Identity Politics and Libraries in Brazil

Abstract

This work examines how academic and marginally other types of libraries in Brazil address issues relating to identity politics in the digital space. Based on a sample of tweets posted between 2020 and 2021, it was possible to formulate a typology of “Twitter activism” that can contribute to the operationalization of the term. It might also serve future studies as a means to assess the impact of online communication, which could ultimately assist libraries in making strategic decisions when it comes to positioning themselves politically in their public relations work. On a more general level, the work challenges the postulate of “neutrality” in library work and discusses the role and responsibility of libraries in societies marked by inequality and power asymmetries.