Kampen om folkbibliotekets identitet : Användarens syn på folkbiblioteken som mötesplats

Sammanfattning: This paper seeks to understand public library users opinions and perceptions of the public library as meeting places and how that meeting place is connected to the democratic mission. To do this we have used the concepts of otherness, high- and lowintensive meeting places and the public sphere. Through these concepts we haveexamined and analysed articles published in newspapers both in print and online tounderstand the users discourse of how public libraries as a meeting places function incorrelation to democracy. We have noticed a lack of research regarding userexperiences and perceptions, and that the opinions of librarians are often seen assuperior.The questions we asked are “How do library users discuss the public library in mediasuch as newspapers both in print and online?”, “What are library users perceptionsabout the public library as a meeting place?” and “In which ways do these perceptionsabout the public library correlate to the public libraries democratic mission?”. Ourfindings show a dissension in users opinions regarding the role and function of thelibrary as a place. We have also found differing opinions about the libraries purpose insociety. Should it be purely educational or should it be a meeting place?