ARTICULATION AND INTEGRATION OF COMMUNITY LIBRARIES: the case of the network Brasil of community libraries

Abstract

This study deals with the articulations made by and between the community libraries, identifying them through the Network Brasil of Community Libraries (RBBC). The community libraries have been evolving in recent years. Their role within the national scenario is to allow access to reading to a population that often is excluded from public policy. The RBBC, which appeared in November 2009, consists of a social network, it stands out for its ability to bring people together around the theme Community Libraries, making interaction and discussion possible among its members. From the discussions fostered in RBBC, we observed the existence of various types of relationships established by the Community Libraries with both the people in their surroundings and with institutions such as private companies, NGOs and even the local authorities. Thus, it identifies the users of RBBC, categorizing them according to their role in community libraries and analyzes the different articulations developed by these libraries. This is a qualitative study. The study population consists of 440 members; the sample is composed of 78 individuals who have already participated in any discussion forum on the net. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, where there was the distribution of groups in the following categories: members researching community libraries (12), members interested in the subject (33), members participating in individual initiatives (8), members participating in collective initiatives (14) and members participating in government initiatives (11). In a second moment we will verify how the constructions of these articulations occur and what are their results in the relations of the members. The expected results come from the observation of the relationships built which strengthen the various links of interest of the members of RBBC and the members’ perceptions about the scope of this channel.