The Library as a Historical Document: The Preserved Library of the Swedish National Institute for Race Biology

About the project

The dissertation project's point of departure is the idea of the library as a historical document that can tell us about the activities conducted by their patrons. Libraries are created for a reason. Various organisations shapes their libraries based on their different needs and activities, and this is especially true regarding knowledge producing institutions. Books and other documents are acquired based on their intellectual content, such as the subjects they treat. Therefore, libraries become a mirror or physical manifestation of the intellectual activities of the organisation in question.

From this notion, of the library as a knowledge reproducing institution that reflects the organisations activities, the preserved library collections and catalogues of the Swedish National Institute for Race Biology (Statens institut för rasbiologi) will be studied, a eugenic research centre which operated in Uppsala between 1922 and 1958.

The thesis (monograph) will be written in Swedish.
Tutors: Kerstin Rydbeck and Ulrika Kjellman.