ABSTRACT
This study presents an innovative approach in the field of librarianship fostered by the Federal Council of Library Science and the Open University of Brazil (UAB) that encourage the implementation of a bachelor’s degree in library science via distance education (DE).
The distribution of classroom courses in the country, concentrated primarily in the big cities, is described, emphasizing the need to expand the education of librarians to meet the demands of professional positions of information, especially in smaller cities and rural areas. It relates the first steps to implementing the DE course, which is supported by the Center for Higher Distance Education in Rio de Janeiro, an institution that has extensive experience in preparing materials for this type of education. The different stages for planning the development of tasks involving the preparation of teaching materials for DE are outlined. It also points out that the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro was selected, through public bidding, to take on this challenge, which is scheduled for implementation in December 2015, when simultaneously the UAB will launch the course via the public education institutions. The innovation that this initiative brings to the country can be summed up by the possibility of expanding access to information for Brazilian citizens and the opportunity to include a large proportion of the Brazilian population in higher education.
