Folkbibliotek och ekologisk hållbar utveckling : En studie av Sveriges biblioteksplaner

Sustainable development and environmental questions are currentsocial issues. Public libraries are supposed to ensure globalchanges and according to Agenda 21 every organisation aresupposed to work towards a sustainable climate. The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to discuss how the conceptsustainable development is mentioned in public library plans, andanalyze the role libraries take in terms of environmentalquestions and sustainable development. The following questionswere discussed: ”Does the concept sustainable developmentoccur in the public library plans and in that case to whatextent?” ”Which similarities and differences can be found in how the concepts of environmental issues and sustainabledevelopment are addressed in the library plans?” A combined quantative and qualitative content analysis was made based on public library policies, using Kathryn Millersconcepts envionmental leader and environmental educator. The result shows that most of the libraries mention sustainable development as a general concept, often as a part of a municipal vision rather than that of a goal of the library. The results also shows that the public libraries that mention ecological sustainable development takes an environmental leadership role rather than aenvironmental educator role. The expressions related to the library as an environmental educator tends to be more substantial than the expressions related to the environmentalleader role. However, it is possible that these expressions of sustainable development is written in a rhetorical sense in away to try to market the library as an organization that contributes to sustainable development