Vad gör biblioteken på Facebook och Twitter? En studie av fyra folkbiblioteks användande av sociala nätverk

Abstract

The aim of this Master thesis is to describe why and how public libraries use the social networks Facebook and Twitter. The focus is to study what brought about their use, how the work is carried out, ideas and objectives behind the use and what libraries actually convey on the networks. The methodology is twofold: semi-structured interviews with responsible personnel at four Swedish public libraries, and an ethnographic content analysis of four months of the libraries' status updates and tweets on Facebook and Twitter. The theoretical framework consists of a model for the roles of the public library in society, and of discourses about the public library in media. Results indicate that social networks are used to market, make accessible and inform of the library's resources and services. Furthermore, networks are used to communicate/interact with followers and to inspire people to read. We also detect a tutoring trait. Libraries also view social networks as a meeting place. What libraries do on the networks can be seen as an online interpretation of traditional library goals. All four spaces from the model for the new library – Inspiration, Learning, Meeting and Performative – were represented in the objectives expressed in the interviews. In what is conveyed on the networks focus lay on Inspiration and Meeting. Social networks also act as a place to market the physical library. From a discourse perspective the study suggests that libraries express disidentification and demonstrate ability to remain open both to different media formats and different methods for library services delivery.