The aim of this Master’s thesis is to study various views of sponsorship in relation to public libraries as found within three cultural policy documents. The main objective is to discover which ideas are considered relevant in the partnership between the Swedish retail chain, Åhléns, and the children’s public library, “Room for Children” (Rum för Barn). In 2005, Åhléns provided SEK3.14 million in sponsorship to “Room for Children” at Kulturhuset in Stockholm. This funding enabled the library to realise its concept of a library particularly adapted for children. The theoretical starting point for this thesis is based on cultural policy researcher Dorte Skot Hansen’s model of the changes in cultural policy occurring since the 1960s. The model consists of three different ways of discussing cultural policy. The first is based on humanistic ideals, the second on sociological ideals and the third is based on market economics. In an ideological analysis, I examine the ideological view of cultural policy within three cultural policy documents at the international, national and local level: UNESCO’s Public Library Manifesto (1994), Sweden’s cultural policy (1996/97) and Stockholm City’s strategic public library policy document. Åhléns’ sponsorship of “Room for Children” is used as a concrete basis for the discussion. The results of this study show that UNESCO’s Public Library Manifesto completely lacked reference to ideas related to market economics, while the local document contained the most ideas related to market economics of the three documents. The collaboration between “Room for Children” and Åhléns is characterised by ideas of market economics, while at the same time the venture has retained its sociological and humanistic ideals. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The purpose of this master thesis is to create, test and evaluate an analytical instrument for children’s library environment based on a theoretical framework consisting of Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences and Thomas Armstrong’s pedagogical application of the original seven intelligences. We wanted to investigate whether the environment in Rum för barn stimulated all of children’s different intelligences. We also wanted to identify possibilities and liabilities within the analytical instrument. In order to test the analytical instrument we conducted observations on the physical environment of the Swedish children’s library Rum för barn. We did not observe the staff, visitors or social interaction in the library. The results of our investigation of the environment in Rum för barn implicated that all seven intelligences were stimulated by the physical environment. We analyzed the results in a discussion where we compared them to our empirical material consisting of research about children and environment from different scientific fields. Our conclusions of this master thesis were that our analytical instrument made it possible to investigate the physical environment of children’s libraries. It also determined whether the environment stimulated the seven intelligences according to the theory of multiple intelligences. The analytical instrument could therefore be used for the development of children’s library environments. We also identified some liabilities in the analytical instrument, mainly concerning the definitions of some environmental concepts, age adjustments and the fact that we excluded observations of social interactions. We suggested solutions to the liabilities and encouraged further research on the subject. / Uppsatsnivå: D

Svenska förskolor har tidigare utformats med separataoch identiska avdelningar i vilka samtliga aktiviteter tarplats. Idag finns ett annorlunda synsätt vid byggnationerav förskolor som nu gestaltas med små hemvisten för olika åldersgrupper tillsammans med gemensamma rumför lek, skapande, vetenskap, musik och måltider. I dettaarbete utförs en konceptuell gestaltning av en förskola för144 barn i samhället Sävast i Bodens kommun utifrån ett redan framtaget lokalprogram och en given tomt. Syftetär att gestalta en förskola i ett plan med större gemensamt utnyttjade torg och undersöka hur god rumslighet skapas itorgen. Samtidigt ska trivseln i inomhusmiljön beaktas medhänsyn på barnen och pedagogerna. Arbetet påbörjas genom en inledande litteraturstudiedär arkitektoniska kvalitéer, barnets behov och utvecklingbeaktas kopplat till förskolor med ett gemensamt utnyttjat torg. Litteraturstudien följs av tre stycken fallstudier på förskolor i Luleå och Umeå där både platsbesök och intervjuer genomförs. Därefter syntetiseras resultatet från litteraturstudien och fallstudierna med hjälp av metodenProblem Seeking vilket går ut på att identifiera behov ochlösningar. Det resulterar i en syntes bestående av sex styckenlösningar som uppfyller flest identifierade behov för barn och pedagoger, vilka i sin tur ligger till grund för det framtagna konceptet. Syntesen resulterar i följande sex kvalitéer: Öppen planlösning, Utmanande och varierande, Nivåer och krypin, Färg, material och texturer, Ljus och transparenta ytor samt Skapa aktivitetsrum i rummet. Detta resulterar efter en platsanalys, flödes- och sambands-skisser samt volymstudier i en rödfärgad förskola med skiftande tak innehållande ett större och ett mindre torg som tillsammans med restaurangen skapar en cirkulation kring en innergård. Torgen resulterar i öppna utrymmenmed snedställda innerväggar, varierande takhöjder samt utstickande och oregelbundna fönstersättningar. Mindrerumsligheter i torgen skapas främst med hjälp av olika typer av lös inredning där både transparenta och opaka material med olika texturer förekommer. Huruvida god rumslighet har skapats i torgen för att forma en trivsam inomhusmiljö är svårt att svara på då rumslig upplevelse är individuell. Vilka medel som kan användas för att skapa god rumslighet i en inomhusmiljö har däremotkunnat identifieras, vilket skapar goda förutsättningar för attuppnå det syfte torgutformningen tillgivits. / Preschools in Sweden have previously been designed with separate and identical departments where all activities take place. Today, there is a different approach when designing preschools. They are now shaped with small units for different age groups, along with common spaces for play, creation, science, music and meals. In this work, a conceptual design of a preschool for 144 children is carried out in Sävast, part of the municipality of Boden, on the basis of an alreadydeveloped local program and a given site. The purpose isto form a preschool in one level with larger common used squares and explore how good spatiality is created in the squares. At the same time, the indoor environmental comfort is taken into consideration with regard to both the childrenand the educators. The work is initiated by a literature study in which architectural qualities, child needs and development is taken into account regarding preschools with a common used square. The study of literature is followed by three case studies at preschools in Luleå and Umeå, where both site visits and interviews are conducted. Thereafter, the results of the study of literatureand the case studies are synthesized using the ProblemSeeking method, which has a purpose of identifying needsand solutions. This results in a synthesis consisting of sixqualities which meet the most identified needs for childrenand educators. This in turn underlies the developing ofthe design concept. The synthesis leads to the following six qualities: Open plan, Challenging and varying, Levels and nests, Colour, material and textures, Light and transparentsurfaces and Creating activity spatiality’s in a bigger space. After a site analysis, flow and connection sketches and volume studies the result is a red-colored preschool withvarying roofs. The preschool contains a larger and smallersquare which together with the restaurant creates a circulation around a courtyard. The squares results in an open space with oblique interior walls, varying ceilings, and protruding and irregular windows. Smaller spaces in the squares are mainly created using various types of non permanent furnishings, where both transparent and opaque materials with differenttextures are present. Whether good spatiality has been created to form a pleasantindoor environment is difficult to answer when spatial experiences are individual. On the other hand, the meansthat can be used to create good spatiality in an indoorenvironment have been identified, which creates goodconditions for achieving the purpose of the design of the squares.