Explore the Space of the Ramacrisna Institute
A library in Betim has gained national recognition after winning the 2023 Reading Points Award, presented by the Ministry of Culture (MinC). It is the Professor Arlindo Corrêa da Silva Library, part of the Ramacrisna Institute. The space, named after the founder of the Institute, is among the 300 institutions selected by MinC and will receive a grant of R$ 30,000 for the purchase of books, multimedia collections, equipment, consumables, as well as training and capacity-building activities.
The award highlights community libraries that have carried out reading promotion activities in urban and rural contexts, involving peoples and communities representative of Brazilian cultural diversity in 2023.
One Idea, Many Stories
The project that earned the library the award is the “Mala de Leitura” (Reading Suitcase), which emerged in 2013 to engage young readers. Initially, the Institute loaned a suitcase-shaped display filled with books to nurseries in the Betim region. In its launch year, the initiative was awarded as the Best Reading Incentive Project in Brazil by the National Foundation for Children’s and Youth Literature.
In 2015, the demand increased, and the project focused on expanding the collections of institutions by donating books to nurseries and schools near the Institute, rather than lending them. In a new phase of the project, sponsored by “Criança Esperança,” the Mala de Leitura expanded, reaching a total of four cities: Juatuba, Mateus Leme, Betim, and Esmeraldas. In 2018, it became possible to deliver a suitcase with 60 books to each school in Betim, serving 70 schools in total. This action was made possible through a partnership with Fiat, BNDES, and the Municipal Government of Betim, through the Department of Education, allowing institutions to exchange works and have an even larger collection through sharing.
In 2023, the Mala de Leitura reached other institutions, such as the Maternal and Child Center of Betim City and the Association for the Protection and Assistance of Convicts (APAC) in the region. The project’s expansion was a dream come true for the library coordinator, Cleide Aparecida Moura, one of the individuals responsible for the initiative. “We are all very happy about the award, not only for the recognition of the work but because we are making reading more accessible and democratic for people.” Now, she also celebrates the financial support. “We want to reach more regions near the Institute. The demand is significant,” she says about the use of resources.
The Mala de Leitura is not the only project of the Professor Arlindo Corrêa da Silva Library, which celebrates 50 years of activities in 2024. In 2023, the library served 3,964 people, including children, youth, and adults in the region, with a collection of 10,000 books. Additionally, the library is a true center for cultural activities, with programming open to the public and free of charge, such as visits from illustrators and writers, theatrical performances, and storytelling. All of this is possible thanks to partnerships with the Itaú Social Institute, the National Network of Community Libraries, the Sou de Minas Uai Reading Network, the Community Public Libraries Network of Betim, in addition to the community and private companies.
