Cultural initiatives as a means of providing information access for people experiencing homelessness

Abstract

This study analyzes how the cultural activities carried out at the Biblioteca Cidadã in Florianópolis can enable people experiencing homelessness to access information. Its specific goals are to: (1) identify in the literature cultural and information-access activities libraries can promote; (2) analyze how the cultural actions undertaken at the Biblioteca Cidadã help people experiencing homelessness access information; and (3) propose activities that encourage access to culture and information for those served by the Biblioteca Cidadã in Florianópolis. The research is exploratory–descriptive in nature, uses a qualitative approach consistent with its objectives, and follows bibliographic and documentary procedures. A literature search was conducted in databases to find sources on the topics discussed here; legislation, public policies, and other legal documents were retrieved; and interviews were held with participants in the Biblioteca Cidadã’s cultural activities. The results identified the profile of residents at the Passarela da Cidadania who take part in the library’s cultural activities, showing how these activities help them access information and clarifying their needs so that actions can be proposed in line with their context. The study concludes that the cultural initiatives at the Biblioteca Cidadã in Florianópolis enable the people currently experiencing homelessness there to access information, foster learning, and strengthen their sense of citizenship and rightsThis research analyzes how the cultural actions developed at the Biblioteca Cidadã in Florianópolis can facilitate access to information for homeless people. Its specific objectives are to examine in the literature cultural activities and information access that can be promoted by libraries, analyze how cultural actions carried out at the Biblioteca Cidadã assist in providing information access to homeless people, and finally, propose activities that encourage access to culture and information for individuals served by the Biblioteca Cidadã, which assists homeless people in Florianópolis. This research is exploratory-descriptive in nature, with a qualitative approach based on the proposed objectives, and is a bibliographic and documentary study according to the procedures. A bibliographic survey was conducted in databases to gather sources related to the topics discussed in this article, relevant legislation, public policies, and other legal documents were retrieved, and interviews were conducted with participants of the cultural actions promoted at the Biblioteca Cidadã. As a result, the profile of the residents at the Passarela da Cidadania who participate in the cultural actions at the Biblioteca Cidadã was identified, showing how these activities help them access information and understanding the needs they have to propose actions in line with the participants' context. It is concluded that the cultural actions promoted at the Biblioteca Cidadã in Florianópolis enable homeless people to access information, providing learning opportunities and strengthening their identity as citizens with rights.