This bachelor’s thesis deals with how the spatiality of libraries can correlate with instances of disorderly user behaviors. The fact that public libraries are among the types that are most prone to disorder, while Kriminalvården’s (the Swedish correctional service’s) librarians rarely experience similar problematic behaviors, could be said to illustrate a balancing act between anarchy and a manic need for control; where the most ideal compromise is, is based both upon personal values and the situation at hand.   To compare different reasonings about the room and the users, public librarians’ perspectives on factors of architecture and design have been contrasted with how librarians within Kriminalvården view the matter. The study has mainly been carried out using qualitative semi-structured interviews as well as a supplementary questionnaire. Operationalized factors of spatial influence in the form of categorized opposites (accessible/inaccessible, comfortable/repellent, visible/obscured, enabling/forbidding), which were identified early on and have guided the investigation, are used both implicitly in the interview guides and the questionnaire as well as explicitly in reading for the thematic analysis.   The terms “ideal type”, “heterotopia”, and “panopticon/panopticism” are used theoretically to deepen the understanding of the essay’s collected data: their suitability emerges in the nuances of what libraries can/should be; what happens when you bring together multiple functions in one space; as well as how control through surveillance can be understood and applied in library spaces.   The results show several differences at the operational level, but also similarities in terms of the librarian’s approach and view on problematic factors. Public libraries often have many functions (that do not always interact harmoniously) and offer more freedom, which risks their orderliness, while Kriminalvårdens library operations (which consists almost exclusively of literature distribution) have more order – but at the expense of user´s freedom.    The study’s outcome can be used as a basis of knowledge for practical planning of library design, but also as a springboard for further research. The effect of spatiality on users can prove important for the orderliness, atmosphere, and security of a library: cultivating an awareness regarding these possibilities of influence can thus be considered of great interest. / Denna kandidatuppsats hanterar hur biblioteks spatiala utformning kan korrelera med förekomster av ”biblioteksstök”. Att folkbibliotek är bland de mest stök-utsatta typerna, medan Kriminalvårdens bibliotekarier sällan upplever liknande problembeteenden, skulle kunna sägas illustrera en balansakt mellan anarki och kontrollmani; var den mest idealiska kompromissen ligger bygger på personliga värderingar och vad situationen kräver.    För att jämföra olika resonemang kring rummet och användarna har folkbibliotekariers perspektiv på arkitektoniska och designmässiga faktorer satts i kontrast mot hur bibliotekarier inom Kriminalvården ser på saken. Studien har genomförts främst med hjälp av kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer samt en kompletterande enkät. Operationaliseringar av spatiala påverkansfaktorer i form av kategoriserade motpoler (tillgängligt/svårtillgängligt, komfortabelt/avvisande, överblickbart/skymt, tillåtande/hindrande), som i förtid identifierats och styrt undersökningen, har använts både implicit i intervjuguiderna samt enkäten och explicit i utläsningen för den tematiska analysen.  Begreppen ”idealtyp”, ”heterotopi”, och ”panoptikon/panopticism” används teoretiskt för att fördjupa förståelsen av uppsatsens empiri: deras lämplighet framkommer i nyanserandet av vad bibliotek kan/bör vara; effekten av att sammanföra flera användningsområden i samma utrymme; samt hur kontroll genom övervakning kan förstås och appliceras i biblioteksutrymmen.    Resultatet visar på flera skillnader på verksamhetsnivå men även likheter i fråga om bibliotekariernas förhållningssätt och syn på problematiska faktorer. Folkbibliotek har ofta många funktioner (som inte alltid samspelar harmoniskt) och erbjuder mer frihet vilket riskerar kosta ordning, medan Kriminalvårdens biblioteksverksamhet (som utgörs närmast uteslutande av litteraturförmedling) har mer ordning – men på bekostnad av användarnas frihet.   Studiens utfall kan användas som kunskapsgrund för praktisk planering av biblioteksutformning, men även som en språngbräda för vidare forskning. Det spatialas influens över användare kan ha betydelse för biblioteks ordning, atmosfär, och trygghet: att kultivera en medvetenhet kring dessa påverkansmöjligheter kan därmed anses vara av stort intresse.

