The purpose of this study is to present a clearer picture of the divided roles of museum libraries, to see how they balance working with two separate target groups, the public and the museum staff, and to analyze how this affects the work of the librarians. The research on museum libraries has been sparse during the past 20 years, and this essay aims to fill a gap in the research field. Our primary method of data-collection is qualitative, semi structured, interviews with staff at three museum libraries at Upplandsmuseet, Nordiska Museet and Konstbiblioteket. Additional data was collected by analyzing regulatory documents for each library. The collected data is analyzed using concepts from organizational theory, mainly organizational identity as formulated by Alvesson. The results are presented thematically in accordance with the main points brought forward by the interviewees. Our interviews show that the primary function of the museum library is to support the museum. The libraries also aim to serve the public but are only able to do this to a limited degree. The role of the libraries is not formulated in any regulatory documents but according to the interviewees, this is not a current issue. Regarding organizational identity, the study shows that the libraries are all connected to the overarching identity of the museum. However, while the library at Upplandsmuseet is strongly connected to the museum's identity, the libraries at Nordiska museets and Konstbiblioteketare somewhat detached from the respective organizations. This could result in a weaker identity for the library. Finally, the librarians from all three libraries express a wish to reach an even broader target group outside the museum. Due to a lack of resources however, both in terms of budget and staff, this is deemed impossible at the present. This is a two years master's thesis in Library and information science.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-479208 |
| Date | January 2022 |
| Creators | Söderström, Jonatan, Jacobson, Hanna |
| Publisher | Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för ABM |
| 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 |
| Relation | Uppsatser inom biblioteks- & informationsvetenskap, 1650-4267 ; 844 |
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