| 1. |
- Audunson, Ragnar, et al.
(author)
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Public libraries as public sphere institutions : A comparative study of perceptions of the public library's role in six European countries
- 2019
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In: Journal of Documentation. - Bingley : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 0022-0418 .- 1758-7379. ; 75:6, s. 1396-1415
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of public libraries as institutions underpinning a democratic public sphere as reasons legitimizing libraries compared to reasons that are more traditional and the actual use of libraries as public sphere arenas.Design/methodology/approachA survey of representative samples of the adult population in six countries – Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Hungary and Switzerland – was undertaken.FindingsLegitimations related to the libraries role as a meeting place and arena for public debate are ranked as the 3 least important out of 12 possible legitimations for upholding a public library service. Libraries are, however, used extensively by the users to access citizenship information and to participate in public sphere relevant meetings.Originality/valueFew studies have empirically analyzed the role of libraries in upholding a democratic and sustainable public sphere. This study contributes in filling that gap.
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| 2. |
- Johnston, Jamie, et al.
(author)
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LAM professionals' roles and attitudes to user participation in Norway and Sweden
- 2023
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In: Library & Information Science Research. - : Elsevier. - 0740-8188 .- 1873-1848. ; 45:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recent studies provide insights into library, archive and museum (LAM) professionals' attitudes toward user participation, yet they do not address how the diversity of roles LAM professionals assume may influence their attitudes toward participation. The reported findings based on a questionnaire to LAM professionals in Norway and Sweden indicate that user participation is viewed differently depending on how the professionals perceive their roles in relation to those of other professions. Analysis of the underlying relationships between the ques-tionnaire respondents' perceptions and attitudes identifies three subject positions with associated interpretative repertoires: power sharing, outsourcing and engaging experts. Additional analysis using a four-quadrant model of user engagement that differentiates between bottom-up and top-down approaches and between areas of orga-nizational activity suggests that the respondents primarily see themselves as experts within their respective fields and have yet to relinquish this role in favor of a more bottom-up approach to user participation.
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| 3. |
- Johnston, Jamie, et al.
(author)
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Public librarians' perception of their professional role and the library's role in supporting the public sphere : a multi-country comparison
- 2021
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In: Journal of Documentation. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 0022-0418 .- 1758-7379. ; 78:5, s. 1109-1130
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PurposeThe overarching aim of this article is to consider to what extent the perceptions of librarians in Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Poland and Sweden reflect a unified view of their professional role and the role of their institutions in supporting the formation of the public sphere and to what extent the variations reflect national contexts.Design/methodology/approachThe multi-country comparison is based on online questionnaires. The central research questions are how do librarians legitimize the use of public resources to uphold a public library service? How do librarians perceive the role of public libraries as public spaces? How do librarians perceive their professional role and the competencies needed for it? Consideration is given to how the digital and social turns are reflected in the responses.FindingsThe results show evidence of a unified professional culture with clear influences from national contexts. A key finding is that librarians see giving access as central for both legitimizing library services and for the library's role as a public sphere institution. Strong support is shown for the social turn in supporting the formation of the public sphere while the digital turn appears to be a future challenge; one of seemingly increased importance due to the pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsThis study shows that libraries across the seven countries have expanded beyond simply providing public access to their book-based collections and now serve as social, learning and creative spaces: both in the physical library and digitally. Qualitative research is needed concerning librarians' notions of public libraries and librarianship, which will provide a more in-depth understanding of the changing professional responsibilities and how public libraries recruit the associated competencies.Originality/valueThe article provides a much needed insight into how librarians perceive the role of public libraries in supporting the formation of the public sphere and democratic processes, as well as their own role.
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| 4. |
- Khosrowjerdi, Mahmood, et al.
(author)
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Professional identity of public librarians, archivists and museum professionals in five European countries
- 2024
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In: Journal of Documentation. - 0022-0418 .- 1758-7379.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose – The purpose is to investigate the professional identity of public library, archive and museum (LAM)professionals in Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Norway and Sweden.Design/methodology/approach – The data have been gathered through the administration of threequestionnaires. A comprehensive analysis is conducted to explore the variations in the professionals’perceptions of their professional proximities to the other LAM professions and other related professions,considering demographic factors such as age, education, gender and immigrant background of participants.Findings – Through a lens of micro- and macro-professional identities, the findings underscore both clearlyperceived role separation between the LAM professions and notable points of convergence, suggestingopportunities for collaborative efforts. The implications of these discoveries are discussed, offering afoundation for future research endeavors.Originality/value – The study highlights the professions perceived to have the most and least similarity toLAMs based on questionnaire responses, providing valuable insights into the interplay between variousprofessional domains.
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| 5. |
- Rydbeck, Kerstin, 1958-, et al.
(author)
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Social reading and the public sphere in Nordic public libraries : a comparative study
- 2022
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In: Information research. - : UNIV SHEFFIELD DEPT INFORMATION STUDIES. - 1368-1613. ; 27:SI
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction. This paper presents research on how public librarians in Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden view the importance of social reading and related professional roles. Method. Previous research findings from a questionnaire administered to public librarians are analysed in depth in order to identify trends that can be further investigated in a subsequent qualitative study. Analysis.The previous findings broadly show variation in the importance of social reading activities and related professional roles at the country level. A detailed understanding of the variations is elicited through a more comprehensive analysis at the country and community levels. Results.Social reading plays a more important role in Danish and Icelandic libraries than in Norwegian and Swedish libraries, however it is more important in larger communities in Iceland and Sweden and smaller communities in Denmark and Norway. The role of literary mediator appears to correspond highly to librarians' professional role across all countries and community sizes whereas that of a literary critic somewhat less. Conclusions. The results establish a need for further research on social reading in public libraries, especially concerning the types and nature of activities generally included in social reading and the extent digital solutions are used.
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