Vem möter du i biblioteket? : En diskursanalytisk studie av folkbibliotekarieyrket i DIK:s facktidning 1974–2014

Sammanfattning: The aim of this thesis is to study articles in DIK’s librarian labor union newspaper over a time period of 40 years, 1974–2014, to obtain knowledge about depictions of public librarians. The aim is also to examine which discourses that can be identified in these depictions. Discourse analysis believes that the language contributes to realizing reality and by studying articles in DIK’s newspaper an understanding of the public librarian profession can be provided. This essay may contribute to increased understanding, new perspectives and deeper knowledge of the public librarian profession. The thesis' theoretical and methodological framework is discourse analysis, more specific Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe's discourse theory. Relevant discourse theoretical concepts are applied in a text analysis of the empirical material, articles in DIK’s newspaper. In the analysis, the public librarian profession were studied from four angles: knowledge and skills, tasks, characteristic features and the profession. The results of the analysis reveal that the public librarians have knowledge and skills in several subjects, for example in service, literature and information. It has also shown that there is a breadth and variety in librarian tasks. The analysis has also shown that there are positive and negative statements about the characteristic features of librarians and that the profession for a number of reasons, such as female dominance and low pay, has a low status. Four discourses were identified in the material, and with that four ways to understand librarians were identified: The Literature Discourse, The Information Discourse, The Service Discourse and The Status Discourse. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.