“They look like ordinary people, don’t they” Librarians through the eyes of a group of children

The aim of this thesis is to investigate how children experience librarians, their knowledge, assignments and appearance. The children’s thoughts about libraries and librarians in general are also studied. Empirical data has been collected by interviewing children aged 8-12 years old. The method used is qualitative interviews performed individually, in pairs and groups. The informants also portrayed their view of the librarian in drawings. The results from the interviews were analyzed according to the hermeneutic methodology and compared to the drawings and literature relevant to the subject. The drawings were analyzed using a modified version of the semiotics. The findings show that the children experience librarians to be an older woman with glasses who is calm but sometimes muddle-headed. They believe that librarians for the most part look like ordinary people and that they know a great deal about literature and are eager to help when they aren’t occupied. The children didn’t dare to ask the librarian for help if he or she was sulky, fretful or in other ways incapable of being service minded. The library is used by the children as a place to sit and read but also as a social arena and a place to spend your breaks in. The children use the librarian to find books and for other practical assignments such as making book reservations