This bachelor thesis analyses the role and identities of the prison librarian in three Swedish prisons in order to see how the librarians themselves understand their role and their different conditions. After interviewing and recording the three librarians I analyzed the material with the identities created by the researchers Anders Ørom and Trine Schreiber. Ørom mentions three identities which focus on the content both from the librarians´ perspective but also from the users´ perspective. A fourth one discusses the more practical work, for example cataloguing and classification. Two other ones stress the technological aspects of the librarians´ work tasks. Finally an identity is described by Schreiber which focuses on the experience the library is able to create which in some way competes with other media. It also stresses the information technology aspect of intermediation. The study shows that the more content-focused identities are mostly used by the respondents. Time and restrictions are two existent conditions which affect the possibilities to use the identities. Technology is discussed as an important part of preparing the inmates to a life after release, but is not a major focus for the respondents at the moment. The most important role according to the respondents seems to be the needs of the inmates.

The aim of this essay is to investigate how national and international guidelines relate to library services to prisoners in Sweden and to further illuminate this through a comparison with some examples from a few European countries. The essay examines what rights to library services Swedish prisoners are given in law, what national and international guidelines say, what demands are placed on the librarian in the form of education and suitability, what economical resources exist to realise library services to prisoners, what measures are taken to provide for language minorities, and how the security aspect is handled when it comes to computers and information technologies. The information has been obtained through interviews as well as through studies of books, articles and conference proceedings. The essay includes a small case study of how library services are provided for prisoners in Haparanda. Findings point to a gap between the goals that are presented in national and international guidelines and how the library services to prisoners function in reality. / Uppsatsnivå: C

Does the freedom of information apply to delinquents? According to Swedish law, prisoners and detainees should have access to library services comparable to public libraries. However, this is not the case since there is specific literature not allowed in prison. Interestingly, The Swedish Library Act (2013:801) states that the library’s task is to promote the development of a democratic society by openness to various perspectives, i.e. no censorship or other obstructive measures. This Bachelor’s thesis aims to analyse how Swedish prison libraries are portrayed in journals from the library and information sector by identifying different discourses in articles.  The library and information profession have long been characterised by traditions of fairness, open inquiry, service and humanism. These traditions also form social justice theory in library and information science. By identifying discourses related to fairness, open inquiry, service and humanism in articles written in journals from the library and information sector, this Bachelor’s thesis illuminates attitudes toward prison libraries’ media collections and rehabilitative purposes. It is shown that Swedish prison libraries’ media collections are portrayed as restricted and censored, which according to discourses related to fairness, open inquiry, service and humanism, have a negative impact on rehabilitative measures as well as maintaining the freedom of information.

The aim of this bachelor thesis was to examine the notion of the intern in relation to literature and reading, and what roll the prison library has had, through a discourse analysis of the library journal Biblioteksbladet from 1963 to 2018. The following research questions were addressed: What characterizes the discourses about the intern in relation to reading and the prison library? Which subject positions emerges regarding the intern in relation to reading and the prison library? What roll has the prison library had in creating the image of the reading prisoner? How has the discourses evolved in relation to reading and the prison library between 1963 and 2018? 41 articles were examined in which two discourses were found named as “Someone else’s choice” and “The intern’s choice”. Three subject positions were found; “The incompetent prisoner”, “The competent prisoner” and “The criminal prisoner with psychological difficulties”. The library’s roll has been to promote books, in the first discourse books that were perceived as good and in the second discourse books that the interns chose themselves. The library also had a part in creating and upholding the image of the intern as a criminal with psychological difficulties. The conclusion of this study is that discussions regarding the good literature have been and still are present although the attitudes towards this literature differs. The attitudes towards censorship also differs and has differed throughout history although someone else has always had a part in deciding what the intern should read. When an intern chose literature that did not confirm any prejudice that might have occurred in society, it was still considered to be a choice that originated from the identity of the intern as a criminal or someone with psychological difficulties.

