This thesis is an attempt to study how a library that is driven by a contractor works. How allinvolved parts can cooperate. The main method used, is qualitative interviews. The authorshave made a survey at the public library in Järna in Södertälje county, where Boktjänst i JärnaAB has the business on contract since 1991.Following areas have been studied: organisation and assignment; librarysphere of activity andservices; the relations to the main library, and the vision for the future of the library.Some of the conclusions drawn by the authors are that when tenders are invited for a job, thelocal conditions must be taken into consideration. To have the same employer for the wholelibrary staff are likely to simplify the matters. ·

This paper discusses how ten blogs written by librarians talk about using games in the library. What do they talk about and what are their arguments for using games as a learning tool, and what does this say about their views on the library’s role in society?It is examined by using argumentation analysis together with a model for identifying different roles within the library on the blog themselves. By identifying the most important arguments used and placing them within the model, the paper aims to see how the bloggers view the library as a whole and as a part of society.It showed that the reasoning among the librarians varies, but most emphasis was on seeing the library as a meeting space together as an inspirational space, and the use of games can greatly help with that. Especially when viewing the library as a meeting space with room for everyone regardless of their interests. / Program: Bibliotekarie

The aim of this thesis is to fill a knowledge gap regarding how online players use libraries, their attitude towards libraries and what they want out of future libraries. We see it as a problem that the library world of today does not have much knowledge about an audience that is so prevalent in society.The theory used in the thesis is Henrik Jochumsen, Casper Rasmussen Hvenegaard & Dorte Skot-Hansens model that divides libraries into four functions. The four functions are meetings, knowledge, inspiration and experiences. In the analysis we added a suggested fifth function, a digital space, giving the digital interaction and information needs of today´s society. The method was focus groups on online forums for gamers. We used a semi-structured interview guide in two different forums. Nine gamers in total replied in our strings in the forums. The result shows a great interest in the fifth room, even if the target group still uses libraries and they have a need for the four functions in the model and a physical room as well.The conclusion is that online gamers use the library today and they see that all the four functions from the model are relevant. If libraries were to add a digital library space the gamers interest for and use of libraries might increase because it is a function that suits them and their needs. / Program: Bibliotekarie

The aim of this thesis is to investigate what information needs arise from the interest in music, which sources are preferred, how this information is sought and what part does the public library play in providing music materials. Brenda Dervin`s Sense-Making theory is what serves as a theoretic framework for this study. A qualitative approach was undertaken in the investigation and nine interviews were conducted with people interested in music. Findings indicate that different ways of acquiring information are used depending on the situation in which the information is needed and also what kinds of music people prefer. The main findings of this study suggest that people interested in music are keen to constantly discover new music to perform or listen to. Information seeking seems to be mainly performed by monitoring known dependable sources and information providers used include newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and the Internet. Information to try helping decide whether certain music is worth exploring further is often sought by browsing musicrecordings or taking advice from friends, family and other trusted sources. Very highly appreciated sources overall are family, friends and other persons known to have expertise knowledge. Internet seems to be used both as a news provider and for searching reference information. When needing specialised knowledge or reference information, dictionaries, websites or people with known specialknowledge are often preferred. Barriers experienced are of financial and cognitive nature and also caused by an interest in music of less well-known genres. Libraries seemed to be used mainly for borrowing sheet music or lyrics and not so much for their record collections. / Uppsatsnivå: D

