Public libraries as an infrastructure for a sustainable public sphere. A comprehensive review of research
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-10-2018-0157 |
| Published date | 08 July 2019 |
| Date | 08 July 2019 |
| Pages | 773-790 |
| Author | Ragnar Audunson,Svanhild Aabø,Roger Blomgren,Sunniva Evjen,Henrik Jochumsen,Håkon Larsen,Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen,Andreas Vårheim,Jamie Johnston,Masanori Koizumi |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Public libraries as an
infrastructure for a sustainable
public sphere
A comprehensive review of research
Ragnar Audunson and Svanhild Aabø
Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Science,
Faculty of Social Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
Roger Blomgren
Department of Libraries, Swedish School of Library and Information Science,
Borås, Sweden
Sunniva Evjen
Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Science,
Faculty of Social Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
Henrik Jochumsen
Department of Information Studies,
University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Håkon Larsen
Department of Social and Educational Sciences,
Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar, Norway
Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen
Department of Information Studies,
University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Andreas Vårheim
Department of Culture and Literature, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
Jamie Johnston
Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Science,
Faculty of Social Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway, and
Masanori Koizumi
Faculty of Library, Information and Media Science,
University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to examine the shaping of public libraries as an infrastructure for a
sustainable public sphere through a comprehensive literature review.
Design/methodology/approach –In order to capture the whole picture of this research field, we utilize
comprehensive review methodology. The major research questions are: first, to what extent have research
topics regarding libraries as public sphere institutions expanded and diversified? Which theoretical
perspectives inform research? Second, which challenges and topics does the research focus upon, such as:
Journal of Documentation
Vol. 75 No. 4, 2019
pp. 773-790
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0022-0418
DOI 10.1108/JD-10-2018-0157
Received 8 October 2018
Revised 10 December 2018
Accepted 11 December 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0022-0418.htm
The paper is a part of the ALMPUB-project –Archives Libraries and Museums and the public
sphere –financed by the Norwegian Research Council, grant number NFR259052. This work was also
supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP16KK0072.
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Public libraries
social inclusion and equal access to information; digital inequalities; censorship and freedom of expression;
and access to places and spaces with a democratic potential and the role of libraries in that respect? Third,
what influence has social media exerted on libraries in the context of the expanding digital world?
Findings –The authors identified mainly four themes regarding the public library and public sphere, such
as: the importance of public libraries by using Habermas’s theory; the function of meeting places within the
public library and setting those places in the center of the library in order to enhance and encourage
democracy; the relationship between social inclusion and public libraries and its functions in current society
such as diminishing the digital divide; and the emerging electronic resources and arena of SNS in public
libraries and utilizing them to reach citizens.
Originality/value –Capturing the recent history of this research field through comprehensive review is
valuable.
Keywords Public libraries, Qualitative research, Comprehensive review, Public sphere, Habermas
Paper type Research paper
1. Research background
A functioning public sphere is one of the essential preconditions of any democracy, and
the libraries have served as an institution underpinning a sustainable public sphere by
being providers of knowledge and cultural expressions, being agents fostering an
enlightened and informed citizenry, and being arenas for public debate. Due to the
continuous development of new technologies and social institutions, more knowledge and
information is readily accessible to increasing numbers of citizens. The challenges the
public sphere is facing due to technological developments and globalization, e.g. the crisis
in traditional media, the explosive growth of social media use, infotainment and the
danger of fragmentation, have led to an increased focus on the public sphere in social
sciences in general.
Originally, the concept of the public sphere is described by Habermas (1989, 1991) as follows:
By “Public Sphere”we mean first of all a domain of our social life in which such a thing as public
opinion can be formed. Access to the public sphere is open in principle to all citizens. A portion of
the public sphere is constituted in every conversation in which private persons come together to
form a public.
Librarians and information specialists in libraries, whether public or academic, have been
tasked with fostering discussion and debate, upholding intellect ual freedom and
safeguarding the freedom of expression, which is all essential for supporting a robust
public sphere and, ultimately, maintaining democratic processes. In fact, based on the
theoretical frameworks of the public sphere and through activities such as helping
immigrants and refugees assimilate in their local societies, libraries, particularly public
libraries, have been challenged to solve social problems in local societies by enhancing
public debate about public concerns. Public libraries logically and practically function as a
public sphere in society.
The social need for research regarding the public sphere is expanding due to the
unstable, uncertain and anxious state of society as a result of political, economic and
technological reasons across the globe (Felicetti, 2016; Crespy, 2013). Although the
importance of the public sphere and public libraries has become more significant, it is harder
for researchers and practitioners to understand the entire picture of what kind of
discussions and outputs have been going on related to the public sphere and public libraries.
In addition, digitization and globalization create challenges for upholding a public
sphere, e.g. challenges related to the traditional channels of communication between civil
society and government such as newspapers, radio and television. It also creates challenges
related to the role of libraries as public sphere institutions and it might affect the
relationship between libraries and society. How are these challenges reflected and
thematized in library and information science research? That is the overriding topic of the
research presented in this paper.
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