Denna uppsats har för avsikt att undersöka hur fängelsebibliotekarier själva ser på sin funktion i utbildningen av interner, och därmed även internernas rehabilitering och välbefinnande. Funktionen har analyserats utifrån sex bibliotekarieidentiteter framtagna av Anders Örom och mycket av den tidigare forskningen är av utredande karaktär då det var den typen av material som innehöll den information rörande svenska anstalter som var mest relevant för studien. Fyra aktiva fängelsebibliotekarier intervjuades och på datamaterialet gjordes en teoristyrd tematisk analys. Resultatet visar att den identitet som bäst beskriver fängelsebibliotekariernas funktion i utbildningen av interner är Socialarbetaridentiteten. Den främsta orsaken till detta är att fängelsebibliotekarier ser sin främsta funktion som att möta behoven hos de intagna samt att engagera och motivera dem på internernas egna villkor. Begränsningar för denna studie var främst att endast fyra personer intervjuades och det i sin tur gav ett ganska begränsat datamaterial. För vidare forskning föreslås en utredning av aktiviteter inom Kriminalvårdens biblioteksverksamhet.

Reading is something that has not been obvious to those who have been admitted to prisons around Sweden. The reading was considered to be more of a rehabilitation of the interns and the reading was used to make them better people, a way to show that the prison made prisoners better citizens. It would take a while for the librarians to gain access to the prison libraries. However, it did not become very easy then. There was a high wall between the professional groups, the prison staff and the librarians and the communication between them was not the best. As a result, the work was thwarted and misunderstandings occurred. It was not until the 1950s and 1960s that librarians got a breakthrough in the matter and the debate surrounding the neglect of prison libraries. Articles and books were written on the subject that raised the issue. This essay concerns the discussion that was held at this time through a discourse analysis, with the WPR approach and its analytical questions as tools. The method found that the problems behind the neglect of the prison libraries were not only the most obvious, that is, the financial shortage, but the evaluation of the interns' reading. When reading went from being a rehabilitative and educational issue to becoming more of an entertainment, its value diminished. By studying the discussions that took place during the time period, the problems could be identified and analysed. Subsequently, the solutions that were executed were identified and this thesis studied how the solutions coalesced in a major venture at Hall prison. The investment was made by the School Board and the Prison and Probation Service and was one of the largest investments made with serving librarians, newly built library, sufficient budget and a solid library service during the three years of the project.

In this two-years masters thesis the information practices of former interns are examined in relation to a possible lack of certain kinds of information in the prison environment. The essay is positioned in the research field of information practices which means its looking at all kinds of information, formal and informal. Since the essay is in the field of information practices it means the focus lies in how information is taught whithin contexts and groups. Information is not looked at solely as an individual process but is seen as a collective experience. The method of the essay is that of the qualitative research interview. Besides taking an interest in information practices i investigate whether access of information in prisons could be improved and whether the library organisations could be a part of those improvements. The result of my research shows that information in the prison coming from the correctional institution is not perceived as well functioning. Some exceptions where found but these where described by the informants as instances where staff had been extra helpful, as opposed to there being a functioning system of information practices in place in the organisation of the prison. Several of the informants thought information within groups of inmates could be motivating. A reason for this could be that groups of inmates are in the same situation, the power differences of the situated identities inmate and prison guard does not exist among inmates. In order of accessing relevant information from prison staff the inmates had to be driven and determined. The result of this essay further shows that it is too late to plan the release after the release has taken place. Several of the informants recounted increased difficulties in adjustment to the new social situation, having gone through psychological breakdown subsequent to their release. Many practical problems like for example homelessness also occurred. The research points to the prison libraries as a place where steps in coping with the release could successfully have been taken. This being so because the libraries are a place where the situated prisoner identity can be dissolved. Where one can remember ones interests and which books one used to read. in which sense there is already in the library room, an opening to the outside world. During the prison stay many find it difficult thinking about the world outside. It can be explained in terms of an adjustment to the social practices in the institution having taken place and in that the contrasts between the correctional institution and the world outside being to wide.