The State Secretariat for Culture and Creative Economy of Rio de Janeiro (SececRJ) will relaunch the Parque Digital Library project, with the expansion of its collection from a thousand works to almost nine thousand, including audiobooks and books. 
“It is an expansion not only of the collection, but a new proposal, a new structure. It is a modern, interactive platform, both for cell phones and computers”, he said this Friday (19) to Brazil Agency the superintendent of Reading and Knowledge at SececRJ, Gabriel Salabert.
The initiative is part of the Literatura do Rio ao RJ campaign, developed by SececRJ, as part of the celebrations for the title of World Book Capital, granted to the state capital by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).
“We have fully updated collections,” said Salabert, stating that many people look for titles in the physical Parque Library that are not available, but that the superintendent manages to place in the Digital Parque Library.
“The goal is to reach the entire state. Many people contact us to ask how they can do it, since they don’t live close to Biblioteca Parque or another of our units. Now, we have the entire state being able to access the Biblioteca Parque Digital platform. We are very happy with that.”
Accessibility
The platform has several accessibility mechanisms, such as converting text into speech for people with dyslexia, which is difficulty understanding reading after damage to the central nervous systempresented by individuals who previously knew how to read.
“You can mark where you left off [a leitura]you can read it in your tabletyou can read it on your cell phone. The collection is very varied.”
The new tool’s collection includes everything from classic books to contemporary books. The platform offers loan e-books (online and offline)in addition to having an exclusive section with audiobooks, reinforcing SececRJ