Negotiating neutrality and activism in Norwegian public libraries: the case of environmental sustainability

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Udgivet i:Journal of Documentation vol. 81, no. 1 (2025), p. 107-124
Hovedforfatter: Espen Eigil Barratt-Due Solum
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Emerald Group Publishing Limited
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022 |a 0022-0418 
022 |a 1758-7379 
024 7 |a 10.1108/JD-04-2024-0082  |2 doi 
035 |a 3144733755 
045 2 |b d20250101  |b d20250228 
084 |a 38173  |2 nlm 
100 1 |a Espen Eigil Barratt-Due Solum  |u Department of Social Science, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway 
245 1 |a Negotiating neutrality and activism in Norwegian public libraries: the case of environmental sustainability 
260 |b Emerald Group Publishing Limited  |c 2025 
513 |a Journal Article 
520 3 |a PurposeThis article explores how Norwegian public libraries negotiate neutrality and activism in response to national policy implementing the United Nations (UN) goals for sustainable development.Design/methodology/approachInformed by the ongoing academic debate on library neutrality and activism, this article presents an analysis of 30 qualitative interviews with librarians and directors in four public libraries. Through comparative case study design, the analysis explores the negotiations of neutrality and activism in the organisational response to the sustainable development goals (SDGs), in public events connected with environmental sustainability and in the engagement of librarians with various higher education backgrounds and competencies.FindingsThe neutrality of Norwegian public libraries is tied to the libraries’ function as a social meeting place and arena for public debate. While the agenda for sustainable development is perceived as neutral by many of the interview participants, there are ongoing negotiations on how politically charged initiatives should be and whether public conversations on environmental and climate issues need to represent a balance of opinions. The case libraries have developed different strategies, and while non-traditional collections and events centred on sustainability may provide a middle ground, the negotiations of neutrality and activism are influenced both by competencies and personal engagement.Originality/valueThis article shows how neutrality is negotiated in public libraries, with the strategies to build a sustainable society through both conventional means and activism. 
651 4 |a Norway 
653 |a Higher education 
653 |a Libraries 
653 |a Negotiations 
653 |a Political activism 
653 |a Library and information science 
653 |a Equality 
653 |a Climate change 
653 |a Library associations 
653 |a Design analysis 
653 |a Qualitative analysis 
653 |a User services 
653 |a Sustainable development 
653 |a National libraries 
653 |a Librarians 
653 |a Public libraries 
653 |a Literature reviews 
653 |a Climate 
653 |a Negotiation 
653 |a Social function 
653 |a Sustainability 
653 |a Comparative analysis 
653 |a Case studies 
653 |a Neutrality 
653 |a Competence 
653 |a Attitudes 
653 |a Debates 
653 |a Interviews 
653 |a Activism 
653 |a Public events 
653 |a Environmental Standards 
653 |a Social Change 
653 |a Government Libraries 
653 |a Debate 
653 |a Library Services 
653 |a Professional Identity 
653 |a Annual Reports 
653 |a Change Agents 
653 |a Library Personnel 
653 |a Political Issues 
653 |a International Organizations 
653 |a Library Research 
773 0 |t Journal of Documentation  |g vol. 81, no. 1 (2025), p. 107-124 
786 0 |d ProQuest  |t ABI/INFORM Global 
856 4 1 |3 Citation/Abstract  |u https://www.proquest.com/docview/3144733755/abstract/embedded/L8HZQI7Z43R0LA5T?source=fedsrch 
856 4 0 |3 Full Text  |u https://www.proquest.com/docview/3144733755/fulltext/embedded/L8HZQI7Z43R0LA5T?source=fedsrch 
856 4 0 |3 Full Text - PDF  |u https://www.proquest.com/docview/3144733755/fulltextPDF/embedded/L8HZQI7Z43R0LA5T?source=fedsrch