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This article analyses the changing relationships between cultural organisations and their institutional environment. Cultural policy research has traditionally focused on a decline in the autonomy of cultural organisations with Pierre Bourdieu's theories as an overarching theoretical framework. However, recent studies of public administration tell another story. It shows how relationships between cultural organisations and their institutional environment are paradoxical. Cultural organisations have experienced a growing focus on societal value, users and performance indicators, which can be viewed as a decrease in their autonomy. Simultaneously, they have been able to pursue new ways of fulfilling their purpose, an increase in autonomy. The article discusses the theoretical perspectives on this paradox, with focus on New Public Governance, and shows that the paradox of autonomy entails a change in the roles of professionals, politicians and users. Politicians still determine subsidies, but they have increasingly left policymaking to the cultural organisations.

The aim of this article is to analyse and discuss the development of performative spaces in public libraries from a cultural policy perspective. First, a framework of three concepts of culture, 1.0–3.0, is used as a tool to analyse the overall development of public libraries. Against this background, we introduce the notion of performative spaces in public libraries by highlighting Nordic examples. The tendency can also be seen on a broader level in European and North American libraries, where a 'performative turn' can be seen as the relationship between the library and its users, especially the younger 'digital natives'. The rationales behind the emergence of performative spaces in public libraries are analysed and discussed: democratisation, empowerment and economic impact. This article concludes that the performative spaces are legitimized by multiple rationales in the same way as cultural policies and cultural institutions are legitimised today.

Amidst much speculation on the impact of digitalization, there have been no lack of visions for the future of libraries, archives, and museums (LAM institutions). Sometimes digitalization has been perceived as a useful tool for fulfilling the aims of enlightenment and free access to information and cultural heritage, and other times the digital development has been framed as a threat or game-changer for the LAM institutions. In this chapter, we present empirical data on the use of digital LAM services, and we elucidate how users relate to digital LAM services and LAM services in general. We think the present-day use of digital LAM services is a good indicator of where LAM institutions are heading in the coming years, and relevant for LAM-policy development in government and the institutions. This way, we bring data on digital use, and perhaps some realism to the never-ending debate on the future of LAM institutions. Important questions are: what does digitalization of user services in libraries, archives, and museums (LAMs) mean for patrons – do patrons use the digital services offered by the LAM-institutions? Which digital services are used? What are they used for? We analyze how user characteristics, such as country, gender, age, education, income, urban/rural, immigration status, and home Internet access correlate with the digital service usage in LAM institutions. By comparing patterns of use as reported by users in six European countries, we examine variation in patterns of digital use between the countries. Do differences indicate different trajectories of development towards multiple LAM futures, or do they indicate national LAM systems on different stages of development towards a shared future of LAM use? The lack of time-series data makes it difficult to conclude on whether national systems have changed and how they have changed, and calls for future data collection, preferably at five-year intervals. At this point, we present data from a survey to representative samples of the Hungarian, Swiss, German, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian populations conducted in June 2017. The national samples vary from 1,002 respondents up to 1,021. Altogether, we have 6,050 respondents (see Audunson et al. (2019) for more information about the data collection process). This analysis is based on quantitative and qualitative data on digital use from the survey. First, the chapter contains a review of professional and scholarly debates on LAM institutions and digital development; second, a presentation of the findings from the survey on the use of digital services in LAM institutions; third, a presentation of free-text analysis of the user responses on content accessed and activities engaged through digital LAM services; fourth, based on the findings we discuss the relevance of the LAMs as digital public sphere institutions today and implications for future LAM adaptation in the digital age.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of public libraries as institutions underpinning a democratic public sphere as reasons legitimizing libraries compared to reasons that are more traditional and the actual use of libraries as public sphere arenas. Design/methodology/approach: A survey of representative samples of the adult population in six countries – Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Hungary and Switzerland – was undertaken. Findings: Legitimations related to the libraries role as a meeting place and arena for public debate are ranked as the 3 least important out of 12 possible legitimations for upholding a public library service. Libraries are, however, used extensively by the users to access citizenship information and to participate in public sphere relevant meetings. Originality/value: Few studies have empirically analyzed the role of libraries in upholding a democratic and sustainable public sphere. This study contributes in filling that gap.

Accepted manuscript. Final version published in Journal of Documentation , available at https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-02-2019-0015. ; Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of public libraries as institutions underpinning a democratic public sphere as reasons legitimizing libraries compared to reasons that are more traditional and the actual use of libraries as public sphere arenas. Design/methodology/approach – A survey of representative samples of the adult population in six countries–Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Hungary and Switzerland–was undertaken. Findings – Legitimations related to the libraries role as a meeting place and arena for public debate are ranked as the 3 least important out of 12 possible legitimations for upholding a public library service. Libraries are, however, used extensively by the users to access citizenship information and to participate in public sphere relevant meetings. Originality/value – Few studies have empirically analyzed the role of libraries in upholding a democratic and sustainable public sphere. This study contributes in filling that gap.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of public libraries as institutions underpinning a democratic public sphere as reasons legitimizing libraries compared to reasons that are more traditional and the actual use of libraries as public sphere arenas. Design/methodology/approach: A survey of representative samples of the adult population in six countries – Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Hungary and Switzerland – was undertaken. Findings: Legitimations related to the libraries role as a meeting place and arena for public debate are ranked as the 3 least important out of 12 possible legitimations for upholding a public library service. Libraries are, however, used extensively by the users to access citizenship information and to participate in public sphere relevant meetings. Originality/value: Few studies have empirically analyzed the role of libraries in upholding a democratic and sustainable public sphere. This study contributes in filling that gap. ; The Research Council of Norway Project 259052 ; acceptedVersion