Rural libraries: a bibliographic portrait in brazilian sources

Abstract

The work addresses the theme of rural libraries in the bibliographic scenario of Brazilian information sources. Given the contextual problem of the difficulty of inserting libraries in rural areas and the challenges of rural communities in obtaining access to qualified information, this research is justified by the social relevance of libraries for the sustainable development of rural communities and the low rate of studies on of the topic in Brazil. The starting question is: how are rural libraries represented in Brazilian bibliographic information sources? The general objective of the research is to analyze the bibliography in the area of Library Science and Information Science about rural libraries. The specific objectives are: i) to map the bibliographic presence of studies on rural libraries in Brazilian Library Science and Information Science databases; ii) portray how rural libraries are bibliographically represented by studies in the area; iii) identify the defining characteristics of rural libraries in the literature. The theoretical framework is organized into three moments: i) the social conditions of existence for the
formation of rural libraries, ii) characteristics of rural libraries and iii) users in rural libraries and their needs. Qualitative research critically analyzes the bibliography on rural libraries in specialized databases using the term “rural library”. The scarcity of literature and rural libraries stands out, as well as public policies. Most rural libraries come from community initiatives and partnerships for sustainable development.