Library Science Honor

Vocational Activities

Requirements

  1. What is library science?

    Answer: Library science is the science of the organization, preservation, and dissemination of recorded information (books, periodicals, digital media). It includes cataloging, classification (DDC, UDC), indexing, reference, and collection management in physical and digital libraries. — Term coined by Gabriel Naudé in 1627 ('Avis pour dresser une bibliothèque'). In Brazil, the profession is regulated by Law 4,084/1962. The DDC (Dewey Decimal Classification, 1876) has 10 classes. The UDC (Universal) is more detailed. The Federal Council of Library Science (CFB) oversees it.

  2. What is the role of the professional librarian?

    Answer: Select and acquire collections, catalog and classify (DDC/UDC), index content, serve and guide users, mediate reading, develop readers, manage the library, preserve documents, and promote access to information. The profession is regulated by Law 4,084/1962. — In 2025 Brazil has ~36 thousand active librarians (CFB). Regional Councils (CRBs) in each state oversee the profession. Median salary R$ 4,500 (Caged 2024). Specializations: clinical, legal, school, children's. The undergraduate course is 4 years; more than 50 Brazilian universities offer it.

  3. Define the processes below:
    • Loan
    • Return
    • Accessioning (cataloging)

    Answer: 1) Loan: it is the record of the temporary removal of a book from the collection by a user, noting who took it, which work, and the expected return date. It controls circulation and ensures the library always knows where each copy is. 2) Return: it is the record of the book's return to the collection, clearing the loan, checking the condition of the copy, and calculating any fines or penalties for lateness. After the return, the book becomes available again to other readers. 3) Accessioning: it is the assignment of a unique inventory number (accession number) to each copy at the moment it enters the collection. This number is noted in the accession register (the official and chronological record of works), permanently identifying the item for purposes of control, inventory, and asset management. — The standard loan period is 7-15 days with renewal. A typical fine is R$0.10-0.50 per day late. The accession number is a sequential number entered on the inside cover: e.g., T-15,487. The Integrated Library Management System (SIGB) digitizes everything. Pergamum is the most widely used software in Brazil.

  4. Know the fundamental parts of a book.

    Answer: Cover, back cover, spine, dust jacket, title page, credits page (cataloging-in-publication record), table of contents, body (main text), index, glossary, bibliography, colophon, and ISBN. Prefatory, main, and end matter according to NBR 6029. — ABNT NBR 6029 standardizes the parts of a book. The ISBN-13 (International Standard Book Number) uniquely identifies each edition worldwide. The cataloging-in-publication record is mandatory in books published in Brazil (Law 10,753/2003 — National Book Policy). The colophon records printing data.

  5. Know the criterion used to divide books within a library.

    Answer: Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) or Universal (UDC): 10 classes (000-999) by subject. Cutter notation (the author's surname) and edition. School libraries also separate by age group and fiction/non-fiction. Each book receives a standardized spine label. — The DDC was created by Melvil Dewey in 1876 in the USA with 10 main classes: 000 (General), 100 (Philosophy), 200 (Religion), 300 (Social Sciences), 400 (Languages), 500 (Sciences), 600 (Technology), 700 (Arts), 800 (Literature), 900 (History/Geography). The UDC is more detailed and uses : ; ( ) [ ].

  6. Visit two or more libraries and find out:
    • How research on subjects in books is carried out
    • How the 5 processes of organizing books are developed
    • How research is supplemented with the help of the internet or magazines

    Answer: Research: online catalog (OPAC) or card catalog. 5 processes: acquisition, accessioning, cataloging, classification (DDC), indexing. Internet: SciELO/CAPES Periodicals databases, Google Scholar. Magazines in physical or digital periodical archives with an index by year. — OPAC = Online Public Access Catalog. Pergamum and Sophia are national SIGBs. SciELO indexes Brazilian open-access periodicals. CAPES provides institutional access to 49 thousand journals. Physical periodical archives store old newspapers (the National Library's Digital Newspaper Archive has issues from 1808 onward).

