Accessibility and informational inclusion: proposal for an information service manual for school libraries
Accessibility. Informational inclusion. Affordable services. School library. Manual.
The library manifests itself as a place of informational and social inclusion, from the access to information offered by the library, the user can acquire knowledge, thus being included in society. However, information needs to be accessible to everyone, enabling people with disabilities to use their information services. Therefore, research on accessibility in school libraries is needed. In this sense, this study presents theoretical and conceptual perceptions of information services and disabilities, as well as characteristics of school libraries in the scope of inclusion and accessibility. The problem to be answered in this research presents the following question: How to seek greater adequacy of school libraries with regard to learning processes in the handling of information services accessible to all? The research has as its general objective: to assist school libraries with the handling of information services accessible to all. And the specific objectives were established in: addressing the theoretical-conceptual perceptions and characteristics of libraries in the scope of inclusion and accessibility; select key information services that can be implemented affordably for libraries and develop an instruction manual for school libraries. It is noteworthy that libraries should promote actions that eliminate the barriers that prevent access to information and knowledge generation. For this it is necessary that libraries make a planning to tailor their services to meet the various users, thus making an informational environment accessible to all and, consequently, meeting their needs. With this in mind, an instruction manual was elaborated in this research, in which the main information services were selected: Home Loan, Collection Consultation, Guided Visit, Computer Access Service, Reference Service and Utility Information. Such services can be implemented in an accessible way in school libraries, having as main objective the informational inclusion for people with disabilities.