A MEDIAÇÃO DA INFORMAÇÃO E A FORMAÇÃO ACADÊMICA

AÇÕES DE PESQUISA E EXTENSÃO

Abstract

We understand that information mediation is a fundamental foundation for archival and library practices that consider not only information as their object of work, but also the relationship with information subjects for its appropriation. In this sense, information mediation is perceived as the interfering actions carried out by information professionals aiming to appropriate informational content to meet a need or even generate new concerns (Almeida Júnior, 2015).
Therefore, through the research project "Information Mediation and the Academic Training of Archivists and Librarians: Informational Knowledge Necessary for the Mediator Profile," we have questioned whether the principles and foundations of mediation are present during the training of these information professionals, who already experience mediation, whether consciously or not, in their work.

Starting in 2021, we have sought to understand how information mediation has been considered in the academic training of archivists and librarians. Considering that:
Brazilian public universities play an important role in the country's social, political, and technological development. Through the knowledge they construct, these institutions develop and redesign actions for society. It is through information mediation that knowledge can be mediated within and outside universities, among their specialized audiences and for society (Garcia, Almeida Júnior & Valentim, 2011, p. 252).
The first phase of the research focused on understanding the mediator's profile. Based on the Information Science literature, it was observed that knowledge, skills, and attitudes associated with the relationship with Information and Communication Technology (ICT), dialogue and interaction with users, social responsibility and ethical behavior, development of educational initiatives and intercultural education, information appropriation, protagonism, and critical-reflective thinking are highlighted. Therefore, the outlined profile is consistent with the concept and dimensions of information mediation. It was concluded that the profile of the information mediator reflects the historical-social context in which they are inserted, and is therefore dynamic and constantly changing. They are increasingly moving toward a humanistic, critical, and dialogical profile that also focuses on the information subject and not just on the processing of information and the aesthetics of information environments (Brandão et al., in press).
In the second phase of the research, we sought to identify courses related to information mediation in Archival Science and Library Science programs at Brazilian public universities. The initial results revealed that information mediation is still poorly addressed: an analysis of 16 curricula in the Archival Science program and 31 curricula in the Library Science program revealed 24 courses that directly address the topic, two in Archival Science and 22 in Library Science (Brandão et al., 2024). To corroborate this finding, Moraes (2019) concluded in her research that information mediation is not yet a guiding principle for Information Science training in countries like Brazil and Colombia. The author understands that although the concept:
[...] has strategic potential to create alternative modes of curriculum construction and the work of information professionals, it is still rarely present in the curricula analyzed. In the absence or lack of clarity of the concept of mediation, the dialogue between information areas in the curriculum and even in professional practices, from an inter- or transdisciplinary perspective, finds it difficult to establish itself, highlighting aspects of society and science as perceived by Information Science. Furthermore, although theoretical trends and professional practices (in Colombia) indicate that mediation is the focus of Information Science, this fact has not yet been consolidated in the training curricula for information and cultural mediation professionals (Moraes, 2019, p. 86). On the other hand, we consider the curriculum to be a document that reflects the practice of the time in which it was produced. Therefore, it is possible that other activities on the topic, such as those focused on research and outreach, could be carried out during academic training. Therefore, this work is the result of the third phase of the research and sought to investigate research and outreach initiatives carried out by Brazilian Archival Science and Library Science programs to promote information mediation.
It is structured in five sections, including this introduction. In the second section, we discuss the concept of mediation in connection with research and outreach. In the third, we present the methodological procedures adopted in the research. We partially address the results in the fourth section. Finally, we turn to the conclusions.