Rapporter från fackorganisationer och vetenskapliga studier visar att bibliotekarier är en stressad yrkesgrupp. Denna studie undersöker hur folkbibliotekarier beskriver sina upplevelser av stress främst i möten med användare och hur denna stress hanteras av folkbibliotekarierna. Åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer med folkbibliotekarier genomfördes, varpå det empiriska resultatet analyserades utifrån rollstressteorin som myntat sav Kahn et al. (1964). Syftet med studien är att bidra till en djupare förståelse för folkbibliotekariers stress, och hur dessa upplevelser och hantering av stress kan förstås utifrån rollstressteorin. De mest framträdande stressfaktorerna i användarmöten är kommunikationssvårigheter, gränssättning i service och när många användare efterfrågar hjälp samtidigt. Studiens resultat visar även att arbetsuppgifter utanför användarmöten såsom arbete med bibliotekens uppdrag, planering av aktiviteter och program, beståndsarbete pekas av över hälften av folkbibliotekarierna ut som mer stressande än användarmöten. Resultatet visar även att folkbibliotekarierna har flera metoder för att hantera stress. Analysen av det empiriska resultatet visar på indikationer av rollstress i form av rollkonflikt, rolloklarhet och rollöverbelastning. / Reports from trade unions and scientific studies show that librarians are a stressed professional group. This study examines how public librarians describe their experiences of stress when meeting patrons and how this stress is managed by the public librarians. Eight semi-structured interviews with public librarians were conducted, after which the results was analyzed based on the role stress theory coined by Kahn et al. (1964). The purpose of the study is to contribute to a deeper understanding of public librarians' experiences of stress, and how this can be understood by using role stress theory. The results of the study show that the most prominent stress factors in relation to patrons are communication difficulties, setting boundaries in service and when many patrons request help at the same time. The results of the study also show that, for example, work regarding planning and the library's missions is experienced by many of the public librarians as more stressful than working with patrons.The results also show that the public librarians use several methods to manage stress. The analysis of the empirical material also shows indications of role stress in terms of role conflict, role ambiguity and role overload.

The purpose of the research was to recommend a model for strategic human resource management through an effective staff performance appraisal system in Botswana public libraries. Performance appraisal is not a new concept; however the evolution of performance appraisal tools and techniques has been slow compared to that of other management fields. This discrepancy is now being realised; organisations are starting to acknowledge the importance of comprehensive, regular appraisal of staff as part of an effective human resource management policy. Human resources are a scarce and valuable tool in any organisation and it is mainly through performance appraisal that they can be developed and maintained, to ensure organisational success. The theory underlying strategic human resource management and performance management has been studied. Empirical research through a questionnaire was carried out in 23 public libraries. From these it was possible to develop a model entitled "A recommended strategic human resource management model". From empirical investigation the main critical qualities for efficient public library services were revealed as enthusiasm; positive attitude; innovative thinking; capability and commitment; critical competencies as expertise; team-building; and leadership; critical external factors as external environment; global competition; shrinking budget; changing library customers and employees' needs and information technology; strategic management issues organisational culture; transformational leadership; employee recognition and reward systems; performance measurement system; productivity improvement; and customer orientation; critical staff issues as sense of purpose and achievement; feeling of self-worth; job-security; recognition; status; career development; and salary; motivational factors as effective communication; job satisfaction; delegation of authority; clear job description; performance feedback; conducive working environment; human resource strategy issues as motivation building among staff;continuous education and development; generating competitive advantage through human resources; and alignment of human resource strategy with strategic management plan. The study recommends a strategic human resource management model for libraries along with: conducive working environment; adequate IT infrastructure to store, organise and retrieve information; staff training for excellent customer service; objective, reward based staff appraisal; performance feedback; performance appraisal should be aligned with staff selection, library mission, staff motivation and promotion in order to use it strategically; and human resource strategy should be developed immediately. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

The purpose of the research was to recommend a model for strategic human resource management through an effective staff performance appraisal system in Botswana public libraries. Performance appraisal is not a new concept; however the evolution of performance appraisal tools and techniques has been slow compared to that of other management fields. This discrepancy is now being realised; organisations are starting to acknowledge the importance of comprehensive, regular appraisal of staff as part of an effective human resource management policy. Human resources are a scarce and valuable tool in any organisation and it is mainly through performance appraisal that they can be developed and maintained, to ensure organisational success. The theory underlying strategic human resource management and performance management has been studied. Empirical research through a questionnaire was carried out in 23 public libraries. From these it was possible to develop a model entitled "A recommended strategic human resource management model". From empirical investigation the main critical qualities for efficient public library services were revealed as enthusiasm; positive attitude; innovative thinking; capability and commitment; critical competencies as expertise; team-building; and leadership; critical external factors as external environment; global competition; shrinking budget; changing library customers and employees' needs and information technology; strategic management issues organisational culture; transformational leadership; employee recognition and reward systems; performance measurement system; productivity improvement; and customer orientation; critical staff issues as sense of purpose and achievement; feeling of self-worth; job-security; recognition; status; career development; and salary; motivational factors as effective communication; job satisfaction; delegation of authority; clear job description; performance feedback; conducive working environment; human resource strategy issues as motivation building among staff;continuous education and development; generating competitive advantage through human resources; and alignment of human resource strategy with strategic management plan. The study recommends a strategic human resource management model for libraries along with: conducive working environment; adequate IT infrastructure to store, organise and retrieve information; staff training for excellent customer service; objective, reward based staff appraisal; performance feedback; performance appraisal should be aligned with staff selection, library mission, staff motivation and promotion in order to use it strategically; and human resource strategy should be developed immediately. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)