Forskningsbiblioteket som mötesplats
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Research libraryMeeting placesSocial capitalHigh intensive meetingsLow intensive meetingsForskningsbibliotekMötesplatsSocialt kapitalHögintensiva mötenLågintensiva möten
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how the research library of Linnæus University is used by students as a meeting place. Building upon Putnam's theory of bonding and bridging social capital and Audunson's conception of high and low intensive meeting places, it aims to explore the research library's potential for creating social capital and thus strengthening both learning and democracy in a university context. Borrowing part of the survey design from a study conducted as part of the Norwegian PLACE project, this study collects responses from 134 students as to their use of the library as a meeting place. The results show that the Linnæus University library is used for a variety of meetings of both high and low intensity, why it should provide a good setting for the creation of social capital. There seems to be a connection between how often one visits the library, as well as to which department one belongs, and how one uses the library as a meeting place. The thesis concludes that the research library may aid the creation of social capital and that emphasizing this role would benefit both learning and democracy.