Swedish children's reading abilities are decreasing according to the PIRLS 2021 results, which puts pressure on school librarians as they have a unique position in their work when promoting literature for children. But are school librarians’ given time during their workday to actually read the books that they are promoting? The aim of this Master’s thesis is to examine the conditions of, and the expectations on, school librarians’ own professional reading, with an emphasis on reading time at work. Research questions concern how school librarians describe their conditions for reading time and the expectations school (including students, teachers, and management) have on their reading promotion. In addition, the answers are analysed from a theory of professions perspective, where the theoretical framework consists of ideas and concepts by Andrew Abbott, Thomas Brante and Jan Nolin. The empirical data consist of eight semi-structured interviews with school librarians from different parts of the country, working at different kinds of school libraries. The main conclusions are that the school librarians all must adapt to very different conditions and expectations since there is a lack of legislation regarding the operations of school libraries. Because of this, trust between the librarian and the school management is seen as a key factor in ensuring reading time. Despite most of the librarians having reading time they still spend their free time reading for work, which has implications for the professionas a whole as their work becomes invisible.

This study examines how school library staff at Swedish school libraries work with and include LGBTQ + in their work. The study examines how the LGBTQ + perspective is included in different areas of the school library and how such inclusive work benefits school libraries and it’s students. Previous research highlights the need for detailed governing documents for school libraries and their staff so that the library can be improved and adapted to the students. A web survey consisting of 16 questions was sent out and answered by 186 people with responsibility for school libraries in Swedish primary and lower secondary schools. The results of the survey were analyzed with a teorethic framework made by Valsdóttir (2021) and the result was compiled to create an overall picture of the library staff's work with LGBTQ +. The study concludes that the perspective is included to some extent in the library work, but there is a big difference in how and if it is carried out between the different school libraries. The results also show a need for regulations on school libraries in general for a functioning school library to be able to exist and benefit students in Swedish schools.

The aim of this Master´s thesis is to examine how public library managers reflect on readers´ advisory and promotion of adult literature, and how they view and discuss the governmental proposition Läsa för livet (prop. 2013/14:3). Questions posed in this study are: What matters do public library managers think fiction have on adults? How do public library managers reflect on promotion of adult literature? What are public library managers´ views on the governmental proposition Läsa för livet and how it will affect the public library?The theoretical starting-points used in this study are views on literature by Magnus Persson and Gitte Balling, and views on literature promotion by Rasmus Grøn. Method chosen was semi-structured interviews with six library managers in public libraries. This empirical material was analyzed according to the questions above. The results show strong emphasis on patron acquisition in collection management and literary promotion, according to the respondents in this study. It also shows their lack of high expectations of the governmental proposition Läsa för livet. / Program: Masterprogram: Biblioteks- och informationsvetenskap, Digitala bibliotek och informationstjänster

Introduction. This empirical study investigates the attitudes of Swedish public librarians who work in the children’s and/or young adult departments, towards children’s literary classics. This is achieved by examining work with the Classics shelf, a genre classification located in the children’s or young adult section. Method. The empirical material consists of transcripts from interviews with seven children’s and young adult public librarians in four Swedish municipalities, the Classics shelves and the libraries’ policy documents. Analysis. The Classics shelves’ genre definition, target group and location were investigated and compared to the libraries’ policy documents. Interview transcripts were examined in regard to the explicit contents of the participants’ statements and divided in themes by perceptions of value, function and use of the literature in a library context. Magnus Persson’s concept of myths describing naturalised perceptions of literature was used to interpret attitudes. A concluding analysis was conducted using the discourse theories of Michel Foucault, Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe. Results. The analysis indicated both shared and conflicting attitudes to children’s and young adult literary classics, with perceptions predominantly taken for granted. Three coexisting discourses were identified: the Reading experience discourse, the Durability discourse and the Fresh discourse. These are mainly tied to different tasks and influenced by the librarians’ preconceived notions, workplace management and external influences such as media debates, with the user perspective as a prerequisite. Conclusion. The results show that the librarian accommodates contradictory and ambivalent views of children’s and young adult literary classics in the library. Literature is mediated indirectly and directly, and expresses the librarian’s personal experience rather than a professional identity. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

Abstract  Introduction. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of a relatively new genre in popular literature in Sweden called "feelgood". Feelgood, as literary genre, has quickly risen to become a beloved and frequently borrowed genre among readers. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding how the feelgood genre is perceived and handled by public libraries. Method. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted with librarians at public libraries. The interviewees reside in different parts of Sweden and the video communication platform Zoom was used to facilitate the enquire. Analysis. The data gathered from the interviews were transcribed and analyzed using a qualitative content method. It was also compared in relation to earlier studies. The theoretical approach was retrieved from Catherine Sheldrick Ross seven models of reading and Magnus Persson’s myth elements of literature and reading. Results. The results show that feelgood as literary genre is indeed noticed and discussed among the study’s informants. The thoughts and attitudes among the librarians differ but can generally be perceived as positive. Several of Ross and Persson’s theoretical models were applicable to the arguments put forward by the informants.  Conclusion. The study concludes that the feelgood genre in literature is mostly well-received among the participants.  However, there are some implications of inconsistencies in rhetoric and practice. The genre is considered both a hindrance and an opportunity. Reductions in public library budgets may possibly alter the way the feelgood genre is approached and handled. The result of the study is in many ways consistent with earlier studies conducted on other genre literature.  This is a two year master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

I den här uppsatsen undersöks den vuxna icke-läsarens plats i det kulturpolitiska arbetet rörande litteraturförmedling och läsfrämjande under åren 2011-2021. Läsforskningen och kulturpolitikens arbete med litteratur och läsning fokuserar idag till stora delar på gruppen barn och unga. För att bredda perspektiven på området riktas här därför fokus om mot en vuxen målgrupp, särskilt den grupp av vuxna som av olika skäl idag inte är aktiva läsare. För undersökningen har ett ramverk plockats ihop av verktyg från litteraturdidaktiken utanför skolforskningen, axiologin och litteratursociologin. Detta gör att uppsatsen angränsar till samtliga dessa forskningsområden. I uppsatsen undersöks dokument från de tidiga leden av de kulturpolitiska lagstiftningskedjorna. Dokumenten kommer ifrån Litteraturutredningen, arbetet med den nya bibliotekslagen samt Läsdelegationens arbete. Inledningsvis undersöks vilka värden man i dokumenten tillskriver litteratur och -läsning. Till exempel undersöks detta utifrån vilka argument för läsning som lyfts fram, samt hur man motiverar att kulturpolitiskt ägna sig åt befolkningens läsvanor med hänvisning till de värden litteraturen anses bidra med. Vidare undersöks vilka idéer och insatser för läsfrämjande arbete som beskrivs, med fokus på vuxna icke-läsare. Detta följs av en undersökning av vilka samhällsarenor och politiska områden som lyfts fram som relevanta för det litteraturförmedlande arbetet, vilket till delar hänger samman med det läsfärmjande arbetet. Sammanfattningsvis konstateras att den vuxna icke-läsaren till stor del saknas i det undersökta materialet. Huvudsakligen lyfts den vuxna fram som en viktig läsande förebild för barn och unga. Utifrån resultatet av undersökningen diskuteras i avslutningen avsaknaden av perspektiv på lässituationen och en tydligare bro mellan forskarsamhället och kulturpolitiken på detta område.