internation

50 Since Ecuador is one of the most naturally diverse countries in the world, it has become a hotspot for scientific research. Some of the earliest scientific expeditions took place in Ecuador, such as Charles-Marie de La Condamine, who measured the circumference of the earth, and Charles Darwin, who established “basic theories of modern geography, ecology, and evolutionary biology” (Macleod & Pozo Velez, 2019). But despite the country’s scientific significance, Ecuador has faced many challenges in creating educational resource centers and libraries for public use. In general, the library's primary mission is to provide equal access to reduce “informational, educational, cultural, and digital divides” (Abdullahi, 2017). This aim is no different for libraries in Latin American; however, cultural and economic inequalities play a major role in the creation of public information centers. Local and international organizations have worked to correct these disparities in Ecuador. “For example, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and UNESCO through its Regional Centre for Book Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (CERALALC) have attempted to support all types of libraries to perform their principal responsibility,” which is to encourage education and social transformation (Abdullahi, 2017). Although the socio-economic and cultural climate of Ecuador could inhibit “lifelong development and citizen participation” in libraries, the IFLA is confident that technology has created more possibilities for encouraging information access and use (Abdullahi, 2017). Digital libraries can help encourage the people of Ecuador to expand their communication and search processes, and hone new skills for interacting with information. Also, academic and special libraries continue to grow as the middle class seeks greater educational opportunities from universities and research centers. Types of Libraries National National Libraries play a major role in honoring and preserving the diverse culture of Ecuador. Ecuador’s national libraries are funded by the government and non-profit cultural institutions. For example, Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana is an organization that sponsors research, programs, and publications about Ecuadorian culture. Their mission is to preserve Ecuador’s history, educate the community, and raise cultural awareness by providing information access to users nationally and internationally (Coronel, 2019). The organization was established in 1944, and they have many branches operating throughout Ecuador. One of the main institutions that Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana sponsors is The National Library of Ecuador Eugenio Espejo. This national library plays a major role in salvaging and improving access to “the printed cultural heritage of Ecuador and will become one of the main bibliographic centers to collect, preserve, and disseminate” publications about Ecuador (Coronel, 2019). Other notable national libraries in Ecuador that are recognized by the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana and American Library Association are the Biblioteca Nacional del Ecuaduor and the Centro Cultural Biblioteca Ecuatoriana Aurelio Espinosa Polit. Located in Quito, the Centro Cultural Biblioteca Ecuatoriana Aurelio Espinosa Polit is Ecuador’s premier library that “specializes in Ecuadorian issues” (Nogales & Arcos, 2019). The organization aims to “collect, conserve, and disseminate all written material in Ecuador or that is related to the country” (Nogales & Arcos, 2019). The extensive collections and investment in Ecuador’s national 51 libraries reveal a great deal about the country’s values and their emphasis on their eclectic local heritage. Public Although there is not a great deal of information that specifically addresses the creation of public library systems and policies in Ecuador, much can be inferred by studying the development of libraries in other Latin American countries. There are numerous government-funded and nonprofit groups that work to provide access to reading and information for marginalized social groups in Latin America that have likely affected library systems in Ecuador (Abdullahi, 2017). Some of the largest and most popular public libraries in Ecuador are the Biblioteca Municipal de Guayaquil, Biblioteca Municipal de Gullanzhapa, and Biblioteca Municipal “Federico Gonzalaz Suarez,” which are all primarily funded by the government. Many Latin American government and non-profit agencies work to address the gap that the digital world has created; people now require a basic knowledge of technology and the internet to effectively access information. As a result, the rise of digital libraries in Ecuador is a phenomenon that should not be overlooked. The general lack of funding for public information services in Ecuador, digital or otherwise, and the effects of natural disasters have caught the attention of many non-profit groups. For example, Libraries Without Borders is a non-profit group dedicated to providing general information access to those in need. The group has developed libraries in fifty countries, programs in twenty-three different languages, and has “curated more than 28,000 sources of knowledge and information” for underprivileged