Making Sense of Matilda: Interpreting Literature through Information Behavior Theory

Abstract

Fictional works about libraries and their different roles have been published over the centuries and read with delight among librarians as well as among the broader audience. Still, literary descriptions of libraries seem to be of marginal interest when it comes to Library and Information research, in spite of the rich material at hand. This article takes a step into the rather empty space of research in this field, combining theories of information behavior with literary analysis of a fictional heroine; Roald Dahl’s Matilda.