The promotion of reading in the public libraries of Medellín

Abstract

This paper presents some aspects of the research "Exploración de los discursos y las prácticas de la promoción de la lectura en las bibliotecas públicas de Medellín: una revisión del lugar social de la biblioteca pública en la formación de lectores". This research has focused on showing the state of the main institutional and organizational categories of the public library, which determine the development of reading promotion initiatives. The general purpose of this research was to offer a nominal, quantitative and structural description of reading promotion initiatives used by the public libraries in Medellín. This will make possible to know a general map of their current state. Despite many of the conceptions, assessments and proposals made in this map, it could be applied not only in Medellín but also in broader contexts such as Colombia and even Latin America. The specific purpose of this research was, on the one hand, the study of practices and subject field discourses, which support the reading promotion initiatives in the abovementioned libraries, so that the function of the public library in the social task of reader's education can be understood. And, on the other hand, to give a base of empirical recognition of relationships between public library and reading. However, this paper deals only with the findings related to library discourses about the library as an institution and the reading promotion (concept of public library, reading, reader, reading promotion, and reading encouragement). The main concepts of this research are public library and reading promotion. Concepts related to society, language, discourse and practice from the point of view of Habermas, Castells, Bordieu, and Ricouer also have been taken up again. Finally, the methodological approach of this work is qualitative.