Digitala bibliotek i den svenska biblioteksdiskursen
The aim of this Masters thesis is to examine the library discourses concerning the phenomenon and concept of digital libraries in Swedish library press 1980-2002. What changes can be identified? The questions are: what is said about the conditions for the phenomenon; how is the concept of digital libraries used; who makes these statements; what are the relations between these discussions and the library context in which they are made? Five Swedish library journals, BBL/Biblioteksbladet, DIK-forum, Human IT, Svensk biblioteksforskning and Tidskrift för dokumentation, were examined. The method used was discourse analysis. The theoretical starting-point was Foucaults discourse theory. The study was executed in three steps. In the first step the library context was examined. The next step focused on the discourses concerning digital libraries, as they appeared in the journals. The journals were analysed systematically, with special focus on five three-year-periods. Four articles were analysed more closely. In the third step the discourses were related to their contexts. The technological conditions for digital libraries are discussed throughout the period. The concept also occurs in discussions in the journals, in most cases used in a pragmatic way. These discourses are closely related to their contexts, both concerning the technological developments and the different directions of the journals. Experts often make the statements about digital libraries in the articles. In the 1980s, the concept is connected to the computer-based library, in the 1990s the use of network communications is added to the concept. In the 2000s the concept also includes an orientation towards users and more integration. A conclusion made in this study is that despite the existence of a library discourse concerning digital libraries in Swedish library press, this subject area does not seem to be distinguished by an extensive and theoretical discussion.