Syftet med den här studien är att belysa hur förskollärare resonerar om och arbetar med utformningen av den stimulerade läsmiljön i förskoleverksamheten. Undersökningen riktar sig mot förskollärare som är verksamma i förskolan och arbetar med barn mellan ett och fem år. Utifrån syftet har tre frågeställningar formulerats. Frågorna berör inredning och utformning av rummet, samarbetet med hem och bibliotek samt på vilket sätt boken används i verksamheten. I studien har en kvalitativ metod använts och empirin har samlats in med semistrukturerade intervjuer. Studien tar sin utgångspunkt i en sociokulturell teori där relevanta begrepp för studien lyfts fram. Intervjumaterialet har transkriberats och har därefter ordnats tematiskt i fyra olika kategorier. Vårt resultat tyder på att förskolors samarbete med bibliotek är en central del i skapandet för stimulerande läsmiljöer. Biblioteket är dock inget som förskolorna kontinuerligt besöker med barngruppen. Resultatet visar att tillgänglighet av böcker i läsmiljön är viktig för barnen och att förskollärare strävar efter att visa ett intresse och engagemang för böcker. Boken används på olika sätt och i olika sammanhang i verksamheten som bland annat i temaarbeten, i relationsskapande och för att främja barnens språkutveckling. Resultatet synliggör att det blir tydligt att böcker som visar sin framsida och är lättillgängliga fångar barnens intresse, vilket bidrar till ett mer aktivt användande av boken. Det blir även enklare för förskollärarna att se vilka böcker som används mest av barnen. / The purpose of this study is to analyze how preschool teachers resonate and work with the design of a stimulated reading environment in preschools activities. The survey aims for preschool teachers who work in preschools with children in the ages 1-5. Three questions have been formulated based on the purpose. The questions concern the interior and design of a room, the cooperation with the home and library and the way the book is used in the activities. The study is carried out by a qualitative method and the empirical has been collected with semi-structured interviews. The study is based on a sociocultural theory where relevant concepts for the study is highlighted. The interview material has been transcribed and has been arranged in four different categories. Our result indicates that preschools’ collaboration with libraries is a central part of the creation of stimulating reading environments. However, the library is not something that preschools continuously visit with the children's group. The results show that accessibility of books in the reading environment is important for children and that preschool teachers strive to show an interest and commitment to books. The book is used in different ways and in different contexts in the activities, including in thematic work, as a relationship creation and to promote children's language development. The result also makes it clear that books that show their front page and are easily accessible, capture children's interest and contribute to a more active use of the book. It also makes it easier for preschool teachers to see which types of books children used the most.

This master's thesis examines how the social activity of the library with books and literature can strengthen the contact between imprisoned fathers and their children. The project Godnattsagor inifrån has been studied from three different perspectives, the library, criminal authorities and the prisoners with their children. Interviews were conducted with the different actors of the project. The perspective social constructivism and the concept literacy practice were used to analyze the interviews and the project. In the prison reading program Godnattsagor inifrån the fathers choose a story from a children’s storybook and read the text, the story is recorded on a CD and sent to the child on the outside. The project attempts to create or strengthen the bonds between fathers and children with help of reading experiences. The fathers take part in a study circle where they are introduced to the library activities and practice how to read out loud to their children. This also includes reading and appreciating literature for themselves. I have noticed that Godnattsagor inifrån can inspire children to be reading people. It has also been noticed that the project can have the same impact on the prisoner´s identity. The cooperation between the prison, the library and the families increase the possibilities for both the children and their fathers. My knowledge contribution is to show how important reading is and why. What happens to the individual when given the opportunity to read? This is a two years master´s thesis in Library and Information Science.

The aim of this thesis is to determine how the 2018 draft of the first Swedish National Library Strategy was received by the library sphere and its other stakeholders and how their views may have affected the final version of the National Library Strategy published in 2019. To approach the purpose of this investigation a rhetorical analysis of the written comments of the stakeholders have been carried out to examine how they make their arguments and voices heard. The empirical analysis is based on these 83 statements of opinions that were handed in to the National Library of Sweden between May and October 2018. For the first time in Swedish history a National Library Strategy has been formed in attempt to promote cooperation and library development within the public library sphere. To examine the impact of this organizational change the theory of New Public Management has been applied to the study. The result of this thesis shows a varied response to the National Library Strategy draft, with comments on both structure and disposition, language and content. Many appreciate the chance to get involved and use this chance to voice their opinions on matters both small and wide. The response from the stakeholders has also shown a questioning of the form of the National Library Strategy draft as centralizing and governing instead of collaborative and supportive. Earlier research also shows the question to be complex and diverse. This thesis serves as a contribution to the research field on library development, organizational change and cultural policies. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

