The Facebook library : What French university libraries can learn from a group created on social media to replace them during lockdown

Abstract: This thesis discusses a Facebook group named La Bibliothèque Solidaire du confinement (BSc), created by a handful of French students and researchers as a way to replace university libraries, which were not accessible during the Covid crisis-induced lockdown in March 2020. After introducing the context and the previous studies which focused on the BSc during confinement, a new approach is taken reflecting on its current position in relation to traditional university libraries, now that the third and final period of confinement so far has been over for more than a year. This thesis treats both the Facebook group and French university libraries as collective spaces, comparing their capacity to answer the needs of students, through the eyes of the group members. By way of interviews and a questionnaire shared on the BSc, and with the help of the four-space model, the thesis aims to help identify some of the shortcomings of the French university libraries and their potential causes, as well as ways in which the university libraries may be inspired by the BSc to improve their services.