WHO DESERVES TO BE REMEMBERED? PROFILE OF HONOREES IN SC LIBRARIES

Abstract

The naming of public libraries is a political act of memory that defines who deserves to be remembered. This study aims to analyze the profile of honorees in the names of municipal public libraries in Santa Catarina, identifying patterns of gender, profession, and visibility. The research, of a qualitative-quantitative and descriptive nature, was based on a survey of the 242 libraries registered in the State Library System of Santa Catarina in 2023. Of the 185 nominal libraries, 148 (80%) honor men and 37 (20%) honor women. Men are concentrated in 38 professional categories, most notably politician, lawyer, and journalist; women are restricted to 12 categories, predominantly teacher. No woman appears among the most honored names, nor does any have a Wikipedia entry, whereas 41 men do. The persistence of names associated with the military dictatorship was also identified. It is concluded that the institutional memory analyzed is selective and hierarchical in character, marked by gender inequalities and informational visibility, which points to the need for public naming policies more attentive to social plurality.