The aim of this master thesis is to examine how Swedish public libraries approaches purchasing potentially controversial and anti-democratic books. According to the The Swedish Library Act, libraries should work towards the development of the democratic society and act for the benefit of free speech. If that is the case, how do libraries approach non-democratic works, for example works that speculate in racism or even genocide? This have been a widely discussed topic in media the last couple of years, fuelled by two decisions by the Swedish Parliamentary Ombudsman (Justitieombudsmannen) that ruled that two public libraries acted wrongly in their decisions to deny purchase of a couple of controversial books that had been requested to be purchased by patrons. This study is based on five qualitative interviews of managers representing five different Swedish public libraries, supplemented by a review of the libraries steering documents. To summarize this study finds that there has been a shift over the last couple of years how public libraries approach potentially controversial books. In the past, it was more common for libraries to not carry any books considered anti-democratic or xenophobic. However, today it is very common for libraries to add these kinds of books to their collection. The only aspect a library can deny a purchase on is the “quality” of the work, not the values or opinions expressed in it. Because of the lack of a national definition of what exactly “quality” entails some libraries have worked out their own definition that they use when making decisions regarding media purchases. The representatives didn’t think that a national definition was needed and that and under the current configuration the libraries have more manoeuvrability and can apply their professional competence to a higher degree.

The aim of this master’s thesis is to study how a group of people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder experience a visit to the library. By interviewing them I hoped to hear their thoughts on noise, lighting and the over all library environment. Did the informants get a fair treament by the library staff or did they feel stigmatized? The thesis is also aiming to expose how accessible the libraries’ websites are. Two librarians shared their insights about accessibility from the library in which they work. The interview showed there are still many aspects that need to improve until the library is autism friendly. The study shows that the informants prefer a silent library compared to a noisy one. They did not experience any stigmatization in the library. The informants use the digital services offered by the library in order to renew their books and to request new ones. However, the websites are not customized for people with Austism spectrum disorder. The informants main concern when visiting the library are loud noise and insufficient signs. This study is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

Introduction. Stereotypical representations of libraries and librarians in popular culture and media have been a cause of concern for decades. Nevertheless, representations of fictional libraries and librarians in video games have so far been ignored by scholars. This thesis aims at an initial mapping of this uncharted territory.   Method. The two types of source material, fantasy video games and textual productions made by video gamers, were identified through online searches. Various forms of data, such as screenshots, videos and notes, were analysed through qualitative textual analysis. Theory. The thesis is grounded in a social constructionist approach, with central concepts such as representation, stereotype, genre, and thematic and ludic dimensions of video games, mainly derived from cultural studies, media studies and game studies.    Analysis. Textual analysis was carried out focusing on (1) the form and function of libraries; (2) the appearance, personality and actions of librarians and their relations to library users, and (3) the significance of genre. Several themes were identified, such as the library as a romantic meeting place and a source of information about the video game world. Conclusion. Representations are often influenced by genre. For example, libraries tend to be reduced to resource generators in strategy games. While librarians are portrayed with fantasy features such as tentacles and green skin, the female librarian stereotypes dominating the media landscape today, the ”old maid” and the ”sexy librarian”, are clearly present in video games. Male librarians are more varied however, and the often referred to feminine librarian is not prevalent. Video gamers reproduce stereotypical images of librarians as angry, shushing and – in the case of female librarians – sexually attractive. Paper type. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

