Folkbiblioteket och SFI : En kvalitativ studie av folkbibliotekens verksamhet gentemot svenska för invandrare

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this thesis is to examine how the public libraries work towards SFI (Swedish For Immigrants) based on the views of the overseeing librarians. To study this we have asked the following research questions:What distinguishes the public libraries’ work towards SFI according to the responsible librarians? What distinguishes the communication between SFI teachers and the librarians according to the responsible librarians? What opinions are held by the librarians in regards to their work with SFI?We have used a semi structured interview method with seven librarians in charge of the activities with SFI at small and medium sized public libraries in a rural area of Sweden. The theoretical framework is composed of Marianne Andersson and Dorte Skot-Hansen’s model for analysis of the local public library profile and the authors’ definition of collaboration. The results of this study shows that the work with SFI is characterized by a variety of activities from guided tours of the library to book clubs. Although all of the library's four profiles identified by Andersson and Skot-Hansen can be found among the activities, the role of knowledge center and social center can be said to be predominant. Furthermore the collaboration between the libraries and SFI is subject to vulnerability due to time constraints and administrative changes that hinders the work between the librarians and the SFI teachers. Communication with the teachers occur in all respondents dictum but based on the theoretical definition, only two cases of actual collaboration can be found. The communication is characterized by an irregularity and actual collaboration is rare.