A evolução do Departamento de Bibliotecas Públicas de 1907-1978

Abstract

The Departament of Public Libraries of the city of São Paulo (State of São Paulo, Brazil) was created in 1907 and has been subject to reorganization processes to new developments in the social and cultural spheres in the city. The Biblioteca Mário de Andrade was built in 1942 but soon it will move part of the collection to new headquarters-the Biblioteca Vergueiro (40.000 m2) which is beeing constructed inking to the station “Vergueiro” of the subway of the city. It pinpoints the achievements of the Departament of Public Libraries since 1977 (when the Author became Director of the Departament); the increasing number of users; the reorganization of the “travelling-boxes” which services areas not covered by ramal- libraries; new techniques employed to assume better performance in administrative and technical activities of the public library system; the up-to-dating of the collection and central catalogue system that catalog books at the same time they reach the book-stores; the increase of the serials colletion; official publications: manuscripts, numismatic, and A/V material. It describes the new improvements; reading rooms for groups and for typewriters for students; an Information Desk to inform about Community Resources. The System consists of 14 nodes (40.000 m2 in total) and attends 60% of potencial clientele of a city of 7.500.000 inhabitants (1977), there are also to consider that the library is already attending 60% of estimated 1 /3 of the population over 14 years old.