Florescendo em terras áridas: o programa arca das letras e sua contribuição para o acesso à informação no meio rural

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the Arca das Letras Program, focusing on its implications as a public policy aimed at democratizing access to information and reading in rural areas, particularly in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. The research, of a qualitativequantitative nature, adopts historical-dialectical materialism as its method of analysis and employs a combination of documentary and bibliographic sources, drawing from official reports of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and data from secondary sources such as IBGE and INEP, to understand the trajectory of the program, its challenges, and its contributions to strengthening citizenship and cultural development in rural communities. The study provides a comprehensive overview of the program's trajectory, highlighting its main goals, strategies, and national-level results, as well as its financial aspects. Furthermore, this study analyzes the main challenges faced in its implementation and maintenance, with a focus on the state-level context. Overall, this study underscores the program's relevance for informational inclusion and the cultural empowerment of rural communities, as well as the sustainability and discontinuity challenges it faces. The critical analysis emphasizes the importance of sustainable public policies to reduce structural inequalities and strengthen rural development in Brazil and in Rio Grande do Norte, as well as the need for information professionals in the management and maintenance of the program.