Sociomaterialidade e tecnologias emergentes na Biblioteca Central da Universidade Federal da Paraíba

Abstract

This study aims to analyze how the presence and absence of emerging technologies influence informational routines and sociotechnical relationships at the Central Library of the Federal University of Paraíba (BC/UFPB). University libraries are dynamic environments in which human and non-human actors are constantly interacting. This investigation adopts sociomateriality as its theoretical framework and is characterized as qualitative research, using direct non-participant observation as a data collection method. The study was conducted between June and December 2025, with records kept in a field diary alongside a bibliographic review in the areas of Librarianship, Information Science, and Information Technology. The results indicate that technologies such as self-service kiosks, anti-theft sensors, automation systems, and digital repositories act in mediating information and reorganizing routines, promoting the redistribution of activities between human and non-human actors and providing greater autonomy for users. However, the absence or limited use of more advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, impacts informational practices by reinforcing dependence on human mediation. The BC/UFPB exhibits a hybrid sociotechnical network, in which some technologies are incorporated while others remain absent. University libraries are sociomaterial spaces and must be understood as such, where technologies both support and constitute informational practices.