Evaluating principles for university library promoting culture, art and knowledge beyond books collection

ABSTRACT

This paper is about the evaluation of the university library in the context of the National Higher Education Evaluation System (SINAES, in Portuguese) in Brazil. It aims to propose a set of evaluating principles for the university library which goes beyond the simple verification and updating of collections. For methodology, it relies on documentary and bibliographic research with inputs from the study of users and from the experience of university extension accomplished in Universidade Federal do Tocantins. As a result, it presents a six-steps model: 1) global view; 2) continuous evaluation of the processes; 3) continuous improvement 4) identification of the needs of the interactors; 5) definition of products and services; and 6) marketing. It concludes by reinforcing this model so that university libraries are evaluated as having the best quality and not as simple deposits of books.

KEYWORDS:
Library administration; Evaluation methods; Extensive education; SINAES

RESUMO

Este artigo trata da avaliação da biblioteca universitária no contexto do Sistema Nacional de Avaliação da Educação Superior (SINAES). Objetiva propor um modelo de princípios avaliativos para a biblioteca universitária que ultrapasse a simples verificação e atualização de acervos. Usa-se como metodologia pesquisa documental e bibliográfica com aportes de dados advindos de estudo de usuários e de relato de experiência da extensão universitária, realizados na Universidade Federal do Tocantins. Como resultado, apresenta-se um modelo de seis etapas: 1) visão global; 2) melhoria contínua; 3) definição dos produtos e serviços; 4) identificação das necessidades dos interagentes; 6) marketing. Conclui reforçando esse modelo para que as bibliotecas universitárias sejam avaliadas como da melhor qualidade e não como simples depósitos de livros.

PALAVRAS-CHAVE:
Administração de biblioteca; Métodos de avaliação; Educação extensiva; SINAES

1 INTRODUCTION

Although the Brazilian legislation for the evaluation of higher education indicates that three elements should be evaluated in relation to University Libraries (UL) - namely, collections and their updating, technical-administrative staff and provision of services - only one of these criteria has been prioritized both internally and externally in the evaluation of libraries.

An example of this is the internal institutional evaluation reports of the Federal University of Tocantins (UFT) from 2006 to 2018, which demonstrate a disjointed position regarding the eight university libraries. The evaluation results (quali-quantitatively), broken down by segment (student, teacher and technical-administrative), are only presented in 2006 and 2008. Even so, in each of these years the methodology was changed: while in 2006 the parameters for evaluating the physical facilities were staggered into five levels (totally adequate, very adequate, medianly adequate, not very adequate or inadequate), in 2008 it changed to four levels (insufficient, regular, good or optimal). Besides this infrastructure category, only one more item was evaluated: updating and availability of printed materials (books, articles, etc.). During these thirteen years of evaluation of a very recent institution, only two reports dissected the evaluation of libraries, and in all other reports this institutional "body" only appears as a descriptive element: indicating the size of collections, the number of furniture, servers and how much was invested in the purchase of books.

Thus, a question underlies this analysis: what basic guidelines and/or principles/indicators should be developed and articulated to favor the development of standards of a specific methodology for the evaluation of university libraries within the National System for the Evaluation of Higher Education (SINAES) from an experience at UFT?

This question is inspired by Nídia Lubisco's research (2001). Making a historical overview of the social and cultural function of libraries around the world, this researcher turned her attention to the planning and evaluation process of libraries at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), especially to librarians and to the coordinators of undergraduate courses at that institution. A case study was made with interviews and some propositions were raised to advance in the field of higher education evaluation, with special attention to the evaluation and understanding of the importance of the University Library (UL) in information management, knowledge production and contribution to the development of university courses.

Although the UL has been an element of higher education evaluation since 1977, it was only with Decree No. 2026 of 1996 that the relationship between course performance and libraries was duly attested and listed as vital at the national level, preceding the creation of SINAES by Law No. 10861 of April 14, 2004 (BRAZIL, 1996; LUBISCO, 2001). It is important to point out that this decree of 1996 was revoked by Decree nº 3.860/2001, which in turn was revoked by Decree nº 5.773/2006, then revoked by the current Decree nº 9.235/2017. The latter proclaims that the library is one of the essential elements for the academic organization of the institution of higher education, being necessary its presence in the Institutional Development Plan (IDP) in at least three elements: 1) physical or virtual collection, or both; 2) updating and expansion of the collection; and 3) physical space, working hours, technical-administrative staff and services offering (BRAZIL, 2017).