This master thesis concerns a library in Eastern Africa and the users of that library. The aim is to describe the situation and try to assess what the users' needs and wants are. It was my belief that different cultures need different libraries. We need to ask ourselves: can we help if we do not understand the needs? There is a chapter on what has been written on libraries in Africa and African literature, including one section devoted to giving a broad background on Tanzania and the Tanzania Library Service, including history and a quick glance at Swahili and Arusha. The chapter on Arusha Regional Library makes use of the statistics from the library regarding the number of visits and the number of members. In the next chapter there is a presentation of the results of a questionnaire grouped around the different areas - literature both written and oral as well as libraries and attitudes toward literature and libraries. Followed by a section on the point of view of the library staff. They express some opinions that are contradictory both to what some of the users think and what the statistics say. In the conclusion, I bring up the fact that there are many library service needs that remain unsatisfied. The financial situation has forced Tanzania Library Service into solutions that are less than ideal. Furthermore, I make some suggestions based on my observations and on the comments made by the respondents of the questionnaire. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The purpose of this thesis was to trace and discuss tendencies in the debate of the computerization of the libraries, in Swedish library press during the period of 1970-1999. The set-out was the issue of how the library journals, as representatives and mouthpieces of a by tradition humanistic profession, coped with a revolutionary innovation related to a field (data technology) which they hadn't any knowledge or even interest in. The examination included three Swedish library journals: Biblioteksbladet with connection to Sweden’s most established library organization (SAB); Bis which is founded upon a socialistic base and; DIK-forum rooted in the union. The analysis of the debate was partly based on three different sets of values related to data and systems development. These were identified and defined by the behavioural scientists Johansson/Grahm in Den datoriserade Prometheus (1985) and labelled positivism, commercialism and humanism. The conclusions showed a fragmentary and polarized debate during the 1970's, which didn't speed up until the last years of the decade. During the 1980's the debate was intensified, with a wider range of subjects and arguments. During the 1990's the debate narrowed, holding it's primary focus on the Internet and questions concerning copyright and democracy. Due to the reasonings of Johansson/Grahm the opposition – during the 1970's and the early 1980's – mainly between humanism on one hand and commercialism and positivism on the other was made clear. But one should also bear in mind that some arguments were rooted in fear and ignorance, rather than in humanism. During the 1980's and the 1990's, when the experience and knowledge of data technology increased, the polarized debate became more attuned and positive towards the possibilities of IT. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The aim of this master thesis is to investigate the mobile library development in Sweden since the start in Borås, Sweden in 1948. We have concentrated on three six-year periods. Our aim has been to describe a part of the mobile library development. We wanted to research the background of the said development. To do this we also studied the library and overall development in Sweden during the same years. The attitude towards mobile libraries has changed since 1948. In the beginning mobile libraries was considered a non-permanent solution for areas and people that didn't have library-services. Later the attitude changed. Mobile libraries were now a helpful service in the same way "Boken kommer"-services was. During the same time they replaced travelling libraries. Later and now mobile libraries are considered to be small branch-libraries on wheels and a natural service in sparsely populated areas. During the first years it was only the richer municipalities that could afford mobile libraries. With the help of government subsidies, more and more municipalities could afford it. Subsidies were given for half of the purchase price from 1965. From 1975 the municipalities could receive subsidies for all of it. In 1985 the subsidies ceased and the number of mobile libraries were reduced. These last years however, has seen new ways of thinking in the library-area. New technology has made its way to the permanent libraries as well as the mobile ones. For example access to the Internet and the library catalogue. The main goal for the libraries has been mainly the same all these years, to reach everyone. Mobile libraries were and are a way to fulfill this goal. / Uppsatsnivå: D

This study investigates to which degree international developments in cataloguing have influenced Swedish cataloguing rules (KRS). The results show that KRS has been influenced by international developments in cataloguing to varying degrees. The study also shows that KRS has been influenced by Anglo-American cataloguing rules, previous editions of Swedish cataloguing rules and by the work undertaken by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. / Uppsatsnivå: D

This Master’s thesis concerns the question why a public library establishes a special room for young people and how the young people can influence the activities. I have made interviews with two librarians and four teenagers from a reference group. I have also made an observation of the room. The most important theories are Pierre Bourdieu’stheory of symbolic capital and Mats Lieberg’s theory of free zones. The method used is a qualitative study. The answersfrom the interviews are analysed according to different categories. The results show that young people have a special taste which is shown in the room for young people and that efforts to make young people involved in the planning of activities are very important. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The aim with this thesis is to highlight components regarding small children’s reading environment in preschool and see how these affect their meeting with literature. The study is based on J. A. Appleyard’s theory on man’s development as a reader. He states that we take on different roles when we develop as humans. The role: “the reader as a player” has been especially useful, since it served as a source of knowledge about small children’s development as readers. Aidan Chambers’ model “The reading circle” is originally meant for school but this study suggests it is possible to apply it for pre-school also. The study has a qualitative approach and contains a combination of methods, conducted with an adult perspective although interviews with children are included. The purpose of combining methods is to bring about a comprehensive picture where Chambers’ model has served as the framework. The result shows that all teachers want to read for the children and that they regard reading as important. However their personal aims and thoughts regarding reading environment were not realized in their work due to lack of time for planning and reflection. As a rule the pre-school children visited the public library every month. During these visits the library took on a passive role. Neither the pre-school nor the library took any initiative to develop the visits to something more than just loaning and returning books. The study also revealed that the children, to a very high extent, chose their own literature to read. / Uppsatsnivå: D