in South Africa. The study of motivation is a candid search for answers to perplexing questions that revolve around human nature. There is no doubting the fact that the problem of motivating other people is surely as old as human history. The common adage that "one can lead a horse to water but cannot force it to drink" was, and remains, the most important aspect of the motivation problem. Because human behaviour is complex, there are numerous theories of motivation. Eight of the most well known theories are discussed: Maslow, Herzberg, MacGregor, McClelland, Atkinson, Hackman and Oldham, Vroom and Porter and Lawler. Attention is paid to the possible implications of the theories for library management. It seems though that, whatever theory of motivation one consults, some fertile sense and some constraining theory turns up. The focus should therefore rather be on the development and integration of existing theories to formulating new ones. A review of literature revealed that there is a relationship between motivation and job satisfaction. Thesurvey instrument was a forty-six-item questionnaire developed specifically for this study by the researcher. The first section of the questionnaire elicited background information, such as age, marital status, qualification, tenure, salary and benefits. The second section of the questionnaire gathered information about the participation and perceived participation of the responding information specialist in the library situation.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, African Literature, 2014. / The purpose of this research project was to investigate the role of the publishing industry in supporting and promoting isiZulu fiction in South Africa. The research first highlighted the contribution made by the missionaries in the 19th century in publishing literature in indigenous languages in general and in isiZulu fiction in particular. This aspect followed by a discussion of the impact of apartheid’s publishing policies on literature in indigenous African languages. This section then followed by the discussion of the strategies and initiatives that have been introduced in order to preserve and promote this literary tradition in the post-apartheid period. This research assessed OUPSA’s book chain process in order to investigate how the book industry contributes to the post-1994 initiatives of promoting creative writing in indigenous languages. It argued that book publishing is not the end of the book provision process, instead marketing and distribution chain, selection of fiction in schools and libraries, lack of experience of librarians, shortage of African languages fiction and financial resources in libraries as well as inconclusiveness of government policies play a huge role in the distribution process of isiZulu fiction which is pivotal to the sustainable existence of a publishing industry. In this research project, different aspects of the book chain process were investigated, such as: publishing and distribution, schools and public libraries, schools and education and literacy level to find out the link between publishing and libraries and schools. It is hoped that the findings of the investigation identified the significant inhibiting factors which may prevent the provision of isiZulu fiction books to libraries and schools that may have been caused by the methods in which books were commissioned, marketing strategies and implementation of the language policy, especially as to how it affects the promotion and rejuvenation of literatures in African languages.

Ao longo de quinze meses, foram monitorados na Biblioteca Pública Amadeu Amaral, da cidade de São Carlos, SP, os níveis de temperatura, umidade relativa, ruído, intensidade luminosa, contaminação por dióxido de carbono, material particulado total (MPT) e suas frações respiráveis (MP1, MP2,5, MP7 e MP10), avaliação da taxa de ventilação e ocupação, concentração de bioaerossóis e sua identificação. Além disso, foi aplicado um questionário aos ocupantes do local com o intuito de levantar as principais reclamações e queixas relacionadas à qualidade do ar interior. Os resultados mostraram o desconforto térmico do local em todas as salas monitoradas, altos níveis de ruído proveniente do ambiente externo, inadequações relativas à iluminação do local e necessidade de uma atenção especial à taxa de ocupação do prédio. Durante alguns momentos das medições, os níveis de ruído ultrapassaram a barreira dos 80 dB(A), que é um valor bem acima do recomendado em normas, revelando-se um fator de risco para seus usuários e funcionários. Não foram encontrados problemas relacionados à contaminação biológica do local, analisando a concentração de bactérias e fungos. A taxa de ventilação possui valor adequado para o piso 1 e a concentração de gás carbônico se manteve de acordo com os padrões estabelecidos em normas. As respostas dos questionários confirmam os principais resultados encontrados para a Biblioteca, como os altos níveis de ruído, o desconforto térmico do local e as inadequações da iluminação. As recomendações são pautadas na necessidade de realização de ensaios gravimétricos da concentração de material particulado e o desenvolvimento de estudos específicos para a adoção de medidas mitigadores da poluição sonora e, também, da adequação das salas para o conforto térmico dos ocupantes. / Over fifteen months, levels of temperature, humidity, noise, light intensity, contamination by carbon dioxide, total suspended particles (TSP) and respirable fractions (PM1, PM2.5, PM7 and PM10) were monitored at the Public Library Amadeu Amaral at São Carlos, SP. Investigation of the ventilation rate and occupancy, concentration of bioaerosols and identification were also performed. In addition, a questionnaire was handed over to the occupants of the site in order to raise the main complaints related to indoor air quality. The results showed the discomfort of the place at all rooms monitored, high levels of noise from the outside environment, inadequacies relating to the site illumination and special attention to the building occupancy. During some measurements, the noise levels exceeded the barrier of 80 dB (A), which is above the recommended standards and proved to be a risk factor for its users and employees. No problems were found related to the site biological contamination, analyzing the concentration of bacteria and fungi. The ventilation rate has adequate value to the first floor and carbon dioxide concentration was maintained in accordance with the standards. The questionnaire responses confirm the main findings to the library, such as high noise levels, thermal discomfort and the illumination problem. The main recommendations are based on the need of gravimetric particulate matter investigation and development of specific studies for the adoption of mitigation measures on noise pollution and also the suitability of the rooms to the thermal comfort of occupants.

