Creative spaces, or makerspaces, is an emerging and global phenomenon in libraries. The aim of this study is to examine the objectives that underlie the creative spaces in Australia, expressed by library professionals, as well as the purposes they fulfil in the library context. The material is derived from seven in-depth interviews with staff working with creative spaces at three public and one state library. Additionally, one observation was conducted in the creative space at each of these libraries. “The four spaces model”, created by Danish researchers Henrik Jochumsen, Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen and Dorte Skot-Hansen, comprises the study's theoretical framework. According to the model, the library's objective is to support the goals: experience, involvement, empowerment and innovation. The library spaces, in which the goals should be supported, are the inspiration space, the learning space, the meeting space and the performative space. The study shows that the most distinct objectives of the creative spaces are experience and empowerment. Involvement and innovation are also present, but not as prominent. Further, the study shows that the purposes fulfilled by the creative spaces places them within the learning space and the meeting space, and to some degree in the inspiration space and the performative space. Findings reveal that creative spaces support STEM-based (science, technology, engineering and maths) learning and digital literacy through both collaborative and individual learning. The learning takes place in informal settings where play is a significant factor. The creative spaces function as “high-intensive” meeting places for the local community, and the library professionals highlight the importance of the social aspects of the creative spaces. This is a two years' master’s thesis in Archive, Library and Museum studies.

Introduction: Indigenous matters are viewed as a priority by the library profession around the world and the library law in Sweden states that the national minorities, which include the indigenous Sámi people, are a prioritised group. Despite these facts there is little research on indigenous matters in relation to libraries, library practice, and service. In Sweden especially, there is little focus on the colonial heritage and what effects, if any, it has on the library. Method: This essay aims to examine three areas. First, how libraries in Sweden work to promote and support the Sámi population in regards to culture, language, and identity. Second, what needs and wishes the Sámi population have in regards to library service. Lastly, whether or not the colonial heritage is visible in library practice and service and to what extent. The colonial heritage and its effects is a pervasive theme throughout the essay. To answer these questions three librarians from two different libraries and three Sámi informants were interviewed.  Analysis: Since the heritage from colonialism is a key theme it was natural to apply a postcolonial framework for the text analysis of the interview transcriptions.  Results: The findings show that the colonial heritage is still visible in library practice and service, although not deliberate from the profession. The two libraries in question are working to counteract the colonial heritage while promoting and supporting the Sámi population by providing books in the Sámi languages and making effort to give them a prominent place in the physical library room.  Conclusion: There is still a need for improvements in regards to giving the languages a prominent place in the libraries with for instance signage and shelf placement. As well as organising activities for and about the Sámi population, as pointed out from the Sámi informants. One solution may be to give the Sámi status as an indigenous people in the Swedish library law instead of merely status as a national minority. This could give libraries the economic resources they often lack and thus motivating them to prioritise and make extra efforts in their work to the Sámi population. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.