To bring knowledge to rural communities by encouraging access to books and reading habits is the proposal of Arca das Letras Rural Libraries Program, created in 2003 by the Department of Agrarian Reordering of Agrarian Development Ministry.

If the community wishes to receive a library, it has to organize and identify among its residents, at least two people who will be “reading agents” that volunteer to define the best place to install and take care of the library. The Arca das Letras Program introduce the community in the program to receive its collection and promotes reading agents training.

There are about 200 books in the Library collection, separated into themes such as children’s literature, young’s literature and adult’s literature, textbooks and technical, which will be organized in a wood furniture of standardized format and size.

The reading agents becomes fundamental piece to motivate the community around rural library by conducting campaigns to enlarge the collection; organizing cultural events and celebrations; and transformation of the library into a dynamic space.

For the implementation of rural libraries, the Ministry of Agrarian Development is responsible for the financial resources of the transport logistics of books and people. The program has the support of a network of partners to manufacture library furniture and to receive the donation of books and publications. This network is made up of public and private institutions, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations of public interest, federations and unions of rural workers, social movements, states, municipalities, schools, other public and private libraries, urban population, publishers and artists.

Since its launch in 2003 until August 2016, Arca das Letras Program has implemented 11,354 libraries in five regions of Brazil, in 2,501 municipalities, benefited 1,275,081 of rural families, distributing 2,435,919 books, and trained 20,017 reading agents.