Den läsande fången : Fängelsebiblioteket och fångars läsning under cellfängelseepoken.

This two year master thesis examines the Swedish prison library's history during cell prison era.The investigation extends from the mid-1800s well into the 1900s. The purpose is to investigate theprison library by using a power concepts influenced by Michel Foucault. The questions revolvearound the ideas that formed the basis for the prison library and how the prison library was organizedin practice. Three types of sources are used to answer the essay questions and illustrate its pro -blems. Firstly, annual reports concerning the swedish prison system. Second, a set of regulationsand requirements regarding prison administration. Thirdly, a so-called ”cell-book”. These sourcesare analyzed both as relics of the historic prison library and as sources able to say something aboutthe historical practice.The thesis main findings is that the prison library can be regarded as a program that aimed tomake the prisoners into readers. The results show that the prisoners' reading filled the various functionsin the prison. A thematic analysis identify three themes: "reading as skill", "reading as activity"and "reading of a particular content". Thesis results thus complements an earlier image of thehistoric prison library which in large degree focused on the library's holdings religious character.In the thesis concluding parts a more detailed discussion of how the concept of power can beunderstood in relation to the prison library. The discussion focus on the prison library as a progam,also the prisoners' reading discusses through the concept of "self-technology". This is a two yearsmaster’s thesis in Archive, Library and Museum studies