”Man orkar väl inte liksom kolla vad det finns för utbud och grejer, på biblioteket”- en undersökning av ungdomars förväntningar på folkbiblioteket.

Abstract

The aim of this bachelor thesis is to examine what expectations young adults have of the public library and thereby determine the relevance of the library guidelines, På barns och ungdomars villkor (2003), for young adults. The empirical data is gathered through focus group interviews consisting of 18 participants between the ages of 16 and 17. The conceptual framework for this study is based on Lee´s motivation model for customers in the public library (2007). The model focuses on three conditions for motivation: expectation, instrumentality and valence. The results reveal that young adults in this study have low expectations of the public library. They express little need for public library services because they see the possibility of finding the same things that the library offers through other alternatives, such as the Internet. Limitations consisting of library staff with no knowledge of what young people want, inadequate economic resources and the idea that the library is reserved as a quiet place are also reasons why the participants´ expectations of the public library are not high. The study also shows that the guidelines, På barns och ungdomars villkor (2003), are still relevant, but that there is a gap between them and the participants´ experience of the library.