The purpose of this paper is to investigate and increase the understanding of a present function of today´s public library in a societal context. My aim is to examine how the role of the public library is discussed in Swedish media between 2012 – 2019. I want to get a broader understanding of the public library as a physical place and a space, through the theoretical frameworks of Raber´s ideological model. The theoretical frameworks are used in this study to examine these questions:

• How is the public library as a room discussed in present Swedish media?
• The functions of the public library of today is many, how is the different themes actualized in the library as a meeting place?
• What consequences does the debate contribute regarded to the picture of the public library and is it connected to the work for the legitimacy of the public library?

The research field within Library and Information Science (LIS) is interdisciplinary with many references to social science theories. My qualitative study of content analysis builds upon theories of generating social capital. The aspect of the library as a space for inclusiveness and belongingness is a subject that is clearly stated in my study. My conclusion is that Raber´s social strategy is the dominant curse in the debate of the functions of the Swedish public libraries in present media. The legitimacy within the function as the hegemonic literacy discourse meets the legitimacy of the library as an open meeting place in my study.