Electronically published literature : The description of its pros and cons in Swedish library press 2000-2004.

During the changes of time, the stipulations for the existence of books and libraries also change. With technical advances come new possibilities, and the option to publish literature electronically is one of them. The purpose of this Master's thesis is to answer the question how the advantages and disadvantages of electronically published literature is described and constructed. To further deepen the analysis these questions were asked: What aims are the electronically published literature said to achieve? Why are the electronically published literature said to achieve these aims? And who are favoured/disfavoured by electronically published literature? The analyzed publications are four Swedish library related publications: Biblioteksbladet, Dik-forum, Ikoner and Nya Ciceron. The analysis is carried out using discourse analysis. In discourse analysis language and action are not separated; what is written and said affect the actions of people. The discourse is seen both as an instrument of power and control and as an instrument for the social construction of reality. The result of the analysis carried out in this thesis shows that the advantages and disadvantages are constructed in a number of varying themes. The advantages are said to be accessibility, rationalisation benefits, increased searching possibilities, and the possibility for minorities to make themselves seen. The disadvantages are described as the technical, legal and commercial dimension, the fact that it has no physical entity, and the possible threat it poses to the printed book. There are some contradictions in the material, since the accessibility and searching possibilities are described both as an advantage and a disadvantage. It is also said that students are favoured by the fact that the electronically published literature is cheaper than printed, but disfavoured by the fact that you have to pay for it. It is clear that the ongoing discussion about electronic publication of literature affects the way in which this area of publication will develop. To understand this relation we have to understand the discussion. This is also what makes the study of the discourse about electronic publication relevant in a more general context within library and information science.Uppsatsnivå: