Digitala böcker och det demokratiska biblioteket : en kvalitativ studie om folkbibliotekens arbete med e-bokstjänsten Biblio
(2024) ABMM54 20241Division of ALM, Digital Cultures and Publishing Studies
- Abstract
- The purpose of this master’s thesis is to gain in-depth knowledge about how the provision of digital books via the e-book service Biblio functions in Swedish public libraries and how this activity can be understood through the library's mission of promoting the development of a democratic society. To gather the empirical material for this study, we have conducted semi-structured interviews with ten public librarians who are employed within ten different municipalities in Skåne, Sweden. To analyse the material, we have taken a standpoint from new institutionalism, with the concepts of institutional logics and legitimacy as the central tools in analysis, as well as Brophy's Generic Library Model. The results show that there are several... (More)
- The purpose of this master’s thesis is to gain in-depth knowledge about how the provision of digital books via the e-book service Biblio functions in Swedish public libraries and how this activity can be understood through the library's mission of promoting the development of a democratic society. To gather the empirical material for this study, we have conducted semi-structured interviews with ten public librarians who are employed within ten different municipalities in Skåne, Sweden. To analyse the material, we have taken a standpoint from new institutionalism, with the concepts of institutional logics and legitimacy as the central tools in analysis, as well as Brophy's Generic Library Model. The results show that there are several external and internal conditions, mainly of a financial and administrative nature, that impact the library's ability to provide digital books via Biblio. This ability is also affected by the digital distance that the provision of digital books implies for librarians, and that the library's position as an intermediator is dependent on the design of the e-book service. The librarians therefore reflect on a number of obstacles and opportunities for public libraries to fulfil their democratic mission by working with Biblio. The identified limitations are mainly related to the fact that libraries do not know who the users of Biblio are and whether they reach libraries' prioritised groups. Librarians do not have an overview of their digital collection, nor can they market Biblio or work more actively with it, in terms of reading promotion activities. The identified possibilities were the accessibility aspect of e-book service, as well as the importance of having a free service for those who cannot obtain the commercial options. In addition, the provision of digital books at public libraries can be understood as an attempt to maintain institutional legitimacy and relevancy. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9155428
- author
- Stankaityte, Roberta LU and Carlsson, Yoko LU
- supervisor
- organization
- alternative title
- Digital Books and The Democratic Library : A Qualitative Study on The Public Libraries' Work with The e-Book Service Biblio
- course
- ABMM54 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Public libraries, digital books, democracy, e-book service, Biblio, library act, new institutionalism, institutional logics, legitimacy, library and information studies
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9155428
- date added to LUP
- 2024-06-18 14:56:30
- date last changed
- 2024-06-18 14:56:30
@misc{9155428,
abstract = {{The purpose of this master’s thesis is to gain in-depth knowledge about how the provision of digital books via the e-book service Biblio functions in Swedish public libraries and how this activity can be understood through the library's mission of promoting the development of a democratic society. To gather the empirical material for this study, we have conducted semi-structured interviews with ten public librarians who are employed within ten different municipalities in Skåne, Sweden. To analyse the material, we have taken a standpoint from new institutionalism, with the concepts of institutional logics and legitimacy as the central tools in analysis, as well as Brophy's Generic Library Model. The results show that there are several external and internal conditions, mainly of a financial and administrative nature, that impact the library's ability to provide digital books via Biblio. This ability is also affected by the digital distance that the provision of digital books implies for librarians, and that the library's position as an intermediator is dependent on the design of the e-book service. The librarians therefore reflect on a number of obstacles and opportunities for public libraries to fulfil their democratic mission by working with Biblio. The identified limitations are mainly related to the fact that libraries do not know who the users of Biblio are and whether they reach libraries' prioritised groups. Librarians do not have an overview of their digital collection, nor can they market Biblio or work more actively with it, in terms of reading promotion activities. The identified possibilities were the accessibility aspect of e-book service, as well as the importance of having a free service for those who cannot obtain the commercial options. In addition, the provision of digital books at public libraries can be understood as an attempt to maintain institutional legitimacy and relevancy.}},
author = {{Stankaityte, Roberta and Carlsson, Yoko}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Digitala böcker och det demokratiska biblioteket : en kvalitativ studie om folkbibliotekens arbete med e-bokstjänsten Biblio}},
year = {{2024}},
}