Librarians and library support staff. Two occupational groups colliding?

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the relationship between librarians and library support staff in public libraries regarding status, distribution of work and working climate. We were interested to know if there is a conflict between the two occupational groups and how it can be explained. We also wanted to learn what the future holds for the library in terms of professional categories and tasks according to library staff of today. This study is based on twelve qualitative interviews with four heads of libraries, four librarians and four library assistants. Three theoretical approaches were used in the analysis of the interview material: professionalization strategies, conflict theories and theories from group psychology. The results indicate that librarians consider library assistants as a group with low self-esteem and reluctant to change, and uninterested in further education. Library assistants find librarians to be individualists who ignore rules and regulations at the circulation desk. A national education for library assistants is by some respondents considered a good thing, by some necessary for the survival of the library support staff and is by some considered a half measure. Several of our respondents believe that library assistants gradually will disappear from the library in favour of professional categories with a university education. Crossing each other’s territory boundaries causes tension between the two occupational groups and is a source of conflict.Uppsatsnivå: