Education for Librarianship and the Role of Libraries in Brazil

This thesis is based on the assumption that the quality and adequacy of library and information services to any environment is conditioned by the views and attitudes held by their librarians, most of which are acquired during their professional education period. The study can be divided into three main parts. First, a frame of reference for the identification of suitable goals for library education programmes is built, through a series of surveys of the literature on: (a) professional, philosophical and pragmatic thinking about library roles; (b) prevailing interests of national governments in developing systems of scientific and technological information; and (c) Brazilian characteristics of geography and population, its political, economic and educational aspects, and its library situation.

The main part of the study is based on a survey conducted in 9 of the 30 schools offering undergraduate level programmes. The 6 new post-graduate schools are briefly examined, especially in the light of their contributions to research activities.

The empirical evidence of the survey is compared with the frame of reference, uncovering several weaknesses: lack of theoretical bases, lack of attention to the environment, lack of interest in developing investigatory and critical attitudes in students, lack of diversification in levels of education, and lack of research activities by lecturers. Suggestions for improvement include changes in the structure, contents and teaching methods of the programmes. It is stressed that without a basic change in the lecturers' views and expectations about libraries and their own role, these changes would not achieve results. The post-graduate programmes are presented as a potentially efficient means to achieving the change in attitudes.