LIS neutrality: A qualitative analysis of public librarian concepts and expectations of political neutrality in Glasgow's public library service.

Abstract

With the recent shifting to the right of global politics, public libraries have found themselves in the crossfire of heated debate regarding their role in social justice, freedom of knowledge and perhaps most challenging, neutrality.  This research sets out to develop an understanding of the positions of public library staff and users regarding political neutrality within public libraries.  The research explores key literature and methodological approaches concerning neutrality in public libraries, how it is implemented and its consequences.  The current literature examines library neutrality, including its relation to social justice and library collections. A volume of theoretical research and debate on neutrality within library and information services currently exists, however at present only small samples of empirical studies have been conducted. This study will refine and build on this research by exclusively exploring political neutrality.  An interpretivist inductive philosophical underpinning, incorporating qualitative research and thematic analysis is adopted by the current research, ensuring a deep understanding of overall positions in relation to existing library policies.  The study focuses its research on the specific geographical area of Glasgow and the public libraries within the Glasgow council area. The diverse political and ethnic composition of the city’s population was key in this decision to ensure a broad cross-section of public librarians within the research cohort.  The study’s findings contribute to the discourse on overall neutrality in public library services and offer both libraries and policy makers an insight into the relationship between library staff and existing policy and expectations regarding political neutrality within public library services.