Arena för kontrovers : hur svenska folkbibliotekarier och universitets- och högskolebibliotekarier hanterar inköp av kontroversiellt material

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to gain a deeper understanding of how librarians in Swedish public- and academic libraries approach the much-disputed question regarding the acquisition of controversial materials. This study is based on six semi-structured interviews with seven different librarians working in either public- or academic libraries in the south of Sweden, all assigned with the task of acquiring new materials to their library collection. We have analyzed the subsequent answers by applying the theory of new institutionalism as a framework, as well as studying previous research and media debates on the matter.
The questions asked to fulfillthe aim of this thesis were:
How do public librarians and academic librarians go about acquisitions concerning controversial materials, and does this give rise to any discussions inside, as well as outside, the library walls? And how, if at all, do the public libraries and the academic libraries differ in their acquisitions, and are there any notable differences in the potential discussion around it?
Our study shows that the biggest distinction between Swedish public- and academic libraries lies in their different missions. Whereas public libraries have an obligation to promote the development of a democratic society, academic libraries are more concerned with supporting its students and researchers with satisfactory information and materials. This has an inevitable impact on the libraries acquisition methods – but also what they themselves consider to be “controversial”. They both, however, stress the importance of quality when acquiring new material.
The study also shows that the public and academic librarians have a somewhat different approach towards acquisition-policies. One of the conclusions brings to light that the majority of the librarians being interviewed feel a strong need to fulfill their democratic mission by letting all sides of a discussion be heard; based on intellectual freedom, the freedom of speech and the concept of neutrality. A balanced library collection where no opinion is left unsaid is a must, and much
preferable to simply excluding materials that can be deemed controversial.

• author: Börnkrantz, Christina and Combes, Ingrid
• supervisor: Lisa Engström
• organization: Division of ALM and Digital Cultures
• alternative title: An Arena for Controversy : How Swedish Public Librarians and Academic Librarians handle the acquisition of controversial material
• course: ABMM54 20201
• year: 2020
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Cultural Sciences
• keywords: Controversial material, public librarians, public libraries, academic librarians, academic libraries, library policy, library selection, censorship, democratic mission, provision of information, the concept of neutrality, quality, intellectual freedom, user-orientation, new institutional theory, interviews, library and information studies, master’s thesis. Kontroversiellt material, folkbibliotekarier, folkbibliotek, universitets- och högskolebibliotekarier, universitets- och högskolebibliotek, medieplan, mediepolicy, urval, censur, demokratiskt uppdrag, informationsförsörjning, neutralitetsprincipen, kvalitet, fri åsiktsbildning, användarfokus, nyinstitutionell teori, intervjuer, biblioteks- och informationsvetenskap, masteruppsats.
• language: Swedish
• id: 9012828
• date added to LUP: 2020-08-18 08:50:46
• date last changed: 2020-08-18 08:50:46