TY - CONF

T1 - Exploring Staff-Less Libraries as Social Space

AU - Engström, Lisa

N1 - Conference code: XXV

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Today, public libraries in several countries have introduced staff-less opening hours. The term “staff-less library” refers to a public library that during some of the opening hours are without library staff available to the users, but the library is open for users to enter and use its services. In staff-less libraries, users need to manage the library on their own. In this paper the following question is explored; how is increased self-management related to users self-governing and to users being governed in the library. In addition, methodological issuesand the utilization of interviews and observations in relation to the library as place are investigated. The governing of users, or governmentality, is situated at the physical library and the library as place is vital to the research. One early finding discussed in this paper is the notion of the library as meeting place and how users actually are making use of staff-less libraries. Libraries are administered in order to facilitate certain meetings and aggravate others,although users also conduct themselves in alternative ways in relation to the existing order. This two-sided process is analyzed. At this early stage in research, the combination of methods used seems to be fruitful to explore users’ self-managing of staff-less libraries.

AB - Today, public libraries in several countries have introduced staff-less opening hours. The term “staff-less library” refers to a public library that during some of the opening hours are without library staff available to the users, but the library is open for users to enter and use its services. In staff-less libraries, users need to manage the library on their own. In this paper the following question is explored; how is increased self-management related to users self-governing and to users being governed in the library. In addition, methodological issuesand the utilization of interviews and observations in relation to the library as place are investigated. The governing of users, or governmentality, is situated at the physical library and the library as place is vital to the research. One early finding discussed in this paper is the notion of the library as meeting place and how users actually are making use of staff-less libraries. Libraries are administered in order to facilitate certain meetings and aggravate others,although users also conduct themselves in alternative ways in relation to the existing order. This two-sided process is analyzed. At this early stage in research, the combination of methods used seems to be fruitful to explore users’ self-managing of staff-less libraries.

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - Public Libraries

KW - staff-less libraries

KW - seating sweeps

KW - governmentality

KW - library as place

KW - methodology

M3 - Paper

Y2 - 25 January 2017 through 27 January 2017

ER -