This master thesis deals with the problem of integrated libraries. The number of integrated public and school libraries has significantly increased over time. These libraries are integrated for different reasons, most often because of economic considerations. The goal of the thesis is to investigate librarians´ understanding and perceptions of the professional role in this type of integrated libraries. I have investigated how librarians see and interpret their own professional role, and what factors influence their perceptions in an integrated library.The three main questions are: How do the librarians explain their professional role in an integrated library? How does their professional role change because of the fact that they work in an integrated environment? What factors, according to the librarians, influence and/or change the professional role mostly? The data has been collected through interviews with eight librarians at integrated libraries. They were employed as public librarians, school librarians or had a combined job of a public and school librarian. The method I have used is a combination of qualitative interviews and literature studies. The analysis is based on the topics emerging from the interviews with eight respondents and the literature.The study reveals that the professional role of a librarian is influenced and changed by an integrated public and school libraries´ environment. In this environment, a public librarian usually has to diminish the role and functions of a public librarian and also play a bigger pedagogical role. Another factor that influences the librarian’s role is that a librarian experiences fragmentation of his role and duties that is stressful. It is difficult for the librarians to decide the right level of service for the visitors of the integrated library. Despite this, librarians like their work. The reason for this is that they have very different work issues and also a very close contact with users. The librarians also work with different categories of staff and users and this is also a factor that influences their professional role. It is also difficult to give hundred percent of ones attention to any of the professional roles if one person has to fulfil both of them. It is also very important that a written agreement (or contract) is produced to regulate the work and activities of the librarians in integrated libraries. A school, a school library, and a public library have to negotiate this written agreement in detail and it is very important that all components of an integrated library are represented in this agreement. / Uppsatsnivå: D

Studiens syfte har varit att undersöka människors ageranden på det integrerade folk- och skolbiblioteket för att med hjälp av Erving Goffmans dramaturgiska perspektiv tydliggöra den sociala strukturen på det integrerade folk- och skolbiblioteket. Genom att observera sociala interaktioner och tolka dessa ur ett dramaturgiskt perspektiv och sätta dessa tolkningar i relation till en förförståelse av bibliotekariens roll samt bibliotekets uppdrag baserade på texterna Bibliotekariens praktiska kunskaper – om kunskap, etik och yrkesrollen (2016) av Eva Schwarz (red.) samt Olika syn på saken – Folkbiblioteket bland användare, icke-användare och personal (2011) av Svensk Biblioteksförening visar studien på att beroende på vem som befinner sig i biblioteket aktualiseras de olika aspekterna av den integrerade folk- och skolbiblioteksverksamheten. I mötet mellan allmänhet och bibliotekarier blir folkbiblioteksaspekterna tydliga medan i inplanerade möten med skolklasser framhävs skolbiblioteksverksamheten. När elever använder biblioteket som ett ställe att hänga på under skoldagen händer något med stämningen i biblioteket och interaktionen, eller snarare bristen på interaktion, mellan elever och bibliotekarier gör något med biblioteket som varken liknar de ageranden som kan kopplas ihop med folkbiblioteksverksamheten eller skolbiblioteksverksamheten. Slutsatsen är att mötet mellan elever och bibliotekarier skulle kunna vara det som utgör kärnan i den sociala strukturen för det integrerade folk- och skolbiblioteket. Slutsatsen grundar sig dessvärre på ett mycket litet material och bör därför snarare ses som en ingång till vidare forskning mer än en tillförlitlig slutsats.