Digital libraries in the context of human development: the case of Brazil

Resumo

To date, relatively few studies in English have focused on the growth of digital libraries in the developing world. Brazil provides an apt case study for examining the evolution of digital initiatives in the context of a developing country. Assumptions about the goals and content of digital projects in developed countries may not be applicable to the socioeconomic context of developing countries. In North America and Europe, for example, the early days of digital library development were dominated by cultural heritage projects. In Brazil, however, the need to implement sustainable, scalable systems for scholarly communication led to a different set of priorities. As a result, a culture of open access to information has come to define the outlook of Brazilian digital library administrators. In-depth interviews with 21 project managers from 13 digital libraries in Brazil provide a basis for exploring the social relevance of digital libraries in the context of human development.