Since its creation in 2004, the Institutional Evaluation conducted by Sinaes has measured ten dimensions of each evaluated HEI [Higher Education Institutions], which are included in its IDP. In turn, the IDP is a planning and management instrument that establishes the identity of the IES, taking into account its work philosophy, mission and strategies for achieving the planned goals and objectives. It also covers aspects of the organizational structure and the Institutional Pedagogical Project, seeking to observe the pedagogical guidelines that guide the academic and scientific actions and activities that it already develops or plans to develop (CAVALCANTI; GUERRA, 2019, p. 702).

A preliminary study, not yet published, was carried out, which tried to understand how the three indicators in force in the legislation in relation to the university library (1 - collection, physical or virtual, or both; 2 - updating and expansion of the collection; and 3 - physical space, working hours, technical-administrative staff and service provision) (BRAZIL, 2017) are manifested in the reports of institutional self-evaluation of the UFT and how they can be articulated for an assessment of better quality (RIOS, 2010; SÁ-SILVA; ALMEIDA; GUINDANI, 2009; GARFINKEL, 1984; MACEDO, 2010). With this information in hand, which is presented in some points of this text, the aim was to propose a model of evaluation principles for the university library in the context of SINAES that goes beyond the simple verification and updating of collections from an extensionist experience at the Federal University of Tocantins.

Thus, a brief description is given of the history of Tocantins, the UFT, the Program to Support Restructuring and Expansion Plans of Federal Universities (REUNI) and libraries. There are thirteen reports available online at the Comission of Avaliation (CPA) of UFT website.

Quality is understood as an attribute of the articulation between the ethical, aesthetic, technical and political dimensions (RIOS, 2010). For Rios (2010), quality is an attribute of all being, so she adopts the "best quality", which should not simply remain in the technical expertise, but intertwine and generate fruit from the relationship with issues of society (pólis), the good living (aesthetics) and the common good (ethics). Here its concept is attributed to the processes of the library, which should not be only a place of collections, but of community in exchange and construction.

2 ELEMENTS OF A UNIVERSITY LIBRARY EVALUATION MODEL: MANAGE, CONSULT AND INVITE

Evaluating is part of the planning process, and it is knowing how to use resources well for a certain purpose, or several (AMARAL, 2011; KOTLER, 1998). The model proposed here is divided into three parts that relate to each other, namely: directive, advisory and inviting. The directive part is that related to management processes (global vision, evaluation and continuous improvement), the consultative part is that where the interactive is the control of the process (services and information needs and product definition) and the inviting part is that where the target audience is invited to delight in the banquet of information and research and professional training through marketing. These three parts are justified because every information system must be thought to have an end, as well as its evaluation, maintenance and correction processes to reach that end, its goal (BERTALANFFY, 1972); it must be in accordance with the community (CUNHA, 2000, 2010) with the desires of the interactors and be inviting, pleasant, or seductive by the marketing in the process of feedback (AMARAL, 2011). With this, the directive part of the model proposed here is to understand that planning is closely related to one (or more) objective and that to achieve it requires a continuous process of evaluation and continuous improvement. And this planning has to be associated with the interactors, otherwise it will not be recognized as valid and will not have adherence.

The theme of evaluation of products and services of a university library is not new (CASSON, 2018). Since ancient times, when we can identify the oldest libraries, their maintainers strive for excellence. Evaluation criteria were present in Alexandria, Egypt, where Eratosthenes, the geographer who first measured the circumference of the Earth, was also the head librarian of that institution, and are present today in the demands of students, researchers and the MEC itself. Whether for the maintenance of a papyrus roll or a codex, or for the preservation of a physical or digital book, evaluation is fundamental. While Casson (2018) states that evaluation processes are as old as libraries, for Vergueiro (2002) specific methodologies for controlling processes in libraries emerged in the 1960s.

It is evident that libraries have different objectives and missions according to the typology or target audience. Here we are looking at the University Library (UL), which is the one maintained by a higher education institution and which meets the information needs of the teaching, student and administrative bodies, both in teaching and research and extension activities (CUNHA; CAVALCANTI, 2008). With this definition, we have the target audience (academic community), as well as a function (which is also academic: teaching, research and extension). This macro view of UL with Federal Institutions of Higher Education (IFES, in portuguese) and its community is the first instance for quality evaluation (PASSOS et al., 2013).

