Not only a library : a discourse analysis of the political debate concerning the Helsinki Central Library

The fundamental question in this master thesis deals with the role of public libraries. The Helsinki Central Library (HCL) in Finland is used as a study object in this case study that aims to examine the meanings that local politicians link to the HCL in particular and to public libraries in general. The empirical material of the study consists of politicians' opinions stated at the Helsinki City council’s meeting in January 2015. Discourse analysis based on the theories of Michel Foucault is used as the methodological and theoretical framework in the study. As a result four discourses defining the HCL were identified: the symbolic, place, development and opposition discourse. The three first discourses construct a picture of the library as carrier of the Finnish society and identity, a meeting place as well as a developer of the Helsinki city center, Helsinki library network and the library institution in general. On the contrary, the opposition discourse sees the role of public libraries in a more traditional way questioning the need of HCL. The attitudes towards public libraries and their destined future are linked. The fact that the library according to the dominant discourses identified in this study could both maintain its ground, develop and even actively enhance change in the library sector suggests the legitimacy of HCL as well as a more multidimensional role for public libraries in general