communities worldwide (Libraries Without Borders, 2017). After a devastating earthquake hit Ecuador in April 2016, Libraries Without Borders joined forces with BUILD and Avanti to install two digital libraries at community centers in Coaque. These libraries are equipped with computers and staff to help train and guide users during their information search process. Libraries Without Borders and other driving forces behind digital libraries recognize that the effects of natural disasters shed light on the “isolation and chronic neglect” of marginalized communities in Ecuador (Libraries Without Borders, 2017). Academic Universities and academic libraries are on the rise in Ecuador. Using patterns observed from other institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, it can be inferred that academic libraries in Ecuador share their five core features with other “macro-universities” (Abdullahi, 2017). For example, most academic libraries in Ecuador serve an upwards of 60,000 students. The universities offer a wide array of “disciplines, majors and specializations at the graduate and undergraduate level” and the majority of country’s quality research is generated from these macro-universities (Abdullahi, 2017). Furthermore, academic libraries are considered to be public in nature, since they are sponsored by government funds that are allocated for higher education; as a result, institutions often house significant cultural and historical collections (Abdullahi, 2017). The oldest, largest, and most significant library in Ecuador is the Central University Library located in Quito (Advameg, 2019).52 Since the implementation of the National Constitution of 2008, the Council for Quality Assurance of Higher Education of Ecuador (CEAACES) has transformed the standards for higher education and created firm guidelines for academic institutions and libraries (Hardt, 2014). “Transitioning to a culture of academic quality and integrity in higher education, Ecuador’s more than 4,000 academic programs that serve over 620,000 students across 71 institutions have been assessed for academic rigor and accredited according to the new CEAACES academic standards. Beginning in 2009 and completed in 2012, the government conducted an in-depth evaluation of each of the country’s universities, assessing them across forty-eight standards to generate an individual institutional ranking ranging from A through E. As a result, the government decommissioned fourteen of the seventy-one universities because they did not meet the rigorous new accreditation standards laid out by CEAACES” (Hardt, 2014). The CEAACES allows academic institutions and libraries in Ecuador continue to develop; the quality and variety of relevant resources attribute to their value in Ecuadorian society. School With the great socio-economic divide, illiteracy is one of Ecuador’s major challenges in education. Until the middle of the 19th century, Latin American governments looked to individual families and churches to educate the youth of the nation (Abdullahi, 2017). Schools, using a single textbook, were reserved for the elite. In response to the changing political climate in the 1970s, the National Information System” was formed to create a national information policy strategy that was in tow with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (Abdullahi, 2017). The National Information System designed and cosponsored programs to develop strategies, methodologies, training, and support materials for school libraries. By the 1980s, there was a greater awareness of the needs and challenges that school libraries face in Latin America. In Ecuador, radical or “neo-liberal political currents promoted reforms” of state education policies, which ultimately led to the “establishment of school libraries and the position of school librarian” (Abdullahi, 2017). Since then, there has been a greater emphasis placed on on-going reading programs and expanding library services. For example, school libraries in Ecuador are working to expand their physical spaces and collections, technology, equipment, services and programs, access to the web, training, library cooperation, and program sustainability (Abdullahi, 2017). Special There are many special libraries in Ecuador, many of which are law libraries. One example would be El Corte Constitucional del Ecuador, which is a virtual library that provides information on the country’s constitution, laws, and major legal cases. There are also conservation and environmental centers that provide the public with small specialized collections. For example, The Charles Darwin Research Station includes an exhibition hall, curated garden with native agriculture, and a public library.53 Library and Information Science Education Schools Universidad de Guayaquil is a co-educational non-profit higher education institution established in 1867 (uniRank, 2019). Located in the city of Guayaquil, the university provides over 45,000 students with “officially recognized higher education degrees” in a wide array of areas of study, including topics covered by information and library science (uniRank, 2019). Universidad de Guayaquil has a competitive and selection admission process for bachelor’s degrees based on an entrance examination (uniRank, 2019). Universidad Nacional de Loja was