These two elements lead us to the first indicators of the directive part: global vision, continuous evaluation and improvement. How to proceed with the evaluation of these issues?

Every information system, where the university library is, for example, should be conducted with the future of the organization, its methods and technologies in mind; and should be understood as being complex, multiple and holistic (AMARAL, 2005). A planning that disregards the whole and the parts does not take the institution out of place or give it effectiveness, that is, social impact (SANTOS; CONTADOR, 2002).

It is in this evaluation phase that the values, mission and strategic vision of the University are understood, elements expressed in the IDP. Although some authors put the planning of the library as operational or tactical, it relates directly to the strategic (AMARAL, 2005; CAVALCANTI; GUERRA, 2019; SOUZA; GUERRA, 2020), which suggests the importance of using tools such as SWOT analysis.

SWOT analysis considers strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities. It is a tool that assists in the analysis of internal and external environments in a systemic approach (GHAZINOORY; ABDI; AZADEGAN-MEHR, 2011; GUERRA; RIBEIRO, 2019). It has a low cost of application, is flexible and promotes the meeting between various sectors of the institution in order to improve strategic planning (QUARTIERO; CAMPOS, 2015).

In this sense, the library should be understood as an interface, or mediator, between resources and human beings with one purpose: knowledge production (LANCASTER, 2004). If we understand evaluation as a way of measuring the quality of a system (BERTALANFFY, 1972), by applying that sense to the evaluation of the library we should be able to evaluate the functioning of the library as a system of mediation/interface between the system and a need for information of a person, a subject with its complexities and desires.

Such a mediation system, or interface, is one capable of meeting with the maximum possible quality the information need of a user/interactor (PASSOS et al., 2013). In this sense, the library is the space where the financial resource materializes in products and services for the community. Products and services that need to be in deep connection with the community at all times. Therefore, they should not be thought of from an ivory tower and then presented to the community (LANCASTER, 2004).

Here it is of utmost importance to think of the library and its development, and also of evaluation as elements articulated with the community. This concept is present in the group of people linked to an Institution of Higher Education (IES), either a person enrolled as a student or as a server, as well as the entire population of the city where the campus is located, in view of the extension branch. However, one caveat should be taken up: this number is an absolute value, not all this community effectively participates in all IES apparatus. It is in this sense that Guerra and Cavalcanti (2019, p. 8) refer to the evaluation process as:

[...] the path to outline the processes of transformation of higher education, since it is from it that the effectiveness of the activities of HEIs before society is consolidated, since the results of the evaluations subsidize the actions to be taken internally and project the institutional perspectives (WAR; CAVALCANTI, 2019, p. 8).

This relationship of library evaluation in the relationship with the community/society is best known in the field of community libraries, where the emergence of this cultural apparatus is directly linked to the needs of the population (SUAIDEN, 2000). In UL, perhaps precisely because of the elitist character of the universities, and of the positivist process of knowledge production itself, this relationship occurs in a vertical and unidirectional manner, from the so-called "scientists" to the learning community. It is in this possibility of transforming the modus operandi of science making that the library has been thought of as a community builder, and not as an impostor of a single truth (FREIRE, 2011; LANKES, 2012).

The search for the understanding of user satisfaction is a reality in the field of Librarianship and Information Science and corresponds to the second element of the model proposed here: the consultative. Currently, there is no longer talk about users, but about interactors because whoever uses an information system, such as the library for example, is not only a receiver, a passive user, but a central element in the construction of both the policy and the planning, testing, validation and transformation of this system (CORRÊA, 2014; MAIA; PIMENTEL; OLIVEIRA, 2016).

Esperdião and Trad (2005), when making an extensive review of the literature in the area of health care, identify this concern already in the 1960s, but its greater incidence from the accountability of the 1990s. Meeting the information needs of inter-agent/user is essential for UL. However, in order to be met, this need must be understood. User studies are an essential tool in this process (AMARAL, 2011). Still according to Baptista e Cunha (2007), it is the best way to know people's informational needs, and also suggests that the qualitative approach be adopted, even with the support of quantitative, tools such as sense making, as it is a more holistic way of understanding the phenomenon.

