This qualitative study examines the browsing behaviours of patrons at two Swedish public libraries. Our methods were semistructured observations and semistructured interviews. The purpose of this thesis is to generate knowledge on how browsing behaviours manifest in practice, especially in the lesser-studied public library context. The research questions were: 1. Which browsing types and browsing activities can be found in our data? 2. How do the patrons describe the changes in their browsing behaviour in relation to the specificity of their information need? 3. How do the patrons describe that their behaviours and choices are influenced by the libraries’ marketing of resources in the physical library room, for example book displays and themed shelves? The results were then analysed in relation to a typology of browsing behaviour proposed by McKay et al. (2019), and in relation to models of browsing behaviour created by Kwasnik (1992) and Bates (2007). The models by Kwasnik and Bates were found to be accurate and useful in describing the browsing behaviours of the patrons we observed. Our data supported some of the types presented by McKay et al.(2019), while other types have been slightly redefined to better reflect our data. The good enough type was proposed as an alternative to McKay et al.’s satisficing type. The patrons displayed different browsing behaviours corresponding to the specificity of their information needs. The patrons show different views towards the library displays. A few patrons looked at them very rarely, while most looked at them more often.

This bachelor thesis examines the visibility of the librarian and the librarian’s professional skills on the public libraries' own Instagram accounts based on Lawton's (2015) theory of visibility. The librarian’s professional competencies are being studied by applying Ørom’s (2013) theory of the librarian’s professional skills. A comparison is also made of the frequency of occurrence of the librarian and the library on the public libraries' own Instagram accounts. The results show that the librarian is visible on Instagram, since both their presence and competencies appear in the material examined. The result also show that the library is more frequently occurring than the librarian which indicates that the library has a higher value than the librarian in the studied material.

Abstract Through examining interviews with three influential civil servants at local level this Bachelor´s thesis takes a view of what visions of libraries look like at municipal level. The examination is carried out through qualitative text analysis consisting of thematisation and discussion of the interview material. Focus is on the relationship between the interview material and the three rationalities, the humanistic, the sociological and the instrumental that are drawn from a model for categorizing Scandinavian cultural policy, developed by Dorte Skot-Hansen. The primary issue is whether the visions of libraries are based on ideological perspectives and which perspective and, if so, which perspective is dominating each vision. The analysis reflects the complexity of sometimes contradictive perspectives that are to be seen. To help identify differing and dominating perspectives that appear in the interviews, the question of priorities concerning the future role of the local library is raised. A model by Andersson and Skot-Hansen constructed to help discussing and prioritising the function of the local library, is applied to the interview material. To further analyse the ideological content of the visions the material is compared with scientific literature within the subject. The arguments of the visions are compared to the argumentation of scholars in the same field. These often have presented models and analyses in the same line of research, cultural policy concerning libraries, as Skot-Hansen. Concluding it is argued that it is possible to see differing ideological perspectives in the local visions of libraries and to varying extent. Conclusions are drawn from a comparison of what has come from the analyses of which function of the library is prioritised in each interview and the tendencies seen in the material to the three rationalities from the model by Skot-Hansen. Two visions land in line with humanistic rationality but from different viewpoints. One vision is in accordance with sociological rationality. The extent that discussion of instrumental market directed rationality has in scientific literature on the subject does not answer to the result of this examination. The thesis could be seen as a minor post in the discussion about the direction of the local library, a discussion that Skot-Hansen intended her models to be used for.

