”We kind of read books” : en kvalitativ studie av vad elever i fjärde klass gör på sitt skolbibliotek

Sammanfattning: The aim of this study was to contribute with knowledge that complements research on the design and development of school libraries. This has been achieved through field studies from a sociocultural perspective using the theories of Vygotsky. Previous research shows a gap between how a school library is said to function and how it is in fact used. To investigate actual conduct the author performed observations and focus group interviews with fourth-grade students at ISGR, The International School of the Gothenburg Region. The results reveal a wide range of activities in the school library, such as information retrieval, reading, browsing for books, talking, hanging out, borrowing and returning books, receiving education and working on projects. One interesting discovery was that a visit to the school library appeared to be a collective action, and not solitary as one could suspect. Students browsed together with classmates or the librarian, read out loud toeach other and sat together reading, writing, talking and playing games. When enabled, the higher psychological processes in Vygotsky’s theory can roam free in the school library. The author concludes that it is not possible to generalise from this study, but that the value of a place where you can do all the above in a calmand stress-free environment should not be underestimated. The school library can be a place not only for silent studies, but for social exchange among carefully chosen books, furniture, technology and personnel to support all actions, including personal growth.