It is with this understanding of how it thinks, how it acts and what it seeks in terms of information that UL can fulfil its triple mission in the process of teaching, research and extension. Only with a good planning of the directive part in close relationship with this consultative stage, in the dialogical relationship with interactors, can products and services be created and offered. But not as eternal products that will always serve. Therefore, the relationship between continuous evaluation and improvement is also linked to this consultative part. To be linked to the desires of the interactors and to the changes of the times we live in demands "creation, preservation, transformation and transmission or application of knowledge in any form requested" (CUNHA, 2000, p. 78).

The collection is undoubtedly one of the central elements of a library, but it is not the most important (LANKES, 2012). If we think of a collection as a collection of books (or any other support), we will not have a library. On the other hand, it is when this collection is organized and at the service of the community that we have a library (MILANESI, 2002; SUAIDEN, 2000).

The verification of the collection is already a very strong item in the evaluations. In addition to the presence of a minimum collection, another indicator linked to it is the updating and expansion of this collection, as well as its strict pedagogical correlation with the planned courses and programs (BRAZIL, 2017).

Another element related to the collection is the possibility of remote access. This access is given by the digital library, instead of virtual, indicating the collection, organization and availability of electronic information (books, videos, journals, etc.) through remote access (CUNHA; CAVALCANTI, 2008). Tammaro and Salarelli (2008) state that the reality of many university libraries is hybrid, that is, they are physical institutions with printed material, or in another type of physical support, but they also make information material available through digital means, such as the World Wide Web. According to current legislation, the library may have physical, virtual, or both (BRAZIL, 2017). Thus, what the legislation calls "both", the literature calls "hybrid library" (TAMMARO; SALARELLI, 2008).

Neither the type of collection, whether physical, virtual, or hybrid, nor the name given to this phenomenon, are the most important elements, but rather the social function of UL. If we understand, as we have already indicated above, that the UL should store and organize knowledge/information (building memories, collection, preserving and conserving them), access to this information should be guaranteed to all people (PALETTA, 2019).

With the processes of knowledge production increasingly collaborative, interactive and socialized by digital media, the information society is neither the medium nor the message, as proposed by McLuhan (1994), but it would be like the media that not only project us into the world, but integrate and expand us (McLUHAN, 1994).

That's why, besides being a collection, UL has the mission of being a center of socialization and encounter, which does not necessarily have to be physical. The formation of human beings for informational competence in the current world of fake news and post-truths is essential through tools that UL has and can develop such as tools for collective construction of knowledge (PALETTA, 2019), the use of interfaces in networks and social media, the possibility of building spaces for dialogues, conversation wheels, films, choice of art exhibitors, social, cultural and artistic interventions. All these elements lead to the process of digital marketing and planning of actions, products and services (AMARAL, 2011).

It is important to understand that libraries, university or other types, are no longer the first source of information for readers (CUNHA, 2000, 2010). If we continue to focus only on collections, the library no longer has any sense of existing. But those who think this way are as unaware of scientific literature (LUBISCO, 2001) as they are of the legislation on the evaluation of Brazilian higher education (BRAZIL, 2017). Both go beyond the conteudist view of the library, going through technical-scientific issues, as well as the offer of products and services and the construction of communities.

With this, how can these elements be evaluated? We have already seen that the collection should be evaluated in terms of availability, as well as the actuality of the information; however, products and services, given their immaterial nature, are difficult to quantify. Perhaps here is the evaluative indicator: it should not be quantitative, but qualitative. Would the presence of these services alone be an indicator of quality? One of the elements of quality is the link built between interactor/producer, or customer/supplier, or in our case interactor/library (KOTLER, 1998). Therefore, here we borrow from Rios (2010) the four dimensions of the best quality training: ethical, technical, aesthetic and political. In other words, the generation of bonds must be taken into account in the evaluation, which demands to evaluate the opinion of the interactors.