This paper examines the market adaptation of Swedish public libraries from a critical theory perspective, to see which forms of market-based funding and activities have been incorporated in the Göteborg, Malmö and Stockholm city libraries. The thesis uses an ideal type analysis, creating a theoretical construct of the archetypical marketized library against which the three libraries can be compared. The funding of a marketized library (1) is not public; and relies on (2) user fees; and (3) private grants and sponsorship. Regarding the activities of a marketized library, (4) the objectives are to maximize the quantity of output, regardless of its content (5) users are approached as “customers” and (6) collections are determined by market criteria and user demand. Library plans, annual programs and annual reports are the material for analysis. The results give a mixed picture. The libraries are all primarily publicly funded. Only the Stockholm library used private sponsorship as a source of funding. However, all three libraries relied rather heavily on user fees and service charges, and they all received private grants in 2006. In terms of the activities, none of the libraries expressed their goals purely in quantitative terms (although the Göteborg library vision was close). The goal assessments indicate libraries preoccupied primarily with numbers, however, trying to increase the quantity of visits and loans much like a book store. Users were in practice often approached as “customers,” but they were not expressly called that in the documents. There were also some market elements in the determination of collections. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The purpose of this study is to review the development of library service in Kuwait, to survey the current status and problems of the principal types of libraries, and to consider recommendations for the improvement of public libraries since they are relatively less developed and their problems manifest greater immediate needs than other types of libraries. While limited collections, poor services, inadequate staffing and financing are clearly at the root of many library problems in Kuwait, their cause in turn is clearly not lack of money, since the country's per capita income exceeds that of many advanced countries. This study concludes that the recent dynamic changes in the Kuwaiti society are a warrant for new approaches to meet the growing needs of the people for improved and adequate library service.

This pilot study examines the problem, "Has adult input into children's library services, resulted in services that children perceive as not relevant to their own recreational and information needs?". In examining this problem a questionnaire survey was conducted of a specific population of children, parents and teachers. In addition to the questionnaire survey, structured record sheets were used to record children's use of the public library serving the specific population, and children's services actually provided by the local library. The population consisted of middle and upper primary school children, from Holt Primary School, Canberra, and their parents and teachers. The study indicated discrepancies in what children perceived as important library services for children and what parents and teachers perceived as important. Discrepancies were also found between what children wanted and what was actually provided by the local library service for children.

This study examines the role public libraries play in creating social capital within communities. Two sets of public libraries were selected based on their being geographically located in areas of high or low social capital. These libraries were then contacted by phone to determine whether they had wireless Internet or a café on the premises. Libraries which possessed these traits were totaled according to their level of social capital. The data was then compared to population and circulation information for the areas served by each library or library system. The results indicate that having a café and/or wireless Internet can significantly impact a community’s use of the library, though in some cases this relationship is weaker.

This study investigated the practices public and academic library administrators find useful and utilize in analyzing use of collections. The study also investigated administrators' satisfaction with their collection use analysis practices, and the impact they perceived automation to have upon collection use analysis practices. A survey developed for this study was sent to two stratified random samples of 495 academic libraries and 605 public libraries in the United States. Eight hundred and eighty-eight usable responses were received. Chi-square analyses of six null hypotheses were made and data analyzed computing totals, percentages and rankings. All six null hypotheses were rejected in specific instances. There were differences in the collection analysis practices nonautomated and automated libraries in the sample used found useful. There was a correlation between a library's satisfaction with its practices and its state of automation. In two of four instances there was a generalizable difference between the expectations of automated and nonautomated libraries regarding the utility of automated systems in gathering data for analyzing collection use. There was a difference in the practices used by the sample of automated and nonautomated libraries to analyze collection use. There was a difference in the collection analysis practices identified as useful by the sample of academic and public libraries. There was a difference in the practices used by the sample of academic and public libraries to analyze collection use. / Graduation date: 1990

Public library services are evolving in response to the changing informational needs and behaviours of the citizens of the knowledge society. Reference statistics are declining and the move to self-service, virtual reference and an increasing use of mediating information and communication technologies calls into question the ongoing role of human, face-to-face information interaction at the public library’s front-line reference “desk”. An ethnographic case study of face-to-face adult reference service was conducted in a large Canadian urban public library. Over 8 months during 2006, a pilot study was conducted, followed by 170 hours of observations at the reference desks in three branch libraries of varying sizes and semi-structured interviews with front-line reference staff, library managers and reference service clients. 480 reference interactions were documented and policy documents were reviewed. An inductive staged process of analytical abstraction, a narrative approach to the interpretations and a critical reflexivity as participant researcher were employed. The main contribution of this study is the articulation of a practice framework for understanding and studying the reference service within the public library as organization. Sharing knowledge, finding meaning and learning are the outcomes of this epistemic practice. A typology of four reference encounters characterized in three dimensions of interpersonal communication; information exchange and mode of practice is detailed. This study challenges previous interpretations of reference services as a transactional, unitized question-answer activity and depicts it in a larger context as an interactional, relational set of activities that altogether characterize an epistemic practice. The three dimensions of structure (library organization), agency (reference staff and clients) and objects (library collections) anchor this conceptual framework – they are interdependent dimensions interacting to illuminate a robust understanding of face-to-face reference service. This study responds to previous research in which the reference process is studied separately from its social practice and its structural-organizational contexts.