Public libraries as public sphere institutions: A comparative study of perceptions of the public library’s role in six European countries
Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
Dokumenter
- Public libraries as public sphere institutions - A comparative study of perceptions of the public library’s role in six European countries_(accepted_version)
Accepteret manuskript, 1,73 MB, PDF-dokument
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of public libraries as institutions underpinning a democratic public sphere as reasons legitimizing libraries compared to reasons that are more traditional and the actual use of libraries as public sphere arenas. Design/methodology/approach: A survey of representative samples of the adult population in six countries – Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Hungary and Switzerland – was undertaken. Findings: Legitimations related to the libraries role as a meeting place and arena for public debate are ranked as the 3 least important out of 12 possible legitimations for upholding a public library service. Libraries are, however, used extensively by the users to access citizenship information and to participate in public sphere relevant meetings. Originality/value: Few studies have empirically analyzed the role of libraries in upholding a democratic and sustainable public sphere. This study contributes in filling that gap.
Originalsprog | Engelsk |
---|---|
Tidsskrift | Journal of Documentation |
Vol/bind | Vol. 75 |
Udgave nummer | No. 6 |
Sider (fra-til) | 1396-1415 |
Antal sider | 20 |
ISSN | 0022-0418 |
DOI | |
Status | Udgivet - 25 sep. 2019 |
Antal downloads er baseret på statistik fra Google Scholar og www.ku.dk
ID: 227566140