Librarian´s professional role in an integrated library : investigation of librarians perceptions in integrated public and school libraries

This master thesis deals with the problem of integrated libraries. The number of integrated public and school libraries has significantly increased over time. These libraries are integrated for different reasons, most often because of economic considerations. The goal of the thesis is to investigate librarians´ understanding and perceptions of the professional role in this type of integrated libraries. I have investigated how librarians see and interpret their own professional role, and what factors influence their perceptions in an integrated library.The three main questions are: How do the librarians explain their professional role in an integrated library? How does their professional role change because of the fact that they work in an integrated environment? What factors, according to the librarians, influence and/or change the professional role mostly? The data has been collected through interviews with eight librarians at integrated libraries. They were employed as public librarians, school librarians or had a combined job of a public and school librarian. The method I have used is a combination of qualitative interviews and literature studies. The analysis is based on the topics emerging from the interviews with eight respondents and the literature.The study reveals that the professional role of a librarian is influenced and changed by an integrated public and school libraries´ environment. In this environment, a public librarian usually has to diminish the role and functions of a public librarian and also play a bigger pedagogical role. Another factor that influences the librarian’s role is that a librarian experiences fragmentation of his role and duties that is stressful. It is difficult for the librarians to decide the right level of service for the visitors of the integrated library. Despite this, librarians like their work. The reason for this is that they have very different work issues and also a very close contact with users. The librarians also work with different categories of staff and users and this is also a factor that influences their professional role. It is also difficult to give hundred percent of ones attention to any of the professional roles if one person has to fulfil both of them. It is also very important that a written agreement (or contract) is produced to regulate the work and activities of the librarians in integrated libraries. A school, a school library, and a public library have to negotiate this written agreement in detail and it is very important that all components of an integrated library are represented in this agreement.Uppsatsnivå: