Public and school libraries: similarities, mistakes and possibilities

Abstract

It presents a reflection on public and school libraries as institutions geared towards free access, behaving as democratic spaces, whose functions must be in line with the implementation of effective actions in the light of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) present in the 2030 Agenda. It emphasises that the reduction of inequalities, especially social and economic inequalities, are linked to markers present in the 17 SDGs, striving to achieve one of the main goals: respect for diversity. The cross-cutting nature of this theme points to the aim of this communication: to bring up the issue of the ethics of librarians in their professional practice, considering, above all, issues relating to the organization of information in the context of the organization of knowledge. This perspective emphasizes the role of the public library, as well as the school library, in the processes and dynamics of the citizenship education of its users. This is a social, theoretical, exploratory and descriptive study. It uses bibliographical research with a qualitative approach as its methodological procedure. Its final considerations include ethical aspects relating to the representation of knowledge, considering the context of these institutions in terms of fostering the democratic character that should be aimed for through the development of effective actions. What's more, this communication contributes to bringing together the public that identifies with the services and collections made available by putting the right to information, diversity and possibilities on the agenda.