Community library: concepts, cultural relevance and policies

Abstract

It presents, through an exploratory-bibliographical research, considerations about the concept, cultural relevance and public policies of community libraries. It analyzes what is understood by community library and its relations with the public and popular library, as well as the reasons that caused its emergence. It highlights the importance of the public library and the community library as education and culture devices for the formation of readers, citizens more aware, and for the local development of communities. Finally, discusses the policies made for the area of books and reading and library and identifies that most of them were carried out through government actions especially by initiative of the federal government between the years from 2003 to 2016, strengthening of state policy making for the area book, reading and libraries thanks to the commitment and social mobilization of civil society and collectives.