Folkbibliotekets plats i den sociala webbmiljön: En undersökning med fokus på litteraturförmedling och läsfrämjande

Abstract

The purpose of this Master’s thesis is to examine the function of public libraries on the social web, focusing on reading promotion and reading stimulation. For an understanding of the larger context regarding public libraries on the social web, we conducted online interviews via email with people in the Swedish library profession, together with a content analysis of various texts on the subject found in library journals and on the Internet. Furthermore to identify the public library's practice on reading promotion and reading stimulation on the social web, we did interviews with librarians at a public library on their use of a blog for this purpose, together with a questionnaire handed out to the library's users on their use and conceptions of the blog.

The conceptual framework of this study consists of four key aspects in the theoretical and empirical definition of Library 2.0 presented by Holmberg, Huvila and Widén-Wulff. The results showed that the public library can create a substantial value through its use of the social web, but it’s necessary to have a clear vision of the desired outcome. The study also showed the importance of seeing the social web as one of several possible channels for the public library's work, and that it can be specifically useful to reach the younger generation. Moreover the study showed that the social web is a useful tool for the public library’s reading promotion and reading stimulation, as it provides beneficial features for conversation.