Marketing is the third element of the model. Basically, this term is understood here as an innovative form of information management (AMARAL, 2011). UL is no longer the first source of information for people (CUNHA, 2000, 2010), today it competes with numerous sources and stimuli. For the products and services of a UL to be charming, it is not enough just to be useful for the questions of the interactors, they must also know where this information is and how to access it. Therefore, a directive planning, as proposed in this model, must take the marketing of information very seriously. Virtual social networks, murals, workshops, leaflets, electronic messages, e-mail, new clothes for an old practice: collective/selective dissemination of information. Marketing is the moment of meeting with the community and therefore should be highly valued.

In summary, the proposal of the model highlighted here should take into consideration six elements: 1) the global vision: what is the history of IFES, its IDP, its vision and values, use of the SWOT matrix or other strategic evaluation; 2) continuous evaluation 3) continuous improvement; 4) understanding of information needs; 5) definition of products and services: the acquis is just one of these (not an infinite list of things, but something that really meets the fourth element); and 6) marketing.

Table 1
Proposed model for evaluating university libraries beyond simply measuring holdings. The participation of librarians in senior management and community performance is the key point in mediating and transforming evaluation.

Proposed Model		Type of Evaluation	Elements	How to measure?
1) Overview		Qualitative	The history of IFES, its IDP, its vision and values, use of the SWOT matrix or other strategic assessment.	Are UL's actions planned in the IDP? Or are they done sporadically?
2) Continuous assessment of processes		Quantitative and Qualitative	User satisfaction; updating the collection; modernizing technologies and space. Close relationship with campus management and/or higher collegiate bodies.	How often are the administrative, technical, cultural and pedagogical processes constantly reviewed?
3) Continuous improvement		Quantitative and Qualitative	Performance of the improvement plan based on the SINAES guidelines. User studies, participation in meetings of the IDP and higher collegiate bodies. Box of suggestions and interactions in social networks. Thinning out of the collection and hybrid documents. Social impact.	What actions have been taken that have effectively promoted improvement since the last global assessment? Do the "improvements" impact on the daily practices of students, technicians and teachers?
4) Identification of inter-agent needs		Qualitative	Estudos estatísticos, entrevistas, interação em redes sociais, caixa de sugestões, ouvidoria e feedback constante.	How often are user studies conducted? How were inferences and data readings made? Is the sample significant?
5) Definition of products and services		Quantitative and Qualitative	Estudos de usuários, se possível com entrevistas. Grupos focais ou sensemaking podem ser	Os produtos e serviços são construídos ouvida a comunidade? Ou
			utilizados.	explicitados somente por bibliotecários ou outros gestores?
6)	Marketing	Qualitative	Use of marketing tools, social network campaigns, cultural activities, extension projects/programs. Book donation, construction of refrigerators throughout campus and city.	What strategies are used? Is the media using the most suitable? What is the level of impact, of audience? Do you receive feedback?

• Source: from the authors.

Without wanting to give a magic recipe, as we opened with the UFT scene, this institution is taken up again and it is illustrated how there we tried to build this link from an interdisciplinary approach, quality with the community through university extension, an essay of the model presented here.

3 EXTENSION PROGRAMS IN COMMUNITY BUILDING: AN EVALUATIVE LOOK AT THE UFT AS AN APPLICATION OF THE MODEL PROPOSED HERE FOR THE EVALUATION OF A UL

The following account was an experiment that gave rise to the model proposed above. After three evaluations where the SINAES team arrived at the library and only asked to see if it had a certain book, number of staff and opening hours, the team decided to do something different as a way to re-exist and trans-form. Thus, those six elements of the model proposed here can be seen to have been tested in practice.

The first item of the model is a "global view" where some elements are verified: the history of IFES and the strategic planning. The mission of the TU is "to train professional citizens and to produce knowledge with innovation and quality that contribute to the socio-environmental development of the State of Tocantins and the Legal Amazon" (UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO TOCANTINS, 2016, p. 15).

The state of Tocantins is young. It emerged legally with the Federal Constitution (CF) of 1988. However, the history of the peoples who lived in this region and fought for emancipation cannot be left aside. Kátia Maia Flores (2009), librarian and historian, points out that the history of these lands goes far before the exploitation by the Portuguese Crown. Several traditional peoples have inhabited the region of the State of Tocantins for hundreds of years (Karajá, Javaé, Xambioá, Xerente, Krahô, Krahô-Kanela, Apinayé, Akwê-Xerente).