Introduction. The purpose of this thesis is to explain how reading promotion for adults is presented in municipal library plans. It examines how reading promotion for adults is described as an activity, in what contexts it is mentioned, how it is motivated and what conceptual ideas of reading promotion for adults that can be found. Finally, the study examines what view of literature that can be derived from these findings: whether literature is seen as a tool to fulfil other objectives and goals or as something that has a purpose in itself. Method. Descriptive idea analysis was chosen to answer the thesis’ questions. The resource material consists of municipal library plans, and the analysis focuses on the library plans from three Swedish regions. Analysis. The theoretical concepts are retrieved from the Danish library and cultural policy researcher Dorte Skot-Hansen's cultural policy theories, as well as from the Danish library researcher Beth Juncker's definitions of the two concepts instrumental and autotelic. The analysis is performed on the basis of three themes that were distinguished in the library plans: Democracy, Experience and Health.  Results. The results of the study show that reading promotion for adults is described in several different contexts, and in relation to different topics. They also show that the theme Democracy was central in the library plans. This included a focus on equal access to literature and on reading ability as a prerequisite to active participation in society. Reading promotion was mainly motivated by instrumental ideas. Even when describing reading as an experience or for pleasure, the library plans tend to use instrumental ideas as a motivation. A certain view of literature can therefore be discerned in the library plans. Literature appears as something that should primarily be used to achieve other objectives. Conclusions. Our thesis shows that the instrumental ideas about reading promotion are strong in municipal library plans, and that the view of literature is instrumental rather than autotelic. We argue for further research into whether this has any effects on the everyday reading promotion in public libraries, or if methods focusing on reading and literature as experience with a purpose in itself still are being applied. This is a two years master's thesis in Library and information science.

Role-playing games have become more mainstream in today's society and some Swedish public libraries even organize role-playing game sessions as part of their activities. In Swedish library media, role-playing has been linked to reading and literature, however research show that role-playing games also has a number of other uses, but that the most common goals for library's gaming programs are to provide entertainment and attract users. Previous research about role-playing games at public libraries has not investigated any actual role-playing activities in the sense that library staff arrange game sessions. Investigating this can therefore contribute to an increased understanding of how librarians view role-playing games, which in turn may contribute to knowledge that can be used by librarians to develop their library´s activities with the help of role-playing games. The purpose of this thesis is to examine what function role-playing game activities fulfills or can be expected to fulfill for public libraries and library users and how these activities work. This is done by interviewing librarians who organize role-playing game sessions. As theory, the so-called four space model is used to categorize, analyze and discuss the empirical material. The results show that external factors and the librarians own knowledge and experience about role-playing games, characterize the design of the role-playing activities. The results also show that the librarians see many reasons for arranging role-playing activities at public libraries. These reasons are also consistent with the functions that the four space model describes that public libraries should provide, namely to function as places that promote: inspiration, learning, meetings and creation among library users.

Public library staff can in the meeting with the library visitors face difficulties and dilemmas. The aim of this master´s thesis is to contribute knowledge about how public library staff create and uphold their role in the meetings with the library visitors in the common areas in the public library. The study has two research questions: How do the public library staff adjust their role in the meetings with the library visitors? In what context and places do public library staff have conversations about meetings they have had with library visitors and how do that form their role? Interviews and observations have been used to collect the empirical material from three librarians and two library assistants, who worked in the same public library. The content analysis was based on Erving Goffman´s sociological perspective. The result of the study showed that public library staff adjust in the meeting to visitors´ behaviour, technical equipment, and the design of facilities in the library. There are also predefined codes of conduct consisting of norms, laws, decisions made in meetings and more. These predefined codes of conduct do not always go together with what happens in the meeting with the visitors. Therefore, the staff need to decide in every situation, how to adjust their role. The staff have conversations about meetings with the visitors during morning meetings, breaks, workplace meetings and more. These conversations prepare the library staff for the role they are going to perform.

