Community Libraries: areas of information and culture in vulnerable territories

Abstract

The article aims to present an overview of the work developed in the community libraries of São Paulo and to propose reflections on the contribution of Library Science courses in the critical and political training of professionals to work in these spaces. The study is based on a theoretical framework on community libraries, the social function of Librarianship and public policies for books, reading and the library; and data collection on three community libraries in the city of São Paulo, located in peripheral regions marked by high levels of social vulnerability. Results confirm that community libraries arise from local needs resulting from the scarcity of cultural public policies, act in encouraging reading, in the development of communities and in democratizing access to information and culture. Stand out the importance of articulation in library networks, which give national and local scope to these initiatives. It is concluded that there is a need for a closer approximation of Library Science courses with this reality, becoming an opportunity to question and reflect on the training of librarians in addition to the technical and administrative aspects provided for in the curricular structures, in order to contribute to the training reader, critic and autonomous citizen. Finally, the need to intensify the debate about these devices is emphasized.