This thesis explores politicians’ perceptions of the public library and public library development. While many call for a redefined vision for public libraries, eye-catching libraries are built in major cities around the world. What library visions are expressed through such projects? I attempt to discern how local politicians view the role of the public library, and how do they want to develop it in their local context, using concepts from institutional theory in the analysis. The research questions include issues concerning norms politicians connect with public libraries compared with those expressed by the professional field, library legitimization, as well as plans and visions for the future library. I have addressed these questions through a comparative case study done in three cities; Oslo, Aarhus, and Birmingham, and taken a qualitative approach, using interviews with local politicians and document analysis of local and national policy documents. One important premise for this study has been to find cases where there are on-going developments; in the shape of main library construction.
The findings show that politicians have extensive knowledge about the norms and values found on the professional library field. They share much of the same views regarding library roles and missions, as well as core values such as equal access to knowledge and culture – expressed for instance through a free service. When the informants legitimize public libraries in general, they primarily connect them with citizens’ democratic rights and the country’s democratic practice. Legitimizing the local projects is done using a slightly different argumentation: These are connected to city development and a desire to make visible the city’s knowledge and culture profile.
The perceptions expressed through this study show that the local politicians through their work with library issues – and the projects in particular – have acquired knowledge about and understanding of the public library institution. There are shared perceptions in the three cases, however the biggest difference is found in the extent to which the library service is subjected to political planning – both locally and nationally. I find it likely that a stronger degree of formal
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institutionalisation will render the public library service more resilient when faced with external pressure, in the form of technological or economic challenges.