The afro-brazilian literature in the Stadual System of Public Libraries of Bahia

Abstract

The library is a social institution responsible for the organization and dissemination of bibliographical and documentary cultural heritage, with the mission of serve the informational needs of the community. Thus, an exploratory study aimed to identify and discuss the presence of authors of Afro-Brazilian literature in the collections of the Stadual System Of Public Libraries Of Bahia. The authors' survey was based on the index of Afro-Brazilian authors listed in the literafro website – Afro-Brazilian Literature Portal. The Public Library of the State of Bahia was selected because of its importance, the first public library in the first planned city of the country, and because it is the Brazilian capital with the highest percentage of browns and blacks. In particular, the data showed that from the list of authors in general and of Bahian naturalness extracted from the portal of Afro-Brazilian literature, which sum 25 authors out of a total of 133 authors, a still very shy presence in the collections. It is believed that if these absences and gaps are identified, institutions can seek remedial measures to complement their collections so that they reflect the informational needs of their time. It is understood that the librarian, as a professional of culture and information, must be attentive to these discussions, and seek to strengthen them, for the development of access to literature of black authorship.