The aim of this thesis is to gain insights into which competencies librarians working at public libraries with makerspaces consider important to possess in order to perform their work, and how and from where they acquire these competencies. The study also examines whether the Swedish Library & Information science education has prepared the librarians in this study for this type of work. The method used is semi-structured interviews. The respondents are four librarians working at public libraries with makerspaces. The theoretical framework is Knud Illeris' expanded concept of competence. The findings show that the Library & Information science education prepares librarians with a basic approach needed to work in all types of libraries. Another finding is that competence development to cultivate the skills needed to specifically work in public libraries with makerspaces occurs more through networks and personal environmental monitoring. The study also concludes that specific skills and competencies needed for working in makerspaces are rather linked to qualities and attitudes related to the ability to acquire the competencies needed for the work such as curiosity, creativity, flexibility, social and pedagogical skills and ability to structure and organize one's work. The study also shows that organizational and collegial support are important for cultivating relevant competencies and developing the makerspace. The participants in the study request that the Library & Information science education should focus more on the learning situation, technology, and project management. Future research should focus more deeply on the challenges these librarians meet in this new type of libraries.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:hb-31801 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Norberg, Mary-Anne |
| Publisher | Högskolan i Borås, Akademin för bibliotek, information, pedagogik och IT |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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