Resumen de An investigation of the experiences of Nicaraguan Costen˜o librarians
This research examines the experiences of librarians in Bluefields, Nicaragua. Semi-structured interviews and photovoice activities were used to investigate librarians’ professional development, daily operations, and ways of meeting the information needs of Costen˜os—or, Miskitu, Rama, and Sumu indigenous groups as well as African-descending Creoles. The findings suggest that librarians’ accounts coincide with established knowledge on Nicaragua’s library landscape: libraries are predominantly formal and education-related; Nicaraguan society values oral knowledge or word-of-mouth information; and when compared with academic libraries, Nicaraguan public libraries are fewer and lack resources. Libraries on the Atlantic coast can strengthen their services through collaborations as well as culturally-based services. Additionally, the photovoice technique was found to be an effective tool for conducting research involving multicultural communities.
