Recent studies explore the attitudes of library, archive, and museum (LAM) professionals towards user participation. These studies fail to address how the diverse roles assumed by LAM professionals may influence their attitudes. Questionnaire-based findings from professionals in Norway and Sweden reveal that perceptions of user participation vary based on professionals’ roles and their views on other professions. Analysis identifies three subject positions: power sharing, outsourcing, and engaging experts. Further examination using a four-quadrant model suggests that professionals primarily see themselves as experts in their respective fields, prioritizing top-down approaches to user participation.

Image courtesy of interviewee. December 18, 2023