Macrolibraries as a proposal for action of informational units

Abstract

The distinctive and fundamental libraries’ properties are changed over time, so these institutions are influenced by the needs and particularities of their communities, which also are transformed. Some of these changes reflected in the nomenclature used to refer to the characteristics of the libraries. Based on this thought, of a library closer to the daily lives of individuals, it was needed to reflect about conceptual nomenclatures to distinguish the characteristics of libraries. An example is the paradigm of hybridity, which started in 1990 and integrates the new information technologies with the existence of the libraries. The institution's existence may not be fully understood if it does not update itself to integrate society. The management of libraries has changed into the journey of society, since they are linked to their communities. Thus, to work with hybridity in libraries aims to integrate individuals into their communities, to support their information needs, and to act with knowledge and intelligence, in favor of a cultural management policy that promotes local development. In this way, the objective of this research was to propose a concept of hybridity, based on the analysis of contemporary forms of action identified in the daily life of libraries. The work resulted in a new nomenclature for libraries: the macrolibraries. The study is qualitative, exploratory, and carried out a theoretical-epistemological and field research. It used the Multimodal Discourse Analysis as research method. The Multimodal Discourse Analysis method was applied in the analysis of the hybrid library concepts raised in line with the insertion of the researchers in hybrid libraries and with their discussion with specialists from the United States. As results was possible to identify that hybridity should be understood beyond its physical infrastructure, as a representative factor to develop communities. The hybridity promotes ways to use technology in favor of a collective intelligence, approaching knowledge networks, which can bring new perspectives to the libraries. Among its constitutive elements, the availability of large-scale resources, printed and digital information, integrated information services, interaction between people and technology, as well as the impact of these libraries on the public management, such as human, social, economic, cultural, and sustainable development are highlighted.