Libraries, Archives, and Museums in Transition: Changes, Challenges, and Convergence in a Scandinavian Perspective

261 Pages·2022·4.572 MB·English

by  Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen, Kerstin Rydbeck, Håkon Larsen

LIBRARIES, ARCHIVES, AND MUSEUMS
IN TRANSITION
In this anthology, top scholars researching libraries, archives, and museums
(LAM) issues in Scandinavia explore pressing issues for contemporary LAMs.
In recent decades, relations between libraries, archives, and museums have
changed rapidly: collections have been digitized; books, documents, and objects
have been mixed in new ways; and LAMs have picked up new tasks in response
to external changes. Libraries now host makerspaces and literary workshops,
archives fight climate change and support indigenous people, and museums are
used as instruments for economic growth and urban planning. At first glance, the
described changes may appear as a divergent development, where the LAMs are
growing apart. However, this book demonstrates that the present transformation
of LAMs is primarily a convergent development.
Libraries, Archives, and Museums in Transition will be essential reading for stu-
dents, scholars, and practitioners seeking to get on top of the LAM literature or
the particularities of Scandinavian LAMs.
Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen is Associate Professor in the Department
of Communication, Section for Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums
(GLAM) at the University of Copenhagen. His long-term research interest
involves library studies and cultural policy studies. Currently his research is
focusing on the relations between libraries, archives, and museums.
Kerstin Rydbeck is Professor of Information Studies at Uppsala University and
holds a doctoral degree in literature. Her research has focused on the sociology of
literature – particularly on readers, reading patterns and social reading activities,
and on the history of popular education and public libraries.
Håkon Larsen is Professor of Library and Information Science at Oslo
Metropolitan University. His main areas of interest are cultural sociology, cul-
tural policy studies, and library studies. He has published extensively on the topic
of cultural organizations and legitimacy. He holds a PhD in sociology.
LIBRARIES, ARCHIVES,
AND MUSEUMS IN
TRANSITION
Changes, Challenges,
and Convergence in a
Scandinavian Perspective
Edited by
Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen
Kerstin Rydbeck
Håkon Larsen
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 selection and editorial matter, Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen,
Kerstin Rydbeck and Håkon Larsen; individual chapters, the
contributors
The right of Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen, Kerstin Rydbeck and
Håkon Larsen to be identified as the authors of the editorial material,
and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in
accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other
means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and
recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-032-03752-3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-03364-8 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-18883-4 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003188834
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CONTENTS
List of figures and tables ix
List of contributors xi
Preface xiii
1 Introduction: libraries, archives, and museums in transition 1
Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen, Kerstin Rydbeck, and Håkon Larsen
PART I
Libraries, Archives, and Museums in Scandinavia:
History and Policy 15
2 Library history of the Scandinavian countries 17
Ragnar Audunson, Henrik Jochumsen, and Kerstin Rydbeck
3 The history of archives in Scandinavia 31
Samuel Edquist, Leiv Bjelland, and Lars-Erik Hansen
4 A concise history of museums in Scandinavia 44
Hans Dam Christensen, Brita Brenna, and Björn Magnusson Staaf
5 LAMs as objects of knowledge and cultural policy:
developing synergies 57
Ole Marius Hylland, Nanna Kann-Rasmussen, and
Andreas Vårheim
vi Contents
PART II
LAMs and Collections 71
6 Do collections still constitute libraries, archives, and museums? 73
Samuel Edquist, Ragnar Audunson, and Isto Huvila
7 Curating collections in LAMs 87
Terje Colbjørnsen, Brita Brenna, and Samuel Edquist
8 Knowledge organization in LAMs 100
Ulrika Kjellman, Hans Dam Christensen, and
Johanna Rivano Eckerdal
PART III
Challenges for LAMs in the 21st Century 115
9 The impact of digitalization on LAMs 117
Bjarki Valtysson, Ulrika Kjellman, and Ragnar Audunson
10 Digital communication in LAMs 130
Henriette Roued-Cunliffe, Bjarki Valtysson, and
Terje Colbjørnsen
11 Learning, literacy, and education in LAMs 144
Johanna Rivano Eckerdal, Henriette Roued-Cunliffe, and
Isto Huvila
12 LAMs and the participatory turn 158
Isto Huvila, Jamie Johnston, and Henriette Roued-Cunliffe
13 Contemporary Scandinavian LAMs and legitimacy 173
Håkon Larsen, Nanna Kann-Rasmussen, and
Johanna Rivano Eckerdal
14 LAMs and community: deepening connections 187
Jamie Johnston, Henrik Jochumsen, and Samuel Edquist
15 LAMs as activists? Dilemmas between neutrality and
taking a stand 201
Nanna Kann-Rasmussen, Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen, and
Roger Blomgren
Contents vii
16 Pursuing sustainable futures through LAMs 215
Henrik Jochumsen, Jamie Johnston, and Andreas Vårheim
PART IV
Conclusion 229
17 Differences and similarities between LAMs, and their
pursuit of commons challenges 231
Kerstin Rydbeck, Håkon Larsen, and
Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen
Index 243

FIGURES AND TABLES
Figures
12.1 Types of participation based on degree of power sharing and
direct or indirect benefits to communities 161
14.1 LAM inner community rings 195
16.1 The four components of sustainability 223
Tables
12.1 Participation matrix with questions for reflecting on
participatory practices and their premises 168
13.1 Audience for public performances of legitimacy 174