Syntheses (Introduction)
The Fundação Pensamento Digital was sought by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop this study in order to identify needs and opportunities for the Brazilian public libraries, with particular interest in expanding the relevance of public libraries to their communities. The research involved a representative from the National Public Library System (SNBP) and a representative from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in defining their strategies, and it was detailed and implemented by the researcher Marta Voelcker from the Fundação Pensamento Digital.
Nowadays, the opportunities for education, professional development and social participation depend on the Internet access. Therefore, the lack of access means the lack of opportunities. In Brazil, only half of the population is using the Internet. Analyzing the population of lower purchasing power, it is concluded that only 14% of Brazilians who belong to D and E social classes are Internet users. Among the users in this group, 69% of them access Internet in Technology Access Public Centers (CGI.BR, 2011). The main reason that prevents most people from accessing the Internet is the high cost of equipment and network connection.
The public access information centers, such as Internet cafes, telecenters, and libraries are presented in this study as the potential way to extend network access to half of the Brazilian population that is still "disconnected".
Considering the fact that providing access does not guarantee that the population use technology to identify and take advantage for educational opportunities, professional development or social participation, the study has searched for practices that encourage the use of the network to the socio-economic development or improvement of the quality of life of beneficiaries. The systematization of these practices constitutes a second challenge in the Brazilian scenario, because in 2011 most of the users of public ICT access centers, were using the network for entertainment.
Public libraries, though with little quantitative expression between the public centers to access to technology, can be considered potential organizations for building up Internet strategies in order to foster socio-economic development in Brazil.
The research methodology prioritized to identify what makes a public library to be relevant, with or without technology; as well as to understand how it works identifying what people want from the library as well as perceptions of challenges and motivations of their teams and users. After that, the possibilities of technology integration were examined. The main research questions were thus identified: "what makes a public library be relevant to your community?"; "How technology can be used to support or enhance the elements that make a library relevant?".
In order to operationalize the research problem, in addition to the two issues described before, six research areas or factors of relevance and four development areas were included. These elements guided the research activities, which included observations of libraries, questionnaires for users and interviews with library coordinators and local government representatives from four Brazilian states: Acre, Bahia, Rio Grande do Sul, and São Paulo.
The research data is presented in several sections using different approaches. The scenario analysis (4.1) describes the context where Brazilian libraries are immersed, this section is based on the secondary data analysis and meetings with SNBP representatives and experts. Such analysis happened during the first phase of the study, before the definition of the research instruments. The Section 4.2, named Most Prominent Functions, reports a brief overview of the library functions that appeared most frequently on the data and presents examples that show such reports. In section 4.3 the data is presented by factors of relevance or research areas defined in the methodology of this survey (services, team, physical design, management, and library collection).
The most important information for the objectives of this study received specific sections (Data Analysis) where the data is not only reported, but also analyzed according to other factors that are part of the national scene.
The reading promotion, especially for children, is the library function that receives most attention from the public policies and greater commitment of energy from the part of libraries' staff. The library space use for studying was featured high among the young adult users. The provision of access to technology attracts many users, however, these users are a separate part among the actions of the library. Actions for the culture promotion (in addition to the literature) are very significant in the libraries from Bahia and are present in large libraries of other States. Keeping the local memory alive and having actions to encourage writers were identified in medium-size and large libraries, but they are seen less frequently compared the previously mentioned functions.
The technology supports the management of medium-size and large libraries through computerized cataloging management system. The vast majority of visited libraries use blogs and social networks to promote their program and the new collection copies.
The Brazilian libraries do not develop systematic actions to identify and meet the information needs of local communities. The public libraries' activities are generally stronger in promoting culture and less significant when providing and encouraging the use of information.
Most library coordinators and Government representatives interviewed pointed out the infrastructure (building improvement) as a priority to investment needs, placing in second places, the improvement of the collection and computerized cataloging.
Regarding the priority of the use of technology, in case of having more resources, most of the coordinators interviewed stated considering important the integration of technology and the promotion of innovations. However, they ignored the ways to use technology for these purposes. The people interviewed were unanimous in stating the need for library staff professional development to integrate technology in their actions.
