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Library loyalties in limbo

the problems with support mechanisms for library purchasing routines - the case of Sweden

Swedish School of Library and Information Science, Centre for Cultural Policy Research, marie.johansson{at}hb.se

The financial pressures experienced by Swedish libraries in purchasing resources are linked to the fact that most of these libraries cannot afford to buy all recent books and must therefore make severe choices in areas where it is not easy to decide on priorities. In Sweden, Bibliotekstjänst (BTJ) is the library service organization that is almost the sole provider of library materials and its dominance is almost total. For many decades, BTJ ran its operation without causing public controversy and was simply looked upon as an uncomplicated service to facilitate librarians’ professional duties. This situation changed drastically as the debate about public library provision, among the public and the profession, gathered strength. The criticisms that were put forward in the debate are described in order to show the complexity of the problems associated with the BTJ system and which, to varying degrees, affect libraries and their practices. The criticisms put forward over the years have almost invariably been aimed at three targets: the readers, the reviews and Sambindningen/BTJ. Sambindningen is roughly translated as Cobinding, a constructed and ambiguous term alluding to both the binding of book volumes and its connecting role between the publisher, the library and the reader. The debate shows that complications exist, for instance, within BTJ and the ownership of the company: a structure which has led to conflicts of interest and a vague delegation of responsibility. It is concluded that problems have been identified associated with the Swedish centralized model for giving support to purchasing routines for libraries. Such problems are also likely to appear in other national contexts using a similar model. The main difficulty is connected to organizational complexities that are difficult to avoid completely when the public service system of the library is confronted with a mediator institution that is linked to the commercial publishing business.

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Vol. 34, No. 3, 159-169 (2002)
DOI: 10.1177/096100060203400304


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