Florida’s School Library Programs and Achievements: What Can Be Adopted in the Brazilian Context

Abstract

What motivated this research was the Brazilian law promulgated in 2010 stating that in 10 years all Brazilian schools should have school libraries. 24 American school librarians were interviewed with the aim of learning from their professional experience the most important points that could be extended to Brazil via transferability of models of organizing and conducting school libraries. Results were coded and categorized. One of them showed that Florida's programs to promote reading were effective, with the participation of most the librarians interviewed. Librarians demonstrated both their involvement in the book selection committees as their enthusiasm in engaging the kids. Getting children to be long life readers was stated as important for at least half of the interviewees. Since Brazilian libraries are failing in this first aspect of their role, this paper focuses on the importance of forming school librarians themselves as readers, so they can become good reading mediators.