Bokdamm och en känsla av det förgångna : En diskursanalys om framställningen av den traditionella biblioteksdiskursen i kriminallitteratur

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to study the discourse regarding the traditionalperception of libraries and how it’s portrayed in the most popular literary genre inSweden – crime fiction. The purpose of the study is also to examine how thedescriptions of the library as a traditional place contributes to enforcement of thetraditional library discourse in society.The study is done by using Winther Jørgensen och Phillips interpretation of ErnestoLaclau’s and Chantal Mouffe’s discourse analysis and discourse theory. Accordingto the theory, the world is structured by our language which affects different socialphenomena. These phenomena generate through language multiple perspectives ofthe reality that are created by discourse. Using this theory, as well as methodologicalstarting point, four nodal points were found that signifies the traditional librarydiscourse, The aged library, The book-oriented library, The quiet library and Therestricted library. The nodal points show in which ways the traditional librarydiscourse are most commonly portrayed, as well as what other signs or concepts arebeing used to describe the nodal points. Examples of these other signs, structured bythe nodal points, are dusty, valuable, deserted and selective.My findings show that the traditional library discourse is frequently recurring in thecrime fiction that I studied. The library is being portrayed as an aged, dusty andhistorical place where books are considered valuable. When entering the library,visitors should keep quiet and respect that there might be an inner circle ofindividuals who are considered more important than others while at the library. Thetraditional perception of libraries does however not necessarily seem to be negativein the eyes of fictional, nor ’real’ visitors. The frequently portrayed traditionallibrary discourse in crime fiction may contribute to the fact that it’s a common way,among visitors, of perceiving libraries in real life. This is in itself not an issue, butsince librarians and other library staff often view the library in a more complex way,this might create some difficulties amongst staff and visitors regarding what alibrary should be.