College teaching and its extension practices in border communities: A project aiming to promote social policies for the citizen as a reader and information user

• Autor(a) principal: SABELLI, Martha
• Data de Publicação: 2003
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: spa
• Título da fonte: Transinformação (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.puc-campinas.edu.br/transinfo/article/view/6393
• topic: extensión universitaria; proyectos de extensión universitaria; servicios de información para la comunidad; SIC; derecho a la información; políticas públicas sociales; university extension projects; college teaching extension; Community Information Services; the right to information; social public policies

This paper’s objective is to discuss the project titled ‘To promote the citizens‘access and use of information in the community: Rivera – Library Studies’extension program for the career (2002 – 2004)’. This project abides by collegetraditions and extension policies of the Universidad de la República. Thus, itstrives to form and consolidate an Extension Unity at the EUBCA, to promotecollege teaching integration, and contribute to the social benefits derived fromrecovering community spaces. The project’s theoretical foundation is based onthe universal right-to-information principle as a social right, which has an essentialrole when it comes to exercising the citizenship. In Uruguay’s areas of criticalsocial conditions, social public policies are indispensable; such policies, whichare instrumental in development strategies, might also consolidate the politicalcitizenship and help building the social one. Based on the principle that the individual has the absolute right of access, use and appropriation of informationand, as a citizen, should exercise such right, the proposal intends to promote public policies that will satisfy the citizen’s information needs. The CommunityInformation Services (SIC) and the incentive for reading centers or communal libraries are models to be built locally with social participation and the university’scommitment. Designed as an extension and investigation prototype project for the Library Studies career, it started in August 2001 in the cities of Rivera andTacuarembó (Uruguay) as well as in Santana do Livramento (Brazil). The present difficulties demand that the students be introduced to the society and their necessities; as well as that teaching and research be integrated into the Uruguayan social environment. Such participative dynamics would benefit all involved, through an exchange of know-how and experiences.