”Right now the libraries are not a meeting place” : Organization and digital adaptation at the libraries in Malmö

This study examines the impact of covid-19 at the public libraries in Malmö (BiM) during 2020. Its purpose is (1) to investigate the strains BiM was facing during the pandemic, and (2) to contribute to the knowledge about which prerequisites that are needed in order to adapt to, pursue and eventually develop digital activities at public libraries. The research questions designed to fulfill this are: which organizational prerequisites were there in order to handle the situation that occurred with the pandemic? How has digital technology (digitalization or digital transformation) been used to pursue public librarianship? Are there prerequisites to maintain strategies that developed during the digital adaptation following the pandemic? A qualitative analysis of mail conversations and news letters relating to the situation, sent internally at BiM during the designated time span, was carried out as an initial step. To deepen the study, six interviews took place with individuals with different professions at BiM. Five of those were members of the management group, one had special knowledge of the so called “digital hub”. The analysis utilizes primarily organizational theory and secondary institutional theory as theoretical frameworks. More specifically theories about organizational inertia, organizational agility, mimetic isomorphy and elasticity. Organizational theory is used mainly to see how fast BiM was able to respond to the crisis, and to what extent the changes made, with digital and digital transformation in mind, can persist after the crisis. Institutional theory is used mainly to view BiM in a larger, institutional field. The main findings of the study show that BiM had sufficient prerequisites to handle the initial situation reasonably well. Digital maturity was already developed to an acceptable level. Initial anxiety, however, led to widespread sick leaves, and a reactive phase. One major reason to the anxiety was insufficient crisis plans. The utilization of risk and impact assessments covered up for this, and as anxiety decreased more proactive and agile adjustments started emerging. Digitalization played a major part in this, and was used as well internally, as externally. Internally primarily through communication and meetings. Externally through communication, but also through digital substitutes to regular activities such as book circles. The so called “digital hub” was instrumental to maintain functioning library services. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science