The aim of this master's thesis is to examine whether librarians working in public libraries see fiction as a source of knowledge, and what role this plays in the educational mission of the public library. This investigation, which consists of a literary study and an empirical section, shows that the concept of phronesis denotes practical wisdom and moral thinking, and that it can be applied to that form of knowledge to which reading can contribute. An important issue in this context is the reader's motivation to learn. The interviews show that librarians see literature as a source from which knowledge can be drawn. When they mediate literature, they believe that they are conveying something of value and they set great store in mediating literature which could have a not inconsiderable import to the borrowers. However, they do not naturally consider what they do as mediating knowledge. The literary studies and the empirical research show that there is a strong connection between the concept of adult education and literature, while the term lifelong learning is now used by people working in public libraries instead of adult education. The concept of lifelong learning connects the informants primarily with work that is directed to adults who are studying. This causes uncertainty as to whether they are actually working with adult education at all. However, public librarians mediate in a way that is considered to be a part of the tradition in adult education. They have a down-up perspective that includes respect for and belief in the abilities of the individual. / Uppsatsnivå: D