Author visits at public libraries : A study of the author visit activities in relation to the societal function of the public library

The purpose of the present Bachelor’s thesis is to contribute to the library and information science research on how author visits for an adult target group at public libraries in Sweden as a phenomenon can be understood in relation to the public library’s societal function. The questions asked were, firstly: which goals are present in the author visit activities? And secondly: what functions does the public library hold in regard to the author visit activities? Qualitative interviews with representatives from five public libraries have been employed as a method for collecting data. The empirical data was analyzed using a qualitative content analysis method. The theoretical framework consists of the concepts in “the four space” model by Henrik Jochumsen, Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen and Dorte Skot-Hansen. It is found that the public library through the author visit activities supports several, but not all, of the goals presented in the model. It is also found that the public library through the author visit activities to a greater degree works as inspiration and meeting space than learning and performative space. The study concluded that author visit activities at the public library holds many possibilities in regard to goals and functions of the library