Biblioteket - själens läkehus?
En studie om biblioterapi på folkbibliotek
The purpose of this thesis is to examine which role public libraries play or could play within bibliotherapy. The study is based on qualitative interviews with five librarians who, in one way or another have experienced bibliotherapy activities. Further, we have interviewed two treatment assistants and one counsellor, who have cooperated with the librarians, to get their view. We have used the following research questions: Which bibliotherapeutic activities, if any, are pursued in public libraries in Sweden, and how do they look upon bibliotherapy? What role do public libraries play/could play within bibliotherapy? Ever since the term bibliotherapy was coined in the beginning of the twentieth century, the definition has been under debate. We have identified four main subjects of discussion. They concern the client, the text, the bibliotherapist and the question whether individual or group activities are to prefer. These subjects of discussion are used as a tool for analysing the results of the interviews as to our first question. We have modified Margaret Monroe?s Bibliotherapeutic Model for Library Service and this model is used as theoretical framework when analysing our second question. The result shows that the librarians define, and look upon bibliotherapy in different ways. They have mainly experienced bibliotherapy as a group activity. For the future, they envision various opportunities of development, one of which differs from the rest ? the individual bibliotherapy service. We have identified a set of alternative activities in which the public library could play a role within bibliotherapy.