Writing the children’s library : A discourse analysis of texts about children’s libraries

The aim of this master’s thesis is to create knowledge about the way the library and the child as a user are portrayed in texts for children by examining discourses. Knowledge about discourses is important as they can have real consequences and influence library services and use. The thesis poses the following questions: How is the library as a place portrayed in the texts? How is the library used in the texts? What subject positions do the texts convey? Ten children’s books and informational texts from ten public library websites were studied using discourse analysis. The method used was based on Mouffe’s and Laclau’s discourse theory as well as analysis models by Åse Hedemark. The library as a place were mainly portrayed as having physical books. The uses portrayed included loaning and reading printed books, studying, creative activities and using the library as a meeting place. Four discourses were identified in the study: the book discourse, the preservation discourse, the learning discourse, and the living room discourse. Several subject positions were identified within the discourses, including the position of the librarian as having power over knowledge in the preservation discourse, and the user as either completely dependent on librarians and other adults or completely independent in the learning discourse. Another important result was the library as a low-intensive meeting place in the living room discourse. Here the user’s subject position included having an inherent right to use of the library’s space and services.