Competências do bibliotecário: o exercício da mediação implícita e explícita na biblioteca universitária

Abstract

The principles of mediation have been applied in diverse cultural and social contexts by allowing the appropriation of information directly or indirectly. In the environment of university libraries, the interaction between the user and the librarian is indispensable not only for the exchange of experiences but, mainly, for the construction of knowledge. The purpose of this study is to identify the competencies needed by the librarian to act as mediator of information in the university library, trying to specify the demands of implicit and explicit mediation. The concept of mediation of information requires the involvement of protagonist subjects, who appropriate knowledge and who direct actions for collaborative construction. Although it is a fundamental action of the librarian, mediation is not always part of the daily life of libraries in an efficient way. To perform the role of mediator, the librarian needs a series of competences, which are related to the organization, representation, access, use, appropriation of information and human behavior in front of informational needs, among others. We have identified that the activities of explicit mediation may require a greater number of librarian competences, however, the actions developed in implicit mediation have a direct influence on the quality of explicit mediation, demonstrating the need for cooperative work among professionals from different sectors. We conclude that the librarian should seek to trace cognitive trajectories and consciously undertake them based on the principles of implicit or explicit mediation, so that the process of mediation is always focused on the needs of the user and directed to a continuous process of appropriation of information.