Neutralitetens dilemma : En enkätstudie om svenska folkbibliotekariers relation till neutralitet som professionsetiskt värde

Sammanfattning

Introduction. Neutrality is often described as a core value in the library field, but the concept is highly contested in Library and Information science (LIS). While theoretical and normative articles on library neutrality dominates, empirical studies are lagging behind. Drawing on previous surveys conducted in Canada and the US, this master thesis examines how Swedish public librarians define, value and practice neutrality as a professional ideal. Method. Building on Jaeger-McEnroe’s (2024) questionnaire, a survey was conducted to collect quantitative and qualitative data from public librarians in Sweden, resulting in 293 responses. Analysis. Quantitative and qualitative analysis were carried out on the data. Thereafter a combination of Hvenegaard Rasmussen and Kann-Rasmussen’s (2025) three identified positions in the neutrality debate, and Macdonald and Birdis (2020) four conceptions of neutrality were used to analyze the results. Results. The definition gaining most support is ”neutrality is being objective”. Neutrality is also commonly understood as a complex and context-dependent concept, shaped by the political climate. Unlike Canadian academic librarians, positive conceptions of neutrality are prevalent among Swedish public librarians. In contrast to the Canadian academic librarians, progressive scenarios are largely assessed as neutral. At the same time, respondents also express ambivalence towards whether neutrality is fully achievable and compatible with the libraries mission to further democratic values. Conclusions. The findings suggests that neutrality functions as a normative ideal among Swedish public librarians, especially in relation to collection development. The results further reveals a discrepancy between the polemical academic debate and the practicing Swedish public librarians. While the main part of the LIS articles on library neutrality defends a clear position in the debate, the respondents in this study generally adopts a middle position.