With the exploitation by the Portuguese Crown of the natural assets of this region, many interests were behind these lands. Until the promulgation of the CF in 1988, the region belonged to the State of Goiás. Many were the movements of attempted separation. The biggest argument was that due to the distance from the capital (which could reach almost two thousand kilometers, in some cases), besides the forgetfulness of these lands, emancipation was necessary (FLORES, 2009).

The still "northern Goiás," as the region was known before the creation of the State of Tocantins, had some schools, including higher education. One of these was the Faculty of Sciences, Letters and Arts of Araguaína (FACILA). When the State of Tocantins was created in 1988, FACILA became the Faculty of Tocantins (UNITINS), integrating the existing campuses in northern Goiás (Araguaína, Porto Nacional and Gurupi). However, the first governor of the state, Siqueira Campos, argued that he could not afford it and intended to privatize it. There was a movement to the contrary, of students and teachers, to such privatization. Thus, in the year 2000 UNITINS was federalized and the Federal University of Tocantins (UFT) was created. This institution was created with seven units in the following cities: Arraias, Araguaína, Gurupi, Miracema, Palmas, Porto Nacional and Tocantinópolis. The first Institutional Development Plan (IDP) was defined in 2005 with the following mission: "to produce and disseminate knowledge to train qualified citizens and professionals committed to the sustainable development of the Amazon" (UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO TOCANTINS, 2006, p. 23).

The State of Tocantins comprises the Legal Amazon, a political-administrative region that encompasses, besides the Amazon biome, states that have characteristics considered common. This region is composed of 59% of the national territory (Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins) (UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO TOCANTINS, 2016, p. 15).

The mission expressed in the IDP 2016-2020 is to train professional citizens and to produce knowledge with innovation and quality that contribute to the social and environmental development of the State of Tocantins and the Legal Amazon (UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO TOCANTINS, 2016, p. 16).

The UFT was created with Law No. 10.032 of October 23, 2000 and regulated by Decree No. 4.279 of June 21, 2002. Its first rector was appointed by the then vice-president of the Republic José de Alencar on August 20, 2003, after approval in public consultation by the academic community. Currently the institution has 18,881 students, 50 undergraduate courses, 7 campuses (Araguaína, Arraias, Miracema, Palmas, Porto Nacional, Gurupi and Tocantinópolis) and eight libraries, one on each campus, of which there are two in Araguaína. There are 21 master's and 5 doctoral programs. In addition, it has 2,659 staff (933 professors and 1,726 administrative technicians) (MAIA; OLIVEIRA, 2017; UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO TOCANTINS, 2015).

The libraries of this university do not yet have a longitudinal work that has raised its history, its mishaps, its successes and other conditions of construction and implementation. There are some works, usually resulting from graduate studies, that try to do some kind of evaluation alone, by campus or by activity (BRAZIL, 2011; MAIA; VIANA; ALMEIDA, 2018; MAIA; PIMENTEL; OLIVEIRA, 2016). For Maia, Viana e Almeida (2018), the university libraries, especially those of UFT, should be a space for dialogue with the community through the extension to precisely meet its institutional mission of collecting, but also promote the knowledge produced.

The University Library within the organizational context of the Federal Institutions of Higher Education (IFES) has a strategic position for being directly or indirectly related to the teaching, research and extension tripod (VIEIRA; MACHADO, 2013). Therefore, when we talk about the library, we always have to keep in mind its mission. This is not of course any library. Throughout the history of this cultural apparatus, its mission alternates as well as the media of information. If for the people of Mesopotamia, the library appears as the home of kings and the sacred temple of the gods, in colonial Europe this space was for the study of the elite. The public library, in turn, emerges with Enlightenment inspiration in the attempt to popularize knowledge and the education of the great mass, but this ideal empties itself and we return to the space of the library as elite. Only by understanding that the library has always been linked to social interests can we understand why much of the people, or the population, was excluded from cultural activities and processes. The popular is understood here as "[...] the spectators of the mass media who stayed outside the universities and museums, 'unable' to read and look at high culture because they do not know the history of knowledge and styles" (GARCIA CANCLINI, 2019, p. 205).

