The aim of the thesis is to examine the Swedish public library-debate between 1965 and 1975, with a focus on the influence of the New Left movement. The empirical material consists of articles from two library journals, and is studied with the intent to achieve knowledge of the library ideology expressed in context of the socialist movements of the 1960s and 70s. The method used is ideology analysis. Three different areas of debate have been included in the study: issues pertaining to library holdings, problems concerning the workplace and social and outreach activities. Some of the salient and key ideas that often recurs in the material touch upon the dangers of mass market literature, the necessity for an expanded workplace democracy, the importance of social work and the need for a more politically active library. The bureaucracy, centralism and authoritarian tendencies in the library world are criticized, as well as the notion that the library should remain a politically neutral institution. The need to create a library that can serve as a sanctuary from commercial forces is also underlined, as well as the problem with bourgeois high culture alienating users. Overall the left-leaning debate tends to be formulated polemically, and reflect an ongoing generational conflict with a strong criticism of the library world’s upper hierarchy.