Three potential investment areas to enhance the integration of technology in Brazilian libraries were identified: staff training for integration of technology in reading promotion activities; computerized collection cataloging; building up new practices where the use of technology encourages access to information in order to improve life quality. The recommendations consider the development of a technology integration plan based on content production by the libraries involved in order to systematize and disseminate good practices of technology integration.
Nowadays, the opportunities for education, professional development and social participation depend on the Internet access. Therefore, the lack of access means the lack of opportunities. In Brazil, only half of the population is using the Internet. Analyzing the population of lower purchasing power, it is concluded that only 14% of Brazilians who belong to D and E social classes are Internet users. Among the users in this group, 69% of them access Internet in Technology Access Public Centers (CGI.BR, 2011). The main reason that prevents most people from accessing the Internet is the high cost of equipment and network connection.
The public access information centers, such as Internet cafes, telecenters, and libraries are presented in this study as the potential way to extend network access to half of the Brazilian population that is still "disconnected".
Considering the fact that providing access does not guarantee that the population use technology to identify and take advantage for educational opportunities, professional development or social participation, the study has searched for practices that encourage the use of the network to the socio-economic development or improvement of the quality of life of beneficiaries. The systematization of these practices constitutes a second challenge in the Brazilian scenario, because in 2011 most of the users of public ICT access centers, were using the network for entertainment.
Public libraries, though with little quantitative expression between the public centers to access to technology, can be considered potential organizations for building up Internet strategies in order to foster socio-economic development in Brazil.
The research methodology prioritized to identify what makes a public library to be relevant, with or without technology; as well as to understand how it works identifying what people want from the library as well as perceptions of challenges and motivations of their teams and users. After that, the possibilities of technology integration were examined. The main research questions were thus identified: "what makes a public library be relevant to your community?"; "How technology can be used to support or enhance the elements that make a library relevant?".
In order to operationalize the research problem, in addition to the two issues described before, six research areas or factors of relevance and four development areas were included. These elements guided the research activities, which included observations of libraries, questionnaires for users and interviews with library coordinators and local government representatives from four Brazilian states: Acre, Bahia, Rio Grande do Sul, and São Paulo.
The research data is presented in several sections using different approaches. The scenario analysis (4.1) describes the context where Brazilian libraries are immersed, this section is based on the secondary data analysis and meetings with SNBP representatives and experts. Such analysis happened during the first phase of the study, before the definition of the research instruments. The Section 4.2, named Most Prominent Functions, reports a brief overview of the library functions that appeared most frequently on the data and presents examples that show such reports. In section 4.3 the data is presented by factors of relevance or research areas defined in the methodology of this survey (services, team, physical design, management, and library collection).
The most important information for the objectives of this study received specific sections (Data Analysis) where the data is not only reported, but also analyzed according to other factors that are part of the national scene.
The reading promotion, especially for children, is the library function that receives most attention from the public policies and greater commitment of energy from the part of libraries' staff. The library space use for studying was featured high among the young adult users. The provision of access to technology attracts many users, however, these users are a separate part among the actions of the library. Actions for the culture promotion (in addition to the literature) are very significant in the libraries from Bahia and are present in large libraries of other States. Keeping the local memory alive and having actions to encourage writers were identified in medium-size and large libraries, but they are seen less frequently compared the previously mentioned functions.
The technology supports the management of medium-size and large libraries through computerized cataloging management system. The vast majority of visited libraries use blogs and social networks to promote their program and the new collection copies.
The Brazilian libraries do not develop systematic actions to identify and meet the information needs of local communities. The public libraries' activities are generally stronger in promoting culture and less significant when providing and encouraging the use of information.
Most library coordinators and Government representatives interviewed pointed out the infrastructure (building improvement) as a priority to investment needs, placing in second places, the improvement of the collection and computerized cataloging.
Regarding the priority of the use of technology, in case of having more resources, most of the coordinators interviewed stated considering important the integration of technology and the promotion of innovations. However, they ignored the ways to use technology for these purposes. The people interviewed were unanimous in stating the need for library staff professional development to integrate technology in their actions.
Three potential investment areas to enhance the integration of technology in Brazilian libraries were identified: staff training for integration of technology in reading promotion activities; computerized collection cataloging; building up new practices where the use of technology encourages access to information in order to improve life quality. The recommendations consider the development of a technology integration plan based on content production by the libraries involved in order to systematize and disseminate good practices of technology integration.