  7. Know where to get new and used books.

    Answer: New: bookstores (Saraiva, Cultura, Travessa), Amazon, publishers (CPB for Adventists), Submarino, Estante Virtual. Used: physical secondhand bookstores, Estante Virtual used section, book fairs, Mercado Livre, donation of private libraries, and church bazaars. — CPB (Casa Publicadora Brasileira) is the official Adventist publisher (headquartered in Tatuí/SP, founded in 1900). Estante Virtual brings together ~3 thousand secondhand bookstores. The São Paulo Book Biennial (annually at Anhembi) has books 30-70% cheaper. The CPB bookstore has discounts of up to 50% for Pathfinders during the annual Adventist Book Week.

  8. Present a list of 5 book recommendations in the following categories below and describe in detail the information about these books.
    • Religious Books
    • Children's Literature
    • Youth Literature
    • Scientific Books

    Answer: 1) Religious Books: "Steps to Christ" (Ellen G. White) - a small devotional classic about conversion and life with Christ; "The Great Controversy" (Ellen G. White) - a historical overview of the conflict between good and evil up to the return of Jesus; "Patriarchs and Prophets" (Ellen G. White) - comments on the history of the Old Testament, from Genesis to David; "The Desire of Ages" (Ellen G. White) - a spiritual biography of the life of Jesus; "Holy Bible" - the fundamental book of Christianity, divided into the Old and New Testaments. 2) Children's Literature: "The Little Prince" (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) - a poetic fable about friendship and what is essential in life; "Reinações de Narizinho" (Monteiro Lobato) - adventures of the Yellow Woodpecker Ranch; "A Bolsa Amarela" (Lygia Bojunga) - a girl who keeps her wishes in a bag; "Marcelo, Marmelo, Martelo" (Ruth Rocha) - short, humorous stories for children; "O Menino Maluquinho" (Ziraldo) - a fun portrait of childhood. 3) Young Adult Literature: "The Diary of Anne Frank" (Anne Frank) - the real account of a Jewish teenager hidden during WWII; "The Hobbit" (J.R.R. Tolkien) - a fantasy adventure that precedes The Lord of the Rings; "The Fault in Our Stars" (John Green) - a young adult novel about two young people with cancer; "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (J.K. Rowling) - the beginning of the young wizard's saga; "Wonder" (R.J. Palacio) - a boy with a facial deformity and his journey at school. 4) Scientific Books: "A Brief History of Time" (Stephen Hawking) - an accessible introduction to the universe and time; "Cosmos" (Carl Sagan) - an overview of astronomy and the scientific method; "The Demon-Haunted World" (Carl Sagan) - a defense of critical thinking and science; "The Life of Animals" (an illustrated encyclopedia of zoology) - a reference on the animal kingdom; "Atlas of the Human Body" - an illustrated work on anatomy and physiology. (For each book chosen, describe the title, author, publisher, year, genre, and a brief summary of the content.) — Ellen White wrote more than 40 books (the most translated author in Christian literature, 160+ languages). 'The Little Prince' (1943) is the most translated book after the Bible (>500 languages). Anne Frank has ~30M copies sold. Stephen Hawking ('A Brief History of Time' 1988) brings cosmology to the lay public.

  9. In accordance with the technical standards of your country (or international standards), cite the bibliographic references for 2 examples of each of the following:
    • Books
    • Magazines
    • Internet pages
    • Dictionary

    Answer: 1) Books: SURNAME, First name. Title of the work: subtitle. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher, year. E.g.: WHITE, Ellen G. Steps to Christ. Tatuí: Casa Publicadora Brasileira, 2007. / ROCHA, Ruth. Marcelo, marmelo, martelo. 2nd ed. São Paulo: Salamandra, 2010. 2) Magazines: SURNAME, First name. Title of the article. Title of the Magazine, Place, volume, number, pages, month and year. E.g.: SILVA, João. Pathfinder camps. Revista Adventista, São Paulo, v. 110, n. 5, p. 12-15, May 2015. / SOUZA, Maria. Education in the club. Nosso Amiguinho, Tatuí, v. 78, n. 3, p. 8-10, Mar. 2018. 3) Internet pages: SURNAME, First name. Title of the material. Name of the site, year. Available at: URL. Accessed on: day month year. E.g.: DSA. History of the Pathfinders. Official Pathfinder Site, 2020. Available at: https://www.desbravadores.org.br. Accessed on: 1 Jun. 2026. / IBGE. Population of Brazil. IBGE, 2022. Available at: https://www.ibge.gov.br. Accessed on: 1 Jun. 2026. 4) Dictionary: SURNAME, First name (Ed. or Author). Title of the dictionary. Edition. Place: Publisher, year. E.g.: FERREIRA, Aurélio B. de H. Novo dicionário Aurélio da língua portuguesa. 5th ed. Curitiba: Positivo, 2010. / HOUAISS, Antônio. Dicionário Houaiss da língua portuguesa. Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, 2009. — ABNT NBR 6023:2018 standardizes references. SURNAME in capital letters; title in italics; Arabic numerals for volume/number. Each element is separated by a period. The internet requires an access date because content changes. Dictionaries have 'Org.' (organizer) or 'Ed.' (editor).

  10. What is a digital library?

    Answer: A digital library is a collection of documents in electronic format (PDF, e-book, media) accessible remotely via the internet, with a search system, metadata, and online download/reading. E.g.: National Digital Library, Domínio Público (MEC), SciELO. — Project Gutenberg (1971) was the first digital library — Michael Hart digitized the US Declaration of Independence. MEC's Domínio Público has 200+ thousand free works. The Internet Archive (archive.org) preserves 750+ billion web pages. E-books are growing 15% per year in the Brazilian market.

  11. What is the Library of the Future?

    Answer: A hybrid space: physical + digital collection, makerspace (3D printer, electronics), collaborative rooms, AI for recommendations, virtual reality, and a focus on active mediation. It is not just a repository — it becomes a community center for the production of knowledge. — Helsinki Central Library Oodi (2018) is a worldwide reference: a sewing studio, a recording studio, a community kitchen. Libraries have been moving toward the 'third place' (neither home nor work) according to sociologist Ray Oldenburg. Generative AI (ChatGPT) is already used by librarians in thematic searches.

  12. Develop and follow up on a reading project in your Club/Unit and evaluate the results.

    Answer: 1) Diagnosis (interest and age), 2) Selection of theme/books, 3) Schedule for shared reading, 4) Meetings with discussion, 5) Evaluation through a questionnaire, reading sheets, and a final product (summary, dramatization). Reward those who read the most. — The DSA's Master Reader Program, the Adventist Reading Club. Indicators: pages read/week, attendance at meetings, quality of the discussion. The PNLD (National Book Plan) and Reuni magazines are sources. Evaluation should be formative, not punitive — motivation surpasses pressure.

  13. Carry out a book collection campaign and create or help expand the collection of a library for your Club. This library must contain at least:
    • 10 scientific or general knowledge books
    • 15 magazines
    • 5 interesting Pathfinder manuals
    • 15 Spirit of Prophecy books
    • 5 books useful for completing classes and/or honors
    • 10 on other topics you find

    Answer: A minimum total of 60 items. Seek donations from churches, Adventist schools (UNASP), CPB, bookstores, and members. Invite the CPB publisher to donate Spirit of Prophecy (Ellen White). Official manuals via the Conference. Promote a collection contest among the units. — EGW = Spirit of Prophecy (the books of Ellen White). CPB donates kits at a discount to registered clubs. Official manuals (Administrative Manual, Honors Manual) via the local Conference. The campaign can use exchange for class points. UNASP-EC has a model Adventist reference library.