The purpose of this thesis is to gain increased knowledge and understanding about how knowledge and learning as concepts are described in municipal library plans. Municipal library plans are required by law, and can thus be used to compare descriptions of different public libraries’ functions and goals. The method and theory used to analyse the library plans is discourse analysis, more specifically Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe’s discourse theory. Four discourses pertaining to different views of knowledge and learning in public libraries have been identified in the library plans: the democracy discourse, the requirement discourse, the availability discourse and the expectation discourse. In the democracy discourse knowledge and learning are viewed as causally related to public libraries and democracy, in that public libraries are seen as providing knowledge, which in turn is seen as being a prerequisite for democracy and democratic development. This discourse is visible in all library plans, and appears to be viewed as self-evident and objective. The requirement discourse is based on a view of knowledge and learning as a requirement in contemporary society, as well as in public libraries, while the availability discourse views knowledge and learning as something public libraries should provide access to and make available. The library thus does not have the same direct teaching or instructing role in the availability discourse as in the requirement discourse. In the expectation discourse, knowledge and learning is viewed as something library users expect from the library, and that the library, because of this, should provide.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:hb-26798 |
| Date | January 2021 |
| Creators | Szentes, Elvira |
| 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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