Preserving Library Collections : Collection Management at Some Swedish University Libraries during the 21st Century

The purpose of this thesis in Library and Information Science (LIS) is to examine how five Swedish university libraries work with collection management using a critical discourse analysis (CDA). University libraries hold large, valuable and often unique materials in the collections. Making decisions on what to preserve has for centuries been a task that libraries have been relied on to perform. The thesis aims to discuss how the university libraries through policy documents work with collection management and preservation of library materials and if there is a need of a national preservation policy. The method used in this thesis is Norman Faircloughs critical discourse analysis (CDA) with its three dimensional analytical framework that focuses on the text, the discourse practice and the social practice. The qualitative methods used are interviews and a textanalysis of policy documents. The result of the analysis revealed that the majority of the libraries lack substantial policies in collection management. The focus has instead been on a more user-oriented approach regarding access and acquisition of library materials. A central conclusion is that there is a need of a national collection policy regarding preservation of library collections