Nedläggningar och nyetableringar. En studie av hur folkbibliotekssituationen förändrats i Göteborg under 90-talet med hänsyn till stadsdelsnämndsreformen.
The purpose of this masters thesis is to examine the arguments that are being used when closing and establishing peoples libraries. During the 90:ies, in the community of Gothenburg, 4 public libraries were closed and another 3 public libraries were opened. A possible reason for this change lies in the reform from the city Committee that split the community of Gothenburg into 21 pieces; all with one centrally appointed political Committee. The library activity has since the reform was implemented got worse in some areas, foremost in the already neglected city sections, and better in some areas, which where able to establish new libraries. Argumentation analysis indicates that the arguments used at closure where mainly economical and neither the number nor relevance and validity of the arguments where good. Two of the new establishments would probably have been carried out regardless of the city committee reform, while one is entirely dependent on it. Since there was an economic crisis in Sweden during the 90s it is hard to decide what influence the city committee reform has had on the development of the libraries and also what the crisis is guilty of. The conclusion is that the library activity in the community of Gothenburg would have been better off with the former central control, which was the predecessor to the city committee reform.