Denna kandidatuppsats har som syfte att undersöka hur arbetet med icke-normativ litteratur i bibliotek ser ut och hur begreppet icke-normativ litteratur tolkas av bibliotekarier mot en bakgrund av medieplanering. Detta besvarades med hjälp av de tre forskningsfrågorna: Hur arbetar bibliotekarier med icke-normativ litteratur på bibliotek och hur kan man koppla detta till medieplanering? Vilka utmaningar finns för bibliotekarier när de arbetar med icke-normativ litteratur? Hur ser bibliotekariers tolkning av icke-normativ litteratur ut? Studiens empiriska data samlades in genom kvalitativa intervjuer med fem bibliotekarier. Intervjuerna transkriberades och analyserades genom en tematisk analys, där tre teman identifierades: Normer och det normbrytande arbetet; det personliga engagemanget; samarbete. Studiens resultat visade att bibliotekarierna arbetar med normer och normbrytande genom att lyfta fram litteratur som ses som icke-normativ. Det oftast förekommande exemplet var hbtq, men exempel som serier och mångspråk förekom också. Arbetet med denna litteratur genomförs med personligt engagemang från bibliotekariernas sida, eftersom de utan formellt ansvar ändå engagerade sig i litteraturen. De var dock inte ensamma i sitt arbete med denna litteratur, utan samarbetade med exempelvis både kollegor på biblioteket och på andra bibliotek. Arbetet och samarbetet i enlighet med aspekter från Quicks (2021) tre typer av medieplaner. Slutsatsen som kom fram var att respondenternas arbete med den icke-normativa litteraturen främst tycks ha aspekter från medieplantypen kommuninvånarnas behov. Begreppet icke-normativ litteratur tolkades bland annat som hbtq-litteratur, men även som andra litteraturkategorier av bibliotekarierna som deltog i studien.

There is a discrepancy in research within library and information science in the use of the concept non-user, and no research about librarians’ use of the concept can be found. If librarians define the concept differently it may affect how they share experiences with one another and how they design outreach towards library non-users. An Evolutionary concept analysis of the concept in relation to public libraries is carried out based on the use of the concept in a survey answered by librarians, and research literature. The study supports results from previous studies of non-users and finds that the concept non-user is applied in different manners. The results show that there are similarities in the application of the concept with attributes relating to the non-use of the library, when or if use occurred and as a challenge. The differences found are mostly based on the context of application such as between research literature and librarians’ usage but also in regards to geographical location and the speciality of the librarians. The main finding is the difference in the use of the concept non-user, where the research literature and inner city librarians have a more conservative use than librarians in general and the librarians in the outer par tof the city. This study contributes to a broader understanding of the concept non-user and how the context can affect the use of the concept and how the concept can be applied in these contexts.

The study intends to create and contribute to knowledge about how public libraries in Sweden have developed their digital reading promotion in a time characterized by pandemic restrictions. This has been achieved by the study being based on semi-structured interviews with representatives of 8 Swedish public libraries around the country. A compilation of their results shows that the libraries have been able to continue reaching out to participants by developing their digital working methods. There have been obstacles in the form of a lack of digital user habits on the part of certain participants as well as on the part of the libraries themselves. The libraries have not always been able to reach out to the same people as before. But they have discovered target groups that were previously overlooked. The new experiences have also opened up to work with more digital and hybrid ways of working now and in the future. They have also strengthened their public profile as digitization has made their services and their role in society more visible. Libraries have expanded their communication options and increased their digital competence. In addition, their importance has increased by playing an active role in the municipality and helping to solve problems for other institutions and participants who have been involved in their activities

Syftet med uppsatsen är att förklara Luleå stad/kommuns biblioteksverksamhet mellan åren 1930 – 1982. Hur påverkades biblioteksverksamheten i Luleå stad/kommun av nationella politiska beslut och styrdokument? På vilket sätt karaktäriserades integrationsprocessen när biblioteksverksamheten skulle organiseras enhetligt i Luleå stad/kommun? Fokus för denna granskning är huvudbibliotek, stadsbiblioteket i Luleå som också fungerade som centralbibliotek för länet, vilket senare kallades för länsbibliotek. Teoretiskt perspektiv som används är Ingemar Norrlids integrationism som används för att mäta graden av decentralisering i politiska system. Texten har en översiktlig, deskriptiv karaktär med inslag av analys och komparation. Biblioteksverksamheten förändrades under den undersökta perioden från att vara relativt fristående från kommun för att knytas närmre till både kommun och stat, genom att dess verksamhet blev beroende av statsunderstöd. Förändringsprocessen pågick som intensivast runt åren efter 1930 och åren efter 1965. Under 1970-talet sker omorganisationer där ledordet är decentralisering. Samtidigt ses en rationalisering och byråkratisering av verksamheten.