Public libraries, Ranganathan and the 2030 Agenda: possible dialogues

Abstract

Access to secure information is one of the conditions for democracy to be consolidated and for citizens to be increasingly active in the community. The 2030 Agenda guides society towards a path of sustainable development through the 17 goals proposed by the United Nations and, in this context, the public library presents itself as a space that provides access to this information and knowledge. When Ranganathan published the 5 fundamental laws of librarianship in the 1930s, he envisioned the democratization of libraries and, consequently, of information. This article therefore aims to discuss the convergence of aspects inherent to public libraries, based on Ranganathan's first two laws, tracing possible dialogues with the purposes disseminated in Agenda 2030, considering the Brazilian context. In order to produce this reflective alignment, a social approach was used, with a qualitative design, based on bibliographical research as a technical procedure. It concludes by pointing out the indispensability of the presence of Ranganathan's laws in librarianship, highlighting the role of public libraries in promoting the 2030 Agenda. And it points to the need for investment in popularizing this institution in Brazil, as one of the ways of strengthening the democratic ethos regarding access to information and the exercise of citizenship.