This thesis seeks to explore public librarians’ conceptions of their expertise and professional identity in relation to bibliotherapeutic practice, where aspects such as theoretical knowledge, practical experience and personal characteristics are considered. To achieve this the following questions are asked; Which experiences and conceptions of bibliotherapeutic method exist? How do public librarians describe their expertise and professional identity in relation to bibliotherapeutic practices? Which conditions and obstacles are expressed which can influence the bibliotherapeutic practice? Three public librarians are being interviewed, with varying degrees of experience in, and theoretical knowledge of, the method. With support from Mark Stover’s theories of the librarian as non-expert, the study shows that all three librarians put heavy emphasis on aspects of their expertise which can be summarised as social intelligence, including communication skills, relationship-building ability, and empathy, as key elements, as well as a solid theoretical knowledge of the method. A professional identity where being authentic, interested and confident in interpersonal exchanges, and having a desire to help others, as well as being able to make others feel safe, appears central to those with a positive experience of the method. The study also finds that professional and personal experience can be a key factor in how the term therapy is interpreted, and what type of cognitive authority, or uncertainty, the term is associated with. All three librarians express positive experiences or conceptions of the method, and when theoretical knowledge of the method is present, its value to the library is strongly advocated.