Biblioteket som låntagare : förlorad kontroll eller ny möjlighet? En studie av tre forskningsbiblioteks handhavande och handel med licensierat material

The focus of this thesis is the issues regarding the administration of licensed academic resources in resarch libraries and the role of the research library when trading with these resources. It is explored what possibilities and dangers that comes with the ways that libraries handle academic resources, ways that are closely linked to the market criteria in which external commercial actors in different ways are in control of the resources. The theoretical framework is based upon Jürgen Habermas’ concept of public sphere. The theory enables us to analyse the result through a critical perspective, in which economic and social factors are dismantled and tied to the market criteria that libraries are a part of. From this theoretical view stems an assumption that information has become a commodity and that libraries are adapting their administration and, in wider perspective, their role as information providers to market criteria. The method used is a qualitative case study in three parts, each focusing on different types of library resources. The chosen types are electronic books, electronic journals and open access publications. The study have been carried out on four major Swedish research libraries (Lund University Library, Göteborg University Library, Malmö University Library and The National Library of Sweden) through semi-structured interviews with librarians responsible for the relevant field. The analysis shows that due to the higher frequency of digital licensed resources in contemporary research libraries instant access is prioritized over ownership. This effects the librarie’s possibilities to control their collections through granular acquisitions and archival rights. Therefore a shift in focus from the library as a possessor or owner of information, towards a role much like the one of stewardship is observed. The library can in this new role of licensing resources from external actors be compared to the actual library patron herself. In the search for resources not hindered by expensive licenses, libraries are an active part of working with and developing, for example, open access solutions