Traces of novel reading practices in the library of the “Carlos Gomes” Education Institute

Abstract

This research traced the vestiges left by “potential readers” in the novels of the Biblioteca das Moças Collection found in the collection of the Carlos Gomes Institute of Education, Campinas. The temporal cut was established considering the reading marks and loan records left in the copies and coincides with the period in which the Institution was named the Institute of Education between 1951 and 1976. The research sought an approximation of the reading practices carried out by “potential readers” of the novels in the Collection and during the research a transition was identified between the “intended reader”, established from the editorial strategy, and the “traced reader” identified from the vestiges found in the novels and memories reported by four former students of the institution, which allowed an approximation of the collection from the reader’s perspective. The Collection was published by Companhia Editora Nacional between 1926 and 1960 and was considered a suitable reading for female education, promoting a representation of women appropriate to the standards prevailing in the period studied. However, when investigating the marks left on the books, such as annotations, stamps, and loan records, it was possible to observe how these readers reinterpreted and adapted the texts according to their own experiences and needs. The analysis follows Ginzburg’s indiciary paradigm, which proposes the reading of traces as clues to understand past reading practices. It is also based on Certeau’s concepts of strategies and tactics, suggesting that the “potential readers” did not passively consume the novels, but created meanings, challenging the editorial intentions.