The purpose of this essay is to investigate which understandings of literature, reading and its effects are represented in policy documents aimed at guiding library practice at two different political levels (national and local level). Historical context shows that cultural policy has often had an instrumental view on culture and literature. 

The material has been analyzed through a targeted qualitative content analysis based on a theoretical model which contained four functions (three instrumental and one autotelic) for literature and reading: democracy, school and future, empathy and reading for pleasure. In addition to this theory, a theoretical model of instrumentality on a macro and micro levels was also used, i.e. instrumentality that is more individual oriented or more societal oriented.

The analysis showed that all four functions were represented in the material, both at national and local level, though to different degrees. In both types of policy, however, the autotelic function (reading for pleasure) consisted of an instrumental view in the material. The intrinsic value of reading was never allowed to stand on its own, but always resulted in one of the other functions. Findings also showed a new track in addition to the four functions called literature and the market function.

The analysis found a tendency in the national policy texts towards socially useful goals for literature and reading, which means that they end up in a macro instrumentality. Meanwhile the local policy documents had a tendency towards individual goals and therefor had a micro instrumentality level.