Talking About Democracy Practice : A Case Study of Narratives of Democracy in Public Libraries
Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The perceived discrepancy between public libraries’ democratic claims and their actual practice inspired this case study. The study investigates Swedish library personnels' perceptions of the democratic mission of libraries. Arguments by American library scholar John Buschman are drawn upon, about how a traditional narrative shapes perceptions of librarians. Perceptions that, albeit beneficial, are built upon outdated views of how democracy functions in modern society. By first examining what parts of democracy-narratives are reflected in the views of personnel at a small-town public library, the study confirms the prevalence of shared democracy-narratives. Yet, both within the field of library and information science and among the library personnel, there are somewhat contrasting ideas of how public libraries should operate to fulfil the democratic mission. In the absence of conversation about the library’s democratic mission, personnel are likely to interpret and implement it in different ways - especially since the mission can easily be subsumed within any or all of the library’s practices. The study also finds that the question of how public libraries can support democracy is not the only one worth considering. For one, the democratic system must itself be worth supporting, since the mission loses its meaning if the ways for people to participate fail to function. Secondly, libraries are also advocates for the kinds of values a democracy should embody. The study concludes that, as a first step, library personnel should be given the opportunity to discuss and learn more about democracy.
Authors: Berndes, Clara, Löfgren, Nils
Language: Swedish
Subfield: Library and Information Sciences
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7125088714