It is in this context of an attempt to expand higher education to include a large part of the excluded Brazilian population that REUNI emerged. This program, according to institutional documents, sought to expand the supply of public higher education with an increase in places of entry especially in the evening shift and within the states, as a form of democratization. In addition, there were six dimensions that the UFT tried to fulfill: 1) expansion of public higher education supply; 2) academic-curricular restructuring; 3) pedagogical renewal of higher education; 4) intra and inter-institutional mobility; 5) social commitment of the institution; and 6) support for post-graduate development and qualitative improvement of undergraduate courses (SANTOS; GUSSI, 2012). These authors wonder if this alone was able to generate such democratization, but they cannot arrive at an assertive answer and conclude that this result may have been due to the methodological approach and that other studies need to be carried out in this sense.

For Gregório, Rodrigues and Mancebo (2012), REUNI was not simply a policy of democratization, but of adaptation to the neoliberal process of reversing the use of the public budget: public funds were directed to the private "market" of education, while public institutions should increase their search for funding through public-private partnerships.

From this information on the historical and institutional process of libraries, the origin of the State of Tocantins and the Federal University of this State, we can perceive the importance of the growth of this institution and its attachment to the Brazilian reality. Thus, the UFT libraries are located in a historical space and time that are, at the same time, cultural and human productions. Therefore, they must be evaluated for constant growth and for the best quality.

With this historical awareness of geopolitical space, the team at the UFT's Palmas campus library developed an extension project entitled "Biblioteca Viva", which became an extension program and has already received honorable mention in an international award. The idea was to develop courses on the use of international databases, digital libraries, collaborative construction of knowledge, cultural activities such as building posters on the thematic anniversary dates of national and international writers, tocantinese and the academic community itself. Literary fairs, book exchanges, afternoons of conversations with writers/writers, film screenings with debates, parties, as well as partnerships with other national and international institutions were held.

The project lasted one year, until it became an extension program. It trained more than three thousand people, both from the internal and external community. They held training courses with teachers who work in the libraries of schools in the municipalities of Palmas, Porto Nacional, Miracema and Araguaína. Today in Brazil we have a problem of training librarians (person with a bachelor's degree in Librarianship) and confronting the sublease of sick teachers in school libraries (BRAYNER, 2019). These trainings were often spaces for catharsis, for confronting this problem.

The second item of the model is the definition of products and services. This stage is neither watertight nor linear, it began in the first stage and continues with the others. With this confrontation a forum was built, the "Seminar on the Universalization of Libraries: challenges and possibilities". Always in the month of March, when the librarian's day is celebrated, two editions have already been held (2018, 2019) and the third edition (2020) is scheduled. The seminar includes lectures, training and exchange of ideas on how to make a library a space for building communities. It is a meeting that takes place outside the library, but which reverberates in all its structures touching on items 2 and 3 of the model, namely, continuous evaluation and continuous improvement. It is where data is discussed, feedback is offered and the debate is built at/for the community inside and outside the university.

In addition to grouping these three elements of the model (definition of products and services, evaluation and continuous improvement), a study of users was conducted at the Palmas campus, not yet published. It was conducted in 2018, i.e. in the current IDP, an information cycle and information unit management tool that helps evaluate an information system (MAIA; PIMENTEL; OLIVEIRA, 2016). Previously, in 2016, the team evaluated a user training program developed entirely online with 4,000 more students.

This study brings some relevant information. It was carried out by means of questionnaires: online and printed. 220 people answered: 160 students, 20 administrative staff and 40 teachers. Of the respondents, 52% were male, 50% were male, 47% female, and a further 3% indicated different genders. Without exception, academics from all areas of knowledge were included. Some areas, such as Biomedical, Electrical and Civil Engineering, had only one respondent each.

Regarding the frequency of use of the library, we have the following information: 9% of respondents use it every day, 22% weekly, 9% fortnightly, 11% once a month, 44% rarely and 5% never attended. This number indicates that half of the population does NOT frequent the library. A very high number, but it was already expected both from the indications of scientific literature (DAMASCENO; MESQUITA, 2014) and from daily experience. As we expected this result, we asked if our community attends other libraries: almost 75% said no, and 58% do not usually buy books, magazines, and other reading materials.

We also asked about the degree of satisfaction, on a scale of 0 to 5, with zero being totally dissatisfied and 5 totally satisfied, regarding: a) the library as a whole: 51% rated between 4 and 5; b) the attendance of staff: 78% rated between 4 and 5; c) the physical structure of the library: 47% rated between 4 and 5; d) the collection: 42% rated between 4 and 5, but more than 50% rated 3 down; e) products and services: of all the products and services, the least known was precisely that related to cultural activities, with 28% of respondents saying they knew.

