The social impact of the Public Library on access to productive inclusion

Resumo

Contemporary society faces technological transformations with significant social impacts, a context familiar to libraries, which evolved from medieval monastic collections for elites into public institutions during the Renaissance. The 20th century introduced computers and telecommunications, revolutionizing their services, while the 21st century—with the internet—shifted focus from physical collections to digital access, radically transforming user profiles from on-site readers to remote users. Yet critical challenges persist: difficulties in fostering literacy in Latin America exacerbate social inequalities, worsened by the disconnect between public libraries and communities. Individuals excluded from the Gutenberg Revolution tend to remain marginalized in the digital age, underscoring the urgency to reinvent these institutions. This project proposes analyses of trends, discourse, prospective scenarios, comparative studies, financial returns, and impact assessment techniques to reposition libraries as spaces for social responsibility and economic development. By generating employment and income, promoting inclusion, and reducing social asymmetries in the information age, libraries can become catalysts for equitable progress.