Ett öppet rum med en stängd dörr? : En innehållsanalys av debatten om tillträdesförbud till biblioteken

Sammanfattning

In 2022, a new law was accepted by the Swedish government, that would enable libraries to apply for an access ban. An access ban would fully limit the access to the public library for those who continuously disturb the libraries every-day function. This study examines the public discussion concerning the law of access ban for libraries, and the visibility of two opposite sides in the debate. The study applies a qualitative approach in the form of content analysis, that was performed on 42 articles from Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet, Biblioteksbladet and Boktugg. Furthermore, the theoretical framework of media logic was used to deepen the understanding of how the ambition to stand out from the crowd, affects how news producers select events to become news stories, and the use of certain narrative methods. The questions that are posed in this study concern what arguments that speaks for and against the law, who has been given space in the medialised debate and how the theories of media logic appear in the public discourse. The result shows that editorial writers and politicians emphasize the value of issuing an access ban on those who misbehave in libraries, in order to protect those who don’t. The result also shows that library representatives underline the fact that the new law contradicts the Library Act, which warrants everyone’s access to a library, and further emphasize how the social unrest in Swedish libraries requires long-term solutions and cooperation.