RURAL SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND INFORMATIONAL ASYMMETRIES IN THE AMAZON

Abstract

This study examines the gap between the legal mandate for the universalization of school libraries, reinforced by Law No. 14,837/2024, and the informational asymmetries affecting rural roadside schools in Manaus located along the AM-010 and BR-174 highways. The general objective is to investigate the situation of these educational institutions by comparing their empirical reality with current legal requirements. Specifically, the study seeks to map the existing conditions based on data provided by the Municipal Department of Education of Manaus (SEMED/Manaus) and to discuss the tensions generated by inadequate infrastructure and the absence of librarians in information mediation and information literacy processes within the rural context. The methodology is characterized as an exploratory qualitative study based on documentary analysis and the triangulation of the legal framework, institutional data, and theoretical contributions from Information Science. The findings indicate that, among the thirty-one rural roadside schools analyzed, only seven have formally established libraries, and only one employs a librarian. The analysis reveals the persistence of informational asymmetries that restrict systematic practices of research, reading, and critical use of information, demonstrating that the legal universalization of school libraries has not yet been effectively implemented in these territories. It is concluded that strengthening rural school libraries requires sustained public policies, the presence of qualified professionals, and information mediation practices aligned with the sociocultural specificities of the Amazon region.