Public libraries and use of information and communication technologies for social development

• Autor(a) principal: Olinto, Gilda
• Data de Publicação: 2010
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: InCID
• Texto Completo: https://www.revistas.usp.br/incid/article/view/42306
• topic: Bibliotecas públicas; Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação; Public Library; Internet use; Community informatics; Digital divide; Information and communication technology use

The role of social facilitator of internet use is here attributed to the Public Library. At the same time that information and communication technologies (ICTs), especially the internet, are constantly changing and becoming indispensable tools for everyday life, there are still strong evidences about inequality of access and use of these technologies, which accompany other social inequalities. In this scenario, the role of the public library, not only as a reference service provider, but as an institution also devoted to information literacy, and as provider of other information that promotes civic participation and access to e-government is pointed out here. These are activities that promote the development of democratic competence. In the Brazilian case, there are several reasons that reinforce the above mentioned roles for the public libraries: the still low home access to the internet in the country and the large use of LAN houses as the major internet access point by from lower status groups.