“Tell Alvesta Commune to not take away the book bus!” The Need and Potential for a Mobile Library A CASE STUDY OF THE MOBILE LIBRARY IN ALVESTA COMMUNE M.A. Peace and Development Studies (Linnaeusuniversity) Course: Methods of Field Work for Peace and Development (4FU420) 26.03.2019 Authors: Andersson, Jonas, [email protected] Gunzelmann, Janine, [email protected] Martinsson, Philip, [email protected] Tarapatova, Oksana, [email protected] Table of Contents Sammanfattning .................................................................................................................... 2 Summary .............................................................................................................................. 2 1.Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 3 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................. 3 1.2 Research Objective and Questions .............................................................................. 4 1.3 Stakeholders ............................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Mobile Libraries’ Mission and Potential ........................................................................ 5 2. Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Research Design ......................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Interviews .................................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Observation ................................................................................................................. 7 2.4 PhotoVoice .................................................................................................................. 8 2.5 Sample Selection ......................................................................................................... 9 2.6 Limitations of the Study ............................................................................................... 9 2.7 Ethical Considerations ............................................................................................... 10 3. Findings .......................................................................................................................... 11 3.1 Interviews .................................................................................................................. 11 3.1.1 Positive Aspects ..................................................................................................... 11 3.1.2 Improvements and Critical Reflections .................................................................... 11 3.2 Observations ............................................................................................................. 12 3.2.1 Working Conditions ............................................................................................. 12 3.2.2 Relationship ........................................................................................................ 13 3.2.3 Book Bus Users .................................................................................................. 13 3.3 PhotoVoice ................................................................................................................ 13 4. Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 14 4.1 Interviews with Book Bus Users and Potential Book Bus Users ................................. 14 4.2 Observation ............................................................................................................... 15 4.3 Young People living in Rural Areas (PhotoVoice) ...................................................... 15 5. Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 16 6. Recommendations .......................................................................................................... 17 List of References ............................................................................................................... 18 Appendix 1: Interview Code List .......................................................................................... 19 Appendix 2: Interview guide ................................................................................................ 20 Appendix 3: Mini PhotoVoice Workshop.............................................................................. 21 Appendix 4: Terms of reference (ToR) ................................................................................ 24 1 Sammanfattning Denna rapport undersöker behovet för invånare i Alvesta kommun av den nuvarande bokbussen genom tre olika målgrupper. Alvesta kommun har idag tre olika typer av bibliotek: stadsbibliotek, skolbibliotek och en bokbuss. Denna rapport fokuserar på bokbussen. Informationen som analyseras kommer ifrån semi strukturerade intervjuer genom nuvarande bokbuss användare, en mindre PhotoVoice Workshop med ungdomar vid Vislanda fritidsgård samt observationer. Rapportens slutsatser är att dagens bokbuss är mycket uppskattad av användarna och framförallt är man nöjd med servicen från bibliotekarierna. Det finns även flera möjligheter till förbättringar, exempelvis: ett större utbud av litteratur för alla olika åldersgrupper, en handikappvänlig entré till bokbussen samt en möjlighet till en social mötesplats. Det är viktigt att tänka på att behålla möjligheten att nå ut till samma kundbas och behålla nyckelaspekter som bokbussen bygger sin legitimitet kring. För vidare rekommendationer vill vi framhäva behovet av digitala resurser för ungdomar samt att nå ut till nya potentiella målgrupper, med fokus på icke-svensktalande. Summary This report analyzes the percepted needs of people living in Alvesta Commune in relation to the book bus of the Alvesta Library. Data for the analysis comes from semi-structured interviews with current book bus users and non-users, observations of these as well a PhotoVoice workshop with teenagers at Vislanda fritidsgård. The main findings are that there is a need for a mobile library in the rural areas of Alvesta Commune and that the book bus services and the librarians are very appreciated by its current users. Recommended improvements concern the extension of literature provision for all ages, a handicap friendly entrance and conceptualizing the mobile library as a social meeting place. However, it is important to consider that a new book bus needs to physically be able to reach the same customer base and at the same time keep critical functions from which it is deriving its legitimacy. Further points of consideration include the need for digital resources for young people and inclusion of new potential target groups, such as non-native-Swedish speakers. 2 1.Introduction “The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library” 1 Albert Einstein Libraries are regarded as the basis for a modern democratic society. Libraries deliver opportunities for knowledge, lifelong learning and contribute to the development of the critical thinking that are the essential components of the Human Capital development. With regards to this public libraries are emerging as an important public actor. According to the law, every Commune in Sweden must have at least one public library2. As stated in the Library Act3, libraries shall promote the development of democratic society, knowledge mediation and free opinion formation, strengthen interest in education, digital knowledge and cultural activities. Therefore the development and the access to the library services remain one of the important issues for the local communities. This report presents the research findings of the field project on the Alvesta library bus service focusing on the rural parts of Alvesta Commune by four students of the Peace and Development Work Master's programme at Linnæus University. The study has been conducted with the consult agency Nilsson & Månsson and contributes to a preliminary study for the purpose of a renewed mobile library by Nilsson & Månsson. The research findings based on the interviews with book bus users, observations during the working hours of the book bus and PhotoVoice workshop with young people present the needs of the book bus users and ideas\recommendations on its functionality. The field project occurred from the 26th February to 27th March 2019. 1.1 Background The Library service in Alvesta Commune includes public and school libraries. Mobile library (a book bus) is a part of the public library service. The book bus visits 130 different locations monthly, thus book bus users receive a visit every four week on average. The main services the bus provides are the distribution of books and other materials. According to the library staff, the main users as the schools and primary schools, the elderly, those on parental leave, and those with irregular working hours. The Commune has decided to replace the current bus, which have led to the rethinking of the physical design, appearance, and its functionality. Further in this report, we refer interchangeably to ‘the mobile library’ and the ‘book bus’, whereas the customers are referred to