The purpose of this Master’s thesis is to investigate the library needs of fourteen-to-fifteen-year-olds. We have limited the investigation to the significance of libraries for the teenagers in their leisure time. Our focus is the public library with a particular reference to the plans for a new local public library with a youth profile in Malmö. With a departure point in the idea that young people’s use and view of libraries is to a large extent depending on factors such as social and cultural background and lifestyle, we chose to do a qualitative interview study with eight teenagers. The theoretical framework is informed by the work of lifestyle researcher Pierre Bourdieu, youth culture researcher Thomas Ziehe and Library and Information Science researchers Henrik Jochumsen and Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen. In the analysis part of our thesis, we use concepts such as identity, lifestyle and everyday barriers to discern how the young people view and use libraries. We have come to the conclusion that these teenagers’ views on libraries are strongly connected with reading, books and schoolwork. Some of them felt at home in a library but some of them were not really aware of how a library can be used. Factors such as lack of time and lifestyle create barriers that prevent the teenagers from visiting the library. We found that some of the teenagers at issue still want books to be in focus in a library. A few of them do not seem to have an explicit need to participate in culturally creative activities in a library. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The aim of this master’s thesis is to examine how users at four public libraries experience the alternative shelf arrangement in their library. The purpose of introducing an alternative shelf arrangement in a public library is often to facilitate for its users. In each of our chosen libraries, the librarians have arranged the books in the non-fiction section in broad themes, with the Swedish Library Association Classification System as subsections. Using qualitative interviews, we examined a total of 26 users’ experience of the shelf arrangement and its accessibility, their methods for seeking information and their opinion about the presentation of the books. The main part of our respondents prefers to browse through the book shelves when searching in the library. Most of them also declared satisfaction with the shelf arrangement in their library and that they are more likely to borrow a book that is on display than a book that is not. We found that our respondents lacked awareness of the organisation of the shelf arrangement as well as of the signs showing the themes. The majority of our respondents do not question the shelf arrangement. Many of the respondents do not question it because they are so used to their library and have learned how to find what they are looking for. Others seem to feel that they do not know the library well enough to question it. / Uppsatsnivå: D

This Master’s thesis is about the public library development in a rural district, in this case Bergunda, a large rural district in Kronoberg’s County in Småland in Sweden, existing 1952 – 1970. The main question is; how the public library develops in Bergunda large rural district 1951-1970. The main question is divided up in sub-questions: the district uniting in 1952 and 1971; personnel; lending; library housing and the public library structure. In 1952, there is one public library, Bergunda public library, and four study circle libraries. Three of them are in Gemla: ABF, SLS, NTO, and one in Bergunda: SLS. The study circle libraries became part of the public library around 1960. When the study circle libraries become part of the public library, an increased numeral of book-loans could be observed. The public library gets new premises in various places in the district. The big question in the district is about the premises. Many of the premises were not adapted to their purpose. The solution was to house the library in the new school building. This solution can certainly have had signification when Öjaby became the first integrated library in Kronoberg’s County. It happened just after Bergunda became a part of the Växjö district. This Master’s thesis focuses on archive material in the form of reporting of proceedings and similar. This material is sent to and kept in Växjö community record office and Kronobergsarkivet. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The aim of this thesis is to investigate how the indexing of fiction for adults looks like in the public libraries that don’t buy indexed records for fiction from Bibliotekstjänst (BTJ). The questions that I want these libraries to answer is: - Public libraries that index fiction for adults themselves: 1. What tools do they use when indexing?, 2. How do they proceed when indexing?, 3. How do they experience that indexing works in practice?, 4. How large knowledge of Svensk Biblioteksförening’s subject headings list for adults do they have? - Public libraries that don’t index fiction for adults: 1. What factors lie behind the decision not to index?, 2. Do they have plans to either start indexing themselves or to start buying indexed records?, 3. How large knowledge of Svensk Biblioteksförening’s subject headings list for adults do they have?The study showed that in libraries that index themselves, many use Svensk Biblioteksförening’s subject headings list. They use the binding lists from BTJ and the text on the back cover of the book when choosing index terms and they think that indexing is interesting, useful but that it takes time. The libraries that don’t index say that it is lack of time or staff that has made them take that decision. Half of these libraries say that they will start buying indexed records or do the indexing by themselves. In both types of libraries the knowledge of Svensk Biblioteksförening’s subject headings list is basic or good. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The aim of this Master’s thesis is to investigate the library habits of young people, age 15 to 24. Our empirical data are gathered in a survey distributed to 104 young men and women at three different public libraries. The questions are about how young people use the public library, what media and services they use and whether or not they are content with what the public library can offer them. In our analysis we have compared our results to previous research and used a model by Marianne Andersson and Dorte Skot-Hansen to determine how they use the library. The previous research we have found deals with the library habits of young people, and their music, movie and book preferences. The model describes different ways in which you can use the public library. This model divides the functions of the public library in four different categories. These four categories are the cultural center, the knowledge center, the information center and the social center. The result of our survey shows that the young people use the library to borrow books and to study. Our result was in most parts consistent with what previous research have shown. Finally we came to the conclusion that the young people in our study use the library mostly like a knowledge center or a cultural centre. / Uppsatsnivå: D

This thesis addresses the library environment and how it affects the accessibility for the library users. A study is made of the public library in Eslöv. We wanted to find out how the library staff, the senior librarian and the architect discuss the library environment, considering:• The accessibility for the library users.• The possibility for the users to orientate themselves in the library.We also wanted to see how we as users experience the library environment and compare these experiences with the results from the interviews. The material used consists of qualitative interviews, observations of users and our own experience studies. As tools to analyse our material we used a phenomenographic method and experience analysis. The analysis was based upon interdisciplinary theories mainly from our own field, environmental psychology and architecture. We found that the respondents discussed the library in two ways. As a lively, pleasant and permitting place for people to spend time in different ways, and as a serious place for work and study that needs to be calm and quiet. The possibility for the users to orientate themselves was also discussed in different ways. As a problem concerning the signs on the bookshelves and the difficulties to make them logical for the users, and as the problem that the users often could not find their way to different parts of the library. We also found that we as users missed clear signs in the library to a greater extent than the respondents. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The purpose of this thesis is to explore what possibilities Swedish public library has to work with and promote integration. The possibilities are examined on the basis of internal requirements of integration, the role of public library in the civil society and its policy documents. Further, the thesis examines what Swedish National library politics could contribute to this particular field. The experience of integration politics shows that a genuine commitment from all parts of the society is required in order to build an integrated society. The part of a society that public libraries are closest to and have the greatest impact on is undoubtedly the civil society. Within this research I have highlighted the changes that should be made in our society in order to achieve the goal of integration, as well as the opportunities that our public libraries should take in order to efficiently work towards these changes. If the work is to be more effective, a personal commitment as well as targeted investments done by librarians are necessary. Public library’s regulations express the importance of fighting against segregation, as well as the importance of making the cultural heritage of minorities a part of the common cultural heritage, and creating the opportunities for people to meet and get inspired by each other. This Research reveals that what is expressed in documents does not always have an impact on what happens in the reality and that there is an uncertainty when it comes to the function of public library and its power of influence. Opposite to what has been said, this study also proves that there are genuine enthusiasts there, the driving forces, who are working for a positive development and changes on the front.

The purpose of the present thesis is to investigate the interaction between the branches in the different villages and its users and the importance of the branches for democracy. To illustrate these points, I have focused on Högsby municipality, a local council in Kalmar county. Högsby municipality is of particular interest in this connection, since all seven of the branches have been closed recently; only the main library remains. Moreover, three of the closed branches were, in 2005, taken over by citizen organizations local to the part of Högsby municipality where the libraries were located. The specific issues that were addressed were:- What needs were satisfied by the local libraries in Högsby council and is it possible to satisfy these needs in other ways and then, how?- Does the absence of a local library affect democracy?Interviews were performed. Protocols from council meetings and newspaper articles have been studied and supplemented with statistical information from “Statistics Sweden” and “Swedish Art Council”. Although no general conclusions can be reached on basis of the present investigation it is reasonable to presume that the situation as regards local libraries in other parts of Sweden exhibits similarities to the situation in Högsby municipality. Thus, it seems likely that the local libraries fulfil important functions as centra of knowledge, culture and information and as meeting place, but to varying degrees depending on the local circumstances. If the local libraries fulfil their roles in these contexts it is very likely that they also are very important for the democracy.

This essay aims to investigate how Swedish Public Libraries market their activities in video games for youths. It also highlights how the library, on the basis of the unique opportunities of the video game medium, can develop this marketing to build a relationship with youths. The empiric evidence is based on a survey of answers given by 30 librarians responsible for video game collections, and qualitative telephone interviews with three of them. The essay’s theoretical framework is based on Philip Kotler and his co-authors’ marketing theory which consists of five stages: Marketing research, segmentation, marketing mix, implementation and development. Youths were the central target group for the video games activities in two thirds of the libraries. However, there were no differences in marketing between the libraries who had youths as a central target group and those who didn’t. The result showed shortcomings in the library’s long term marketing strategies – for example in goals and development. Many libraries had a marketing strategy characterized by one-way communication and therefore lost out on opportunities to get a response from the youths and involve them in their activities. The main plans for development concerned game events and the possibility of playing games in the building. On the basis of the data collected and from earlier research, it was shown that libraries can use the video game events to their advantage. Through gaming events the libraries can also make use of the mediums’ interactive opportunities and increase its accessibility.

The purpose of this Master’s thesis is to describe and analyse the development of the public and the study circle libraries in the district of Kolbäck during the period of 1913-1954. The factors important for the library development described in sub-questions are: financing, locality, staffing, stock of books, book-lending level and uniting district effects. I use a hermeneutic interpretation model of interaction between the parts and the wholes, between reasons and results. This research leans mainly upon material which is sent to be deposited in archives in Hallstahammar, Västerås and Grängesberg. The public library in Kolbäck was established in 1914 as a reconstruction of an older facility. The first study circle library was opened the year before. In the following years four branches and six study circle libraries were established. Those last mentioned belonged to Arbetarnas bildningsförbund (ABF), Godtemplarorden (IOGT), Nationaltemplarorden (NTO), Sveriges kristna bildningsförbund (SKB) later Sveriges kristna studieförbund (SKS) and Svenska landsbygdens studieförbund (SLS). In 1943 two branches were handed over to Hallstahammar due to changes in community boarders. After 1952 four branches were added from Rytterne and Säby, but there were also opened two new book lending stations. The economic conditions changed in the late forties that set in favour the public libraries. As a result many of study circle libraries were closed down and their book collections were handed over to the local public library. This was a development which was at the time encouraged by the Swedish state. Through the whole period there were only part-time librarians employed in Kolbäck.