There was an open question for them to discuss the purpose of a university library. Most of the answers related to the most traditional, such as the library as a place for reading, with light and acclimatization, and as a place for access to books and periodical portals. Almost 30% of responses indicated the library as a space for the promotion of culture, art, leisure and knowledge; indicating a need for information related to cultural aspects.

With this information, a marketing campaign was developed with three axes: Construction of responsibility/change with the library, expression of opinion and knowledge of products and services. The first axis focused on the excessive carelessness with books, chairs, tables, computers, etc. This campaign for care with the library was made with posters, film exhibitions, lectures, workshops. They were publicized by the library's Facebook and the university's official social networks. Appeal phrases, invitations and fun charges. The second axis tried to get the opinion of the interacting/using people and was carried out the distribution of "poetry pills", some rolled up capsules that had a poetic phrase where the user was invited to be an interacting person and give his/her opinion for the change. And finally, the "treasure hunt" was conducted, which was a campaign of distributing books throughout the campus with a map and indications. Whoever deciphered the charade would find the book and take a picture and post it with the hashtag #caçaAotesouro. Marketing campaigns to promote our products and services to the internal and external community.

5 FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

The University Library is in the dimensions evaluated by SINAES at least since 2004, created by Law No. 10,861 of April 14, 2004. The legislation indicates three minimum elements: 1) the collection, physical or virtual, or both; 2) updating and expansion of the collection; and 3) physical space, opening hours, technical-administrative staff, and service provision (BRAZIL, 2017). However, the collection has been seen as the most important element.

This text tried to problematize how these three elements are manifested in the UFT internal evaluation reports from 2006 to 2018. Thirteen reports were read. It became evident that only in two reports do evaluations of libraries appear. And the two times that they appeared, the methodologies varied to the point that there was no conformity or evaluative parameter. In all other eleven reports only, descriptive elements are indicated (number of holdings, amounts invested, etc.).

The other two elements indicated by the legislation, namely, updating the collection and offering services for community construction, were problematized here from the experience of a project that became an extension program, called "Alive Library". This program highlighted the importance of the qualitative approach of analysis understood as the joining of ethical, technical, aesthetic and political elements (RIOS, 2010). This led to the organization of a proposal for a UL evaluation model within SINAES.

The model proposal highlighted here must take into consideration six elements: 1) the global vision: what is IFES' history, its IDP, its vision and values, use of the SWOT matrix or other strategic assessment; 2) continuous assessment 3) continuous improvement; 4) understanding of information needs; 5) definition of products and services: the collection is just one of these (not an infinite list of things, but something that actually meets the fourth element); and 6) marketing.

These six elements were presented based on the "Alive Library" extension program. The global vision was understood based on the global planning of the institution that took place with the participation of professionals graduated in Librarianship. The definition of products and services counted with the participation of the internal and external community, frequent users and non-users also in cultural activities, debate and forum; which also helped in the understanding of the information needs of the target public. Marketing was built and applied on three axes (responsibility, expression of opinion and treasure hunt) to try to reach the weaknesses and opportunities of the SWOT analysis conducted. In all these steps, meetings were held with library, management and community staff for continuous assessment, always thinking and evaluating/measuring continuous improvement. Six elements that are daily practices of the University Library, but which have not been taken into consideration when evaluating SINAES. These elements can be analyzed based on documents, methodologies, quali-quanti, and also in the development of servers, inter-agents, and the community, and can be parameterized through the questions in Box 1.

A University Library is not only a collection of books, physical or electronic. It is all that and much more! It needs collections to be a good library, but above all it needs to focus on products and services, as well as community building to be a library of excellence, or the best quality (LANKES, 2012; RIOS, 2010). To form communities means to be the center of actions that happen in it, by it and beyond it in the organization, production and dissemination of information for the development of science that, at the same time committed to and by the population, develops the internal and external community of the university and, finally, wins the whole society.

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• 

  
  

• JITA:

  DD. Academic libraries.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  18 Sept 2023
• Date of issue
  2020

History

• Received
  15 May 2020
• Accepted
  01 June 2020
• Published
  08 June 2020