BIBLIOTEKEN I FRONTLINJEN : En studie av hur praktiker vid Sveriges folkbibliotek kan införlivas i ett framtida uppdrag inom totalförsvaret.

Sammanfattning

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine a number ofaspects of the Swedish public library system in relation to aproposed future assignment in the Swedish total defenseorganization. The first aspect is if there exist a consensus amongemployees in the Swedish public library system on what such atotal defense assignment could be. The second and third aspectsare how Swedish public libraries currently work to convey media and information literacy (MIL) and to counteract exclusion fromsociety. The final aspect examined is how practices based onthese objectives can be adapted for an assignment for theSwedish library system within the Swedish total defenseorganization. The study is based on thematic analysis ofempirical data collected through six interviews with librariansand administrators working at public libraries in Sweden. Practice theory have been used to understand how the conceptsof MIL and social infrastructure are translated into action in theday-to-day activities at public libraries. The analysis shows thatthere is currently no clear consensus among the participants inthe study on what a total defense assignment could be, or what it would mean for the Swedish public library system. Furthermore,the participants in this study make a distinction between theterms or theories of MIL and social infrastructure and thepractice thereof. The terms and theories are used in controldocuments such as the local library plans, but not in theplanning and execution of the day-to-day work. This despite theparticipants' assertions that both MIL and the libraries’ role asSocial Infrastructure are foundational to the Swedish librarysystem.