Reading practices in Minas Gerais during the XIX century: public libraries and newspaper reading

Abstract

Introduction: The lift end of the ban on any press activity in Brazil, 1808, led to the multiplication of newspapers sparking a new impetus not only to a political debate, but also to spread the practice of informational and literary reading.  Objective: Investigate the occurrence of reading practices in Minas Gerais, in the 19th century, particularly the newspapers reading in public libraries of the cities of Ouro Preto and São Joãodel Rei.

Methodology: It was undertaken a literature review on History of Reading dialoguing with Darnton, Chartier, Abreu, Lajolo and Zilberman. A documentary research has been done involving the use of local newspapers as well as official documents and memoirs of foreign travellers, followed by textual analysis.

Results: Even though in a small number Minas Gerais libraries were responsible for facilitating the access of the province inhabitants to reading practices. Newspapers reading, in particular, articulated an important network of communication between readers, publishers and advertisers, creating a channel of political participation and sociability between citizens of different brazilian towns.

Conclusions: Minas Gerais social scenery in that moment, as was already happening since the 18th century, on the occasion of the conspiracy movements, did reading newspapers an everyday act lived by individuals of different social classes. In fact, in libraries and literary societies, such as in public squares,  diaries  and leaflets were read aloud for the benefit of poor and illiterate people who were, in this manner, socially inserted in that moment of social and political changes.