In 2011 the pubic libraries in Gothenburg transitioned to floating collections. The process coincided with the temporary closing and renovation of the City Library, and was made possible by an almost simultaneous, centralisation of the libraries’ media budget that, as a side effect, also centralised the decision-making. The way that the process was decided upon and implemented gave rise to controversy, both within the administration and outside. This study delves into the decision-making process, how floating collections were introduced and how thetransition played out during the years 2011-2014. With the minutes of meeting from the so called “Library Management Group”, documents produced by the administration during the process and interviews with people involved, the study maps the steps that made the transition possible and the decisions that made it an inflamed topic. With added perspectives from organisational theory and critique of ideology the study goes into the mechanistics of decision-making within the framework of liquid modernity. It indicates a culture of decision-making that has left the bureaucracy of solid modernity behind and that sees the library organisation and employees within it as an obstacle instead of as a resource. The decision and the technical solution of floating collections is best understood as an object of ideology. That is to say that it is treated as a solution in itself to the contradictions and conflict that exists within the organisation. As the contradictions remain the decision-making in effect gives rise to more conflicts rather than less. The question from an ideological standpoint however is if this any longer poses a problem for the leadership, since there will always be new reorganisations to implement. This is a two years master's thesis in Library and information science.

While the Uppsala university library aims to have its whole collection searchable in Libris, the main digital library catalogue in Sweden, and Alvin, the digitized cultural heritage platform, the scope of their collections does not allow it to be done in a desireable time frame. An alternative to digitizing every object is to simply digitize the older manual library catalogues listing the collections, which is what the Uppsala university library has chosen to do. This study examines the digitization process of three of these older library catalogues: the Catalogue of music scores 1970-1980, the Catalogue of printed music -1970 and the Catalogue of Swedish biography. By observing the digitization process I analyse the functions and status of the library catalogues. What happens to a manual library catalogue when it is digitized? Does its function and its objective remain the same or does it change in response to this remediation process that is the digitization? Will the process of transforming it into a new digital format render the old format into another type of object, an historical artefact in its own right, as opposed to simply a list of other historical documents? By interviewing the library staff who perform the digitization of the catalogs and some of the users of them I seek to determine the traits of the library catalogue, and with the help of R. I. Clarkes seven objectives of the library catalogue I also try to discover what the catalogue means in its functions and usage for librarians and library users. Besides this, the study seeks to determine the status of the catalogue in relation to cultural heritage as defined by UNESCO, and the impact the digitization has on the object itself. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

Public libraries of today consist of both physical and digitalized elements. The purpose of this thesis is to increase the understanding of how a group of users, senior citizens, relates to the digital parts of the library. An interview study was conducted with nine persons between 67 and 78 years of age, with the aim to better understand their experiences and thoughts on the subject. A more holistic scope is necessary to fully grasp the prerequisites that the senior citizens had to be able to use the digital library. Therefore, the access and use of information- and communication technology (ICT) in everyday life was approached.  The material from the interviews was analyzed through a thematic analysis of the content. The theoretical framework evolved around two models concerning the concepts of information, that is a model of information practices by Pamela J. McKenzie (2003) and a typology of information limits by Marzena Świgoń (2011).  The study concludes that the senior citizens had access to adequate digital equipment at their own disposal. Though the sample consisted of people with varied interest and time spent on ICT, they can all be regarded as participants in the digital arena. When the interviewees searched for digital content of interest, they described mostly active methods in searching and scanning the internet.  In relation to the digital library, reserving books in the digital catalogue and borrowing digital media was the functions most frequently used. For some, these where new practices that they had developed during the pandemic of covid-19. They often turned to other sources to seek digital support or develop digital skills. Information about the library was to a higher extent sought of using traditional sources and methods.  Overall, though perceived as useful in facilitating reading, the digital library appeared to play a peripheral role in the senior citizens’ information practices in their everyday life. However there seems to be a potential in further marketing the existing digital functions to the target group. In doing so hopefully the digital library can benefit senior citizens, both the digital active and beginners, to a higher extent.  This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

Ett designförslag för Sundsvalls stadsbiblioteket om att öka tillgänglighet med fokus på både den fysiska och digitala informationstillgången. Detta innebär en förädling av entréområdet i biblioteket, alltför att göra digitala tjänster mer lättförståeliga och tillgängliga för biblioteksanvändarna.  Rapporten redovisar hela designprocessen, genom analysfas, kreativ fas och presentationsfas där den slutliga lösningen presenteras.  I analysfasen hämtades fakta och information genom möten med bibliotekspersonalen, en enkätundersökning (30), intervjuer och på platsobservationer. Den kreativ fasen utfördes genom skissarbete och rumslig skissmodellering i CAD för att därigenom hitta en balanserad lösning av digital tillgänglighet i ett specifikt rum. I presentationsfasen har en sammanställning gjort av de tidigare upptäckterna och där presenteras det slutliga designarbetet som en lösning till designutmaningen.