established in 1859; it is a non-profit higher education institution located in the urban city town of Loja (uniRank, 2019). The institution has several major branches in Ecuador, including Santa Rosa, Quito, Zapotillo, and Cuenca. The coeducational university serves approximately 25,000 students and offers bachelor and master degrees in a wide array of topics, including topics covered by information and library science (uniRank, 2019). Accreditation Consejo de Evaluacion, Acreditacion y Aseguramiento de la Calidad de la Educacion Superior del Ecuador (CEAACES): Also known as the Council for Quality Assurance of Higher Education of Ecuador, the CEAACES with the support of the National Constitution of 2008 has “transformed how Ecuador’s universities are accredited,” funded, and administered (Hardt, 2014). The CEAACES was founded as part of the Higher Education Law of 2010, which sets guidelines and regulations for universities. As part of the educational reform, the CEAACES creates accreditation standards and assesses the performance of higher education institutions. The CEAACES re-evaluates institutional needs “every five years to ensure academic integrity” (Hardt, 2014). Certifications for Professionals La Escuela de Bibliotecologia y Archivologia (Universidad de Guayaquil): As of 2017, the librarianship and archives program offered through Universidad de Guayaquil is no longer offered by the Facultad de Filosofia y Ciencias de la Educacion department; the program has been reestablished as its own entity under the department of Social Communication (Torres, 2017). The librarianship program’s redesign includes classes in “statistics, bilingual training and information technology,” and trains students in managing, filing, and processing print and digital information (Torres, 2017). Area de Educacion, Arte y Comunicación (Universidad Nacional de Loja): Universidad Nacional de Loja offers degrees in Education, Art, and Communication. The certificate, bachelors, and master’s programs that fall under the school of Educacion, Arte y Comunicacion are offered inperson and online. Topics include but are not limited to information and behavioral science, communication, psychology, education, journalism, and fine art (Universidades de Ecuador, 2010).54 Bibliotecologia (Universidad Nacional de Loja): Students can earn a degree in bibliotecologia or librarianship through Universidad Nacional de Loja’s distance learning courses. The degree will provide students with general knowledge of information and library science, heighten their sensitivity and familiarity with social services, and strengthen their ability to “analyze and synthesize information (Universidad Nacional de Loja, 2019). This program fosters “communication skills with students, teachers” and the library community as a whole, and encourages collaboration, teamwork, and leadership (Universidad Nacional de Loja, 2019). This distance learning bibliotecologia program will also help future librarians interpret and analyze information needs, prepare and curate archives, as well as develop library services and programs (Universidad Nacional de Loja, 2019). Library Organizations The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA): The IFLA is “the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the library and information profession” (IFLA, 2019). The group supports all types of libraries worldwide, and encourages education, information access, and social transformation through the use of technology (Abdullahi, 2017). Centro Regional para el Fomento del Libro en América Latina y el Caribe (CERLALC): CERLALC is an “international intergovernmental organization, which provides technical advice to Ibero-American governments in the definition and application of policies, programs, projects and actions for the promotion of books, reading and copyright” for libraries and educational agencies (UNESCO, 2017). The National Information System: The National Information System created information policies and strategies that are in tow with the practices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, UNESCO (Abdullahi, 2017). The group designed and co-sponsored many programs to develop methodologies, training, and support for school libraries in Latin America (Abdullahi, 2017). Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana: Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana is an organization that sponsors research, programs, and publications about Ecuadorian culture. Their mission is to preserve Ecuador’s history, educate the community, and raise cultural awareness by providing information access to users nationally and internationally. The organization was established in 1944, and they have many library branches that throughout Ecuador. One of the main institutions that Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana sponsors is the National Library of Ecuador Eugenio Espejo, which aims to “collection, preserve, and disseminate” information about Ecuadorian culture (Coronel, 2019). Library Legislation Although it is difficult to find specific library legislation that was passed in Ecuador, it can be inferred that library information policies and procedures are designed using the Library of Congress’s Handbook of Latin American Studies and the Law Library of Congress’s resources.