Collection
Brazilian libraries’ collection is mainly composed by Literature books. The task of providing information to people is accomplished specially through journals. We could not find libraries developing systematic processes to identify specific needs of information for local development. Some coordinators representing government have stated that this task is performed informally. Experiencing and interacting with users, libraries teams can know their needs and then plan activities and purchase a collection corresponding to local demands. Libraries have not shown a proactive behavior to encourage the use of information in specific issues that could result in a better life quality for local population (health, housing, revenue generation, children education, sexuality, cooperative work or protagonism...)
The ways of acquiring collections are quite varied among the libraries that were visited. In Guarulhos (SP), the acquisition of collection for the Municipal System of Libraries is done through partnerships or Public Notice informed by the SNBP, but also through donations from USP, donations from the state system of Libraries of the State of Sao Paulo and donations from the local population. The coordinator reported that the system receives very good donations from all these sources, and books that are not used and are sent for donation in boxes of books in health centers, supermarkets and other exchange centers.
For the libraries affiliated to the Guarulhos (SP) network, the updating of collections is a challenge. Library coordinators report that collections are not being used and journal subscriptions have been discontinued (BM Adamastor). The lack of new books resulted in the library losing users to libraries of Sao Paulo, the capital, which possess more updated collections which offer books like Harry Potter, Twilight and other modern best-sellers.
The Sao Paulo city system works autonomously, without the use of federal funds. The entire composition of collections, infrastructure and payment of staff comes from the municipality.
The state system of public libraries in Acre does not often take advantage of partnerships with the SNBP and uses local resources for the composition of collections. Among the users that were interviewed in the areas of reading and studying, especially those that were in the library to study, many complained of how limited and outdated were the collections of reference and text books.
Partnerships with the SNBP and the utilization of federal programs for the support of libraries are more frequent among staff with one or more librarians.
The ways of acquiring collections are quite varied among the libraries that were visited. In Guarulhos (SP), the acquisition of collection for the Municipal System of Libraries is done through partnerships or Public Notice informed by the SNBP, but also through donations from USP, donations from the state system of Libraries of the State of Sao Paulo and donations from the local population. The coordinator reported that the system receives very good donations from all these sources, and books that are not used and are sent for donation in boxes of books in health centers, supermarkets and other exchange centers.
For the libraries affiliated to the Guarulhos (SP) network, the updating of collections is a challenge. Library coordinators report that collections are not being used and journal subscriptions have been discontinued (BM Adamastor). The lack of new books resulted in the library losing users to libraries of Sao Paulo, the capital, which possess more updated collections which offer books like Harry Potter, Twilight and other modern best-sellers.
The Sao Paulo city system works autonomously, without the use of federal funds. The entire composition of collections, infrastructure and payment of staff comes from the municipality.
The state system of public libraries in Acre does not often take advantage of partnerships with the SNBP and uses local resources for the composition of collections. Among the users that were interviewed in the areas of reading and studying, especially those that were in the library to study, many complained of how limited and outdated were the collections of reference and text books.
Partnerships with the SNBP and the utilization of federal programs for the support of libraries are more frequent among staff with one or more librarians.