ht. Libr. Rev. (1988) 20, 367-374

The Libraries of Rio BARBARA FOSTER*

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, “River of January”, has sybaritic connotations for the flood of vacationers who visit the biggest tropical city in the world. Over six million pleasure loving Cariocas (inhabitants of Rio) thrive on their outdoor regimen centered around beaches and cafes. Romantic as Parisians, animated as Romans, nocturnal as Madrilenos, the Cariocas seem to saunter through their responsibilities until carnival time when high and low alike surrender to the Samba beat. While on research leave from Hunter College during January of 1986, I made an investigation of the extent and quality of Rio’s bibliographic resources. Additionally, I attempted to ascertain the Cariocas’ attitude toward books and libraries-whether reading was a favored pursuit, or if their gregarious life style was antithetical to this solitary pastime. How much, if at all,favelu (slum) dwellers were being drawn into the bibliographic mainstream was another of my concerns.

I began my investigations with the Instituto Brasil-Estados Unidos--- a center created to strengthen relations between the two countries. In 1937 the four-story facility was founded by wealthy Brazilians who had studied in the United States. I visited the main branch, it is located in the Copacabana section and there are four other active centers. The Instituto teaches all levels of English and supports cultural programs such as lectures, art exhibitions and theater productions. Each year the Instituto committee selects a contemporary American play and flies the author to Rio to watch his play performed in Portuguese. In 1986 the recipient was William Lute’s Emily.

The Instituto library is open from 8:45 a.m.-8:45 p.m. except at weekends. It is used extensively by 12 000 students from all branches of the Instituto. Each one pays 120 cruzeiros (as ofJanuary lst, 1986 one U.S. dollar equalled 11000 cruzeiros) per year. The library is run by Liana Wolff whose professional qualifications include the Brazilian equivalent to the M.L.S. degree, plus courses in library science at the University of Florida extension at Talahassee.

MS Wolff supervises seven employees, three of whom are professional librarians. Half of the Copacabana branches’ books are in English, the other half are in Portuguese. It has 5000 volumes, but the total in all

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branches numbers 30 000. Seventy per cent of the books are donated, the rest are purchased. A small endowment fund plus student fees, constitutes the book budget. In addition, foreigners leaving Rio have made generous donations to the Instituto. Most books are purchased locally, except for certain English titles which come from the United States. Unfortunately, because of the cruzeiro’s violent fluctuations and the high cost of foreign books, MS Wolff’s budget is often exhausted by mid-semester. Therefore, she must ask for supplemental funds or dip into reserve capital.

Popular American authors are Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steele and James Michener. Although the Instituto carries 60% non-fiction, fiction has a wider audience. These borrowers are vocal and make requests for US bestsellers. Patrons also request books on American history and social problems such as racism etc. Women’s liberation and juvenile delinquency are very popular topics with students doing research papers. The collection is arranged by the Dewey classification, and the card catalog (in English) has a dictionary arrangement. All cataloging is accomplished at this central branch. Overdue and lost books haven’t presented problems since students depend on the library for course related material.

Periodicals are included in the collection, but only current issues. McCalls, Good Housekeeping and Time are particularly popular. Most magazines are ordered locally except for a few which are only available from the United States. The USIA, and the USIS have been generous donors in this area. Magazines frequently get lost in the mail or arrive late. Private individuals have donated large numbers of magazines, especially business leaders. MS Wolff would like to purchase professional library journals but the costs are too high. The Instituto stocks certain English language newspapers, such as the New York Times and USA Today. Their English language 200 volume paperback collection is made up of material donated by foreign visitors. A popular feature of the Instituto is their record collection which numbers 2000 (5000 in all branches) and includes classical and popular music in both English and Portuguese.

MS Wolff discussed with me the Instituto’s plan to expand their facility. They have purchased property in the southern zone but ram- pant inflation makes construction problematical. Costs change from day to day with the cruzeiro’s oscillations and the administration is reluctant tc over-extend themselves. The same inflationary spiral has caused many smaller language schools to fail. MS Wolff, though she conducts no special programs for the disadvantaged, noted that many students are from poor backgrounds. They want to learn English as a means of upward mobility for technical and business positions, and a

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substantial number intend to emigrate to the United States. Scholar- ships are available for needy students who wish to attend the Instituto.

The Copacabana branch of the Public Library, is open from 8 a.m.-- 9 p.m., and is only a few doors down from the Instituto Brasil-Estados Unidos. This two-story facility, which opened in 1954, contains 30 000 volumes. It is one of the most active of the branch library systems that serves Rio. The librarian, Ana Klajman, is of Russian descent. She supervises a staff of 22, three of whom are professionals. MS Klajman estimates that 70% of her patrons are students, a large number at college level. Older and retired patrons are steady borrowers, for they have unlimited free time available. Tourists are permitted borrowing privileges and, when they leave, they donate paperback books. While fiction is more popular, non-fiction is requested by students to fulfill their assignments. No one is charged for borrowing privileges and two books may be taken for two weeks. Delinquent borrowers are fined and the monies supplement the book budget. Theft is a problem since there is no adequate security system in place.

Readers are encouraged to suggest new titles for purchase. Friends of the Library of the Copacabana branch also donate funds. The most popular authors are Sidney Sheldon and Harold Robbins. In 1985 when Sidney Sheldon gave a lecture at the library, 400 eager listeners attended. The books are cataloged by the Dewey system and the card catalog has a dictionary arrangement. MS Klajman echoed the com- plaint of her other colleagues about the impossibilities of staying within the budget in an inflationary economy.

According to MS Klajman, until recent times middle and upper class Brazilians bought their own books. They scorned used materials. Now, with book prices astronomical, they have accustomed themselves to using the library. MS Klajman stated that Brazilians were far from avid readers. However, she did note that television author programs brought patrons into the library for novels and plays. TV dramatizations appear to have stirred up an active interest in those who read very little. For example, a TV interview with Milan Kundera, the Czech author, which discussed his book The Unbearable Lightness of Being, brought crowds into the library to request this ultra-literary work. A long waiting list had to be established.

MS Klajman complained that the library profession was poorly paid and mostly female. High wages were perquisites only in govern- mental or industrial libraries. Chronic unemployment has made Bra- zilians grateful for jobs which wouldn’t normally seem attractive. MS Klajman normally orders books from dealers in Rio, but once in a while, she does order from abroad. Her budget simply cannot cover a “want” list which has been built up over the years. The library does

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a brisk business-over 800 patrons a day when classes are in session. Periodicals are not a strong point of the collection at the Copacabana

branch. Since the Friends of the Library donate a fair selection MS Klajman doesn’t have to stretch her limited budget in this area. She does carry a wide range of Brazilian newspapers. The second floor has a 5000 volume children’s collection and story hours are also held there. They also have a reserve collection for college students which includes reference materials. Many of these are in English. MS Klajman is particularly proud of the 400 volume collection of Brasiliana which includes books on folklore and carnival. MS Klajman expects the facility to be air-conditioned soon. She has not been able to conduct outreach programs to the disadvantaged because the pressures of daily tasks and budgetary strictures make this impractical.

The Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC) was inaugurated in 1941 and the library commenced service soon afterward. The present two-story facility, open from 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily, dates from 1976. MS Laura Figueiredo, the head librarian, supervises the main library plus six branches. Located in a suburban area con- venient by bus from central Rio, the University offers both masters and Ph.D. Programs. It has an excellent academic reputation throughout Brazil, and there are many more students keen to attend than available places. This private university has a stiff entrance exam which weeds out many candidates.

PUC’s library contains about 164000 volumes. The facility has 400 seats, which are not sufficient for the numbers of students eager to fulfill their assignments. During classes, about 1200 users patronize the library each day. In 1985 there were 6800 registered borrowers, not including a vast number of others with reading privileges. Book circulation is accomplished by a card system but MS Figueiredo plans to go on-line soon. A new computer has been installed to facilitate serials acquisition and it has speeded up the process. Moreover, the university admin- istration is investigating the feasibility of installing microcomputers in the library.

PUC’s book and periodical budgets fall far short of MS Figueiredo’s ideal. This is due to Brazil’s inflationary spiral which doesn’t allow her to make true estimates of costs. Nonetheless, she carries on an ambitious book ordering program. While the bulk of titles come from local pub- lishers, she doesn’t hesitate to tap dealers in the United States, England and France for specialized items. Students at the masters and Ph.D. levels are required to know English, but undergraduates often do not. The masters program is concentrated mainly in teacher preparation and PUC’s library is classified by the Dewey system. The card catalog has a dictionary arrangement.

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MS Figueiredo subscribes to 1000 current periodicals. However, the overall collection numbers 3000 for PUC receives donations from alumni, private individuals and institutions. PUC has a sizeable selec- tion of magazines in English and French, but Portuguese is predomi- nant. MS Figueiredo is careful to keep up her subscriptions to Library Trends, Library Quarterly and Special Libraries. She is determined to remain abreast of developments in library technology, especially in the United States where new trends often originate.

MS Figueiredo is very active in advertising her library’s excellent holdings among the university community. Therefore, she emphasizes library instruction-both on the basic and advanced levels. She has encouraged the faculty to request orientation lectures and her librarians look forward to this opportunity to reach out to the greater academic community. The university curriculum by necessity has a practical slant. Graduates must enter an economy which has undergone unpre- cedented growth but at the same time has been bedeviled by unem- ployment. MS Figueiredo has decided that it is obligatory to expose her staff and patrons to the latest technological innovations, therefore keeping them abreast of the “information explosion”. She attends con- ferences, reads extensively in library literature and insists that those around her do the same so that PUC will continue to be the university of choice for many ambitious Brazilians.

The National Library of Rio de Janeiro, centrally located in Rio Branco street, is open from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays and 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays. In 1808 the Portuguese King Dom Joao V brought his library of 60 000 volumes to Brazil. In 1878 the collection was aug- mented by the scholarly Emperor Dom Pedro II who added 50000 volumes. Thereafter the National Library became a functioning entity, it has occupied its present quarters since 1910. The comprehensive collection is a storehouse for materials concerned with Brazilian history and culture, especially Rio.

The National Library is open to the general public without charge but patrons cannot borrow. Maria Alisa Baroso, the librarian, stated that the facility is being strained by numbers of new patrons who have come there since the State Public Library caught fire two years ago. The Public Library has been closed indefinitely, its books packed in boxes. Students and the general public who depended on it have fallen back on the National Library. Officially designated as a research col- lection for those with specialized needs, it is now coping with an influx of information seekers who strain its capacity.

The National Library has 400000 volumes, 600500 manuscripts, 30 950 periodicals and 65 000 rare books. Since 1982 MS Baroso has made use of computerized book processing and acquisition, but the

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other library operations remain manual. The administration intends to automate further as soon as budgetary considerations permit.

Currently, the National Library has two classification systems: Dewey and an archival one. They receive a deluge of gifts from indi- viduals and institutions. Publishers are required to send two copies of all titles printed in Brazil; however, this law is too often disobeyed--- either wilfully or due to oversight.

The National Library carries all newspapers from the federal and state governments as well as official documents. Certain reference works are in English, such as the Britannica and dictionaries of science and music. They have a comprehensive collection of pictures of individuals significant in Rio’s development. Traditionally, at the death of an important citizen his private library is donated to the Library.

Musical scores and classical records are housed in a new facility equipped with modern listening devices. The National Library main- tains a special collection of carnival, classical and folkloric music. Nor- mally, MS Baroso doesn’t buy periodicals because publishers and insti- tutions send them. However, she does purchase library journals, such as Special Libraries and Library Trends as previously mentioned.

The library administration devotes a substantial share of their budget to restoration and a full-time staff member attends to this crucial endeavor. His main concern is material before 1899 which have not been microfilmed or rebound. The restorer has developed a treatment to protect against indigenous insects. Though photocopying facilities are available, older materials cannot be duplicated. Air conditioning has helped to retard the collection’s deterioration.

MS Baroso mentioned that librarians in the National Library are better paid than the majority of their colleagues. One of the admini- stration’s main concerns is security. They must protect their priceless treasures from the terrorist activity which has plagued Latin America. MS Baroso confided that Cariocas were neither great book buyers nor readers. Gregarious outdoor pursuits lured them away from this intellectual experience. She blamed television for purveying “quick information” which encouraged people to bypass the printed word. The National Library publishes an annual bulletin which lists all titles published in Brazil. Recent issues are computer generated. The National Library has received financial assistance from UNESCO and the Ford Foundation.

I next visited the Copacabana branch of the Cultura Inglesa, the British Institute, which teaches all levels ofEnglish and operates cultural programs. The Institute has 18 branches in the Rio area, plus two in Brasilia. All the British Institutes are proud of their libraries which, according to MS Ilka Beauchamp, the librarian of the Copacabana

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branch, are the best English language collections in Latin America. The three-story Copacabana branch houses 3000 volumes. The largest collection, in central Rio, contains 30 000 volumes.

Each Cultura Inglesa library has a different speciality. The Copa branch collects simplified English books, fiction, basic texts and juvenile literature. As well, the branch is designated a reference center where indices and dictionaries are concentrated. They also collect guides of Great Britain, which are very popular with students who plan to visit or emigrate to the United Kingdom. In slow periods the library may have 20 users per day; the number rises to 300 during busy days. MS Beauchamp estimates that her public is about evenly split between senior citizens and younger readers, all fee-paying members.

The Copa branch of the Cultura Jnglesa, like most others, is open from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. and closed weekends. One floor is devoted to the library, while the other stories accommodate art exhibitions, films, concerts and classrooms. The Institute attempts to highlight various aspects of British civilization, and its various libraries play a major role in this effort.

The Cultura Inglesa buys English books almost exclusively. Por- tuguese titles are donated, and so are paperbacks. Members pay 60 cruzeiros per year to take out four books for 2 weeks at a time, and students pay 30 cruzeiros for the same privileges. The teaching de- partment decides on book and magazine purchases, which are usu- ally centrally ordered from Great Britain. However, they do use local dealers now and then and members are encouraged to suggest relevant titles.

MS Beauchamp echoed her colleagues in complaining of high book costs and rampant inflation. The books are classified by the Dewey system and the card catalog has a dictionary arrangement. The Copa branch of the Cultura Inglesa carries 26 magazines-all in English. Popular periodicals are Punch, Vogue, Good Housekeeping, Newsweek and the New Yorker. They keep current issues and give the others away. The branch carries eight newspapers--all British-such as the Dail_z, Post, Daily Telegraph, etc.

Patrons at the Cultura Inglesa have shown a steady interest in Women’s Liberation. Marilyn French’s The Women’s Room has been frequently requested and books on this subject seldom stay on the shelves. Books on American and English social issues also have a large readership. Recently, the library of the Copa branch purchased lan- guage and musical records as well as listening equipment. Library registration has been going up. Students these days are anxious to gain the language skill which will help them to advance in their careers and some have decided to try their luck abroad. However, the truly

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disadvantaged do not use the center because the cost of membership is beyond their means.

Librarians in Rio are optimistic about their land’s economic and bibliographic future. They have survived military regimes where cen- sorship crippled book, magazine and newspaper publishing. Now, under the democratic reforms, information flows freely to high and low alike. Controversial social and political literature is disseminated and discussed in cafes. Librarians, concerned about the new technology, are playing a significant role in the “information explosion”. Brazilian librarians hold biannual conferences to share ideas about their own professional future and the latest developments in library technology. The librarians I met in Rio, where racial prejudice is unknown and individuality is encouraged, are committed to innovation in the best sense of the word.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Azevado, F. (Dec. 1981). “Catholic University Libraries in Northern Brazil.” Catholic Library World, 53, 216-219.

Castro, C. de M. (1982). Modernism and the Cultural Heritage; Can they co-exist in Brazil? (In Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials, 27th), Washington, D.C.

Halwell, L. (1982). Books in Rrazil and the Histq of the Publishing Trade. New Jersey, Scarecrow Press.

Halwell, L. (1982). Censorship in Brazil. (In Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials, 27th), Washington, D.C.

McCarthy, C. M. (April 1983). “Achievements and Objectives in Brazilian Librarian- ship.” International Library Review, 15, 13 l-145.

Tjoumas, R. (Oct. 1984). “The Internal and External Communication Patterns of University Libraries in Northeast Brazil.” International Library Review, 16, 415 -427.