THE PUBLIC LIBRARY AS A CULTURAL SPACE: INFORMATION MEDIATION, CITIZENSHIP, AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

Public libraries play a fundamental role in promoting access to information, culture, and knowledge, establishing themselves as important cultural institutions committed to strengthening citizenship and fostering social development. Over the last decades, these institutions have expanded their functions, becoming spaces for cultural mediation, memory preservation, social inclusion, and community engagement. In this context, this article aims to analyze, through a narrative literature review, the contributions of public libraries as cultural spaces, emphasizing their role in democratizing access to culture, mediating information, and promoting citizenship. Methodologically, this study is characterized as a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive research based on a bibliographic review of books, scientific articles, institutional documents, and national and international academic publications related to the topic. The literature review demonstrates that public libraries have gone beyond their traditional role of organizing and providing access to collections, becoming environments for cultural production, preservation of social memory, reader development, digital inclusion, and the strengthening of local identities. The findings also indicate that the effective fulfillment of this cultural role depends on the implementation of consistent public policies, investments in infrastructure, continuous professional development for information professionals, and the permanent promotion of cultural mediation activities. It is concluded that public libraries represent democratic spaces for access to knowledge and culture, contributing to the reduction of informational inequalities, the appreciation of cultural diversity, and the strengthening of civic participation, reaffirming their relevance as strategic institutions for community development in contemporary society.