THE MEDIATION OF INFORMATION IN THE TRAINING OF ARCHIVISTS AND LIBRARIANS

Abstract

This is a research report that examines the training of information mediators in Brazilian archival and library science programs, with the aim of understanding the conceptual foundation of information literacy and its contribution to the development of the information mediator’s professional profile. We also sought to investigate how information mediation has been addressed in the academic training of these professionals and to analyze which areas of information literacy aimed at shaping this profile are being promoted. Conducted in three phases—literature review, analysis of the curricula of the aforementioned programs, and administration of an online questionnaire to the program coordinators—the results indicate that information literacy is associated with elements such as critical thinking, information literacy, agency, attitude, and metacognition, contributing to the development of a more conscious, ethical, and socially committed information mediator. It was found that information mediation still occupies a limited space in the analyzed curricula, being present in a more consolidated form in Library Science than in Archival Science. It was also found that technical and managerial skills predominate in academic training, to the detriment of communication, ethical, and critical-reflective aspects. It is concluded that expanding the role of information mediation in curricula can contribute to the training of more qualified, critical professionals committed to social transformation, highlighting the need for curriculum revision and strengthening this theme in undergraduate programs.