O papel do bibliotecário na promoção da aprendizagem e da qualidade da educação a distância: desafios e oportunidades

Abstract

This study addresses the role of the librarian in promoting learning and ensuring quality in Distance Education (DE), focusing on the challenges faced and the opportunities arising from the increasing use of digital technologies in teaching. Based on an updated theoretical review, it analyzes the transformations in librarianship practices, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated the virtualization of educational activities and demanded a profound adaptation by information professionals. The study highlights that the librarian’s role in DE goes beyond managing collections: they assume strategic functions such as curating digital content, supporting research, guiding the ethical use of information, and promoting digital inclusion. It also emphasizes the librarian’s active role in pedagogical planning, developing workshops, tutorials, and resources that strengthen students’ autonomy and information literacy skills. Among the identified challenges are unequal access to technology, the need for ongoing professional development, institutional structural limitations, and the still limited recognition of librarians as educational agents. On the other hand, DE offers new opportunities for involvement, such as integration into multidisciplinary teams, production of educational materials, leadership in pedagogical innovation projects, and the use of Open Educational Resources (OER). Therefore, valuing librarians in this new context is essential for strengthening a more democratic, critical, and accessible education. When effectively recognized and integrated, their role contributes not only to technical support but also to building more human, collaborative, and transformative educational experiences.