Boken och biblioteket : En undersökning av mäns läsning och biblioteksanvändning på Gotland

Sammanfattning: Introduction: For more than 10 years, public debate has stated that men’s reading and presence in the library is problematic. This is mostly due to a comparison between men and women, where women’s reading and library use is statistically much higher than men’s. By looking into the small region of Gotland, this inquiry’s purpose is to nuance the phenomena of men’s problematic reading and library use. Method: By using gender theory, and more specifically, masculinity theories, a deeper understanding of the history and practice of men’s relationship with novel reading has been attained. By using statistics, a survey, and research interviews, many aspects have been taken in to consideration as to how men read and use the library.  Analysis: 36 men answered a survey and 6 others were interviewed to attain a better understanding of how men read and use the library. Semi-structured interviews proved efficient in gaining understanding of men’s reading and library use. The online survey was efficient in gaining small statistics regarding how men on Gotland read in their spare time and used the library. Results: The qualitative analysis resulted in the men giving several aspects of their thoughts about reading and the library as well as their own practices. For example, a couple of informants stated that the reading they did at school and as children most likely did have an effect on their reading practices as adults. Conclusions: It became apparent that men do read, but that the constant comparison between men and women shifted the statistics in favour of women. The survey as well as the interviews showed that men on Gotland do visit the library often, but they rarely do an activity that is shown in the statistics. They read, work and browse in the library, but rarely make loans. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.