Universities are the educational portrait of nations: libraries are the portrait of universities

Abstract

The experience report describes an experience in order to record and ensure the memory of the advance of Library Science in the State of Piauí (PI), Brazil. It aims to discuss the pioneering actions of the State university libraries system, from the installation of the first federal public university, Federal University of Piauí (UFPI), instituted on November 21, 1968, with the merger of the isolated faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, Philosophy, Law and Administration and their respective bibliographic collections, starting activities, in fact, only in January 1973, in Petrônio Portela University Campus, Teresina – PI. The report focuses on the installation and development of the first 11 years of management of the Central Library (BC) / UFPI, today, Community Library Journalist Carlos Castello Branco (BCCCB). Inevitably, the history of BC / UFPI is intertwined with the trajectory of the institution to which it is linked and of the State itself, as it attests to the advancement of the universe of libraries and their federal institutions of higher education. Similarly, it merges with the team's history of the early years, calling into question the resilience power of the pioneering manager, author of this report, who was at the head of BC between 1972 and 1981. In structural terms, a priori, explanation on the role of university libraries to emphasize BC's modus operandi, at the time, towards the performance of the BCCCB, which today constitutes a milestone at the heart of Piauí society, as a community library at the service of the population.