The aim of this Master’s thesis is to investigate how a public library should sign and organize their resources to make them as accessible as possible to the users of the library. Our theory, Paul Arthur’s and Romedi Passini’s wayfinding theory, is about how people search through information loaded environments. Our empirical material consists mainly of three parts: an inventory of the resources and guiding at Hammarö bibliotek, eight interviews with visitors at Hammarö bibliotek and observations of how visitors use and interact with the library, its resources and guiding. With this material we got an image of the staff’s plans about the organization and guiding in the library, what the visitors thought about the library’s organization and guiding and how they used and interacted with the library. When analysing the empirical material with the wayfinding theory we found out that the library users searched through Hammarö bibliotek like its resources were hierarchically structured. On the whole the public library’s resources were structured hierarchically, but for various reasons the structure were not consistent. Our conclusions were that Hammarö bibliotek should organize their resources more consistent and make the organization mainly known for the users of the library in the entrance. The users also need to be led to the parts of the library that differ from the hierarchic structure. This is possible through a consistent and consequent signage system, which we discuss in this thesis. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The purpose of this study is to examine the physical space of children’s libraries in Sweden, and also to see which influences there are in the literature about the same subject. What ideas exist in the literature about the physical room of children’s libraries? We have studied how and if these influences can be seen in a selected number of children’s libraries. Our theoretical perspective is based on Anthony Gidden’s theory of construction. To answer our questions we have chosen a number of public libraries, which we have observed. After reading literature and making observations, we made a comprehension. The conclusion of this study shows that there are several parts in the physical room that must cooperate to create a whole library room that works for the user. If one of these parts is missing, there are things that the user can not profit from. / Uppsatsnivå: C

This thesis is based on the question of how ideas expressed in the documents that control public libraries are embodied in the physical library, thus making it possible for said ideas to make a real social difference. The purpose of the study is to investigate if and how library space design promotes certain patron behaviour and how this relates to multilingualism. The thesis takes as its point of departure French philosopher Michel de Certeau’s way of looking at how sites are managed and used: a producer creates place through an overall strategy and a consumer creates space by using the site tactically. Methodologically, the study was conducted using analysis of library usage through ideal type cases constructed based on participant observations at a Swedish public library. The results of the study and the analysis of said results are organized thematically, focusing mainly on library space and patron behaviour. Some of the conclusions that can be drawn from the study are that the library as place expresses the intellectual content of laws and guiding documents and that the patrons/consumers using the library in a manner consistent with the producer’s strategy benefit from its design and that those who do not are hence disfavoured. Another conclusion is that patron multilingualism should be considered when analysing library usage from this point of view.

The aim of this study is to examine how librarians experience implementations of changes in the physical space of the public library. The study seeks to answer the following questions from the librarians’ perspective: What are the underlying reasons for changes in the physical space of the library? What are the important functions of the public library to the community residents? What reactions do librarians get from community residents after changes in the physical space of the public library? The study is based on semi-structured interviews with librarians working at seven small public libraries in Sweden. A model of four library spaces, which was developed by Andersson and Skot-Hansen in 1994 and refined in 2012, is used as a theoretical framework to help analyzing the results. The majority of the libraries are structured according to the older version of the model. The results give evidence to the public’s understanding of the library as a physical space, a place where you can find books in shelves and qualified staff ready to help you with your questions. The findings also show that changes of the physical space are for example due to the need for bigger rooms, technical development or meeting place for the public. Finally, the results demonstrate that nearly all of the visitors to the libraries react positively to changes in the physical space and that more than half of the seven libraries have statistics giving evidence to an increasing number of physical visits and borrowed material. / Program: Bibliotekarie

The aim of the study is to examine how different factors,such as views on how knowledge is produced and howlearning takes place, effect the way an academic librarymanages space. This is done by looking into how a specificlibrary, namely Library & Learning Resources (LLR) at theUniversity of Borås, by re-planning the building’s structure,design and functions, can support the students’ differentstudying habits. The analysis is performed by using a theoreticalperspective built by a model first created by thearchitect Daniel Koch. The model is designed to look uponhow space produces meaning and knowledge. To this I haveadded a socio-cultural perspective on learning.Koch’s theoretical model is used as a method with the aim tostudy how the library is structured and designed. The modelis used to analyse three types of space distribution; in space,by space and through space. After analysing the materialwith these different ways of distribution the results processedonce more to obtain an approach to how knowledge isproduced and to see how that corresponds with a socioculturallearning perspective.It is concluded that the LLR has an open approach to howknowledge is produced and that the library supports thesocio-cultural way in which the students learn and conducttheir studies in. The Library has an open and flexible viewon how different functions in the library can be used and theaim is to support the many different ways in which studiesare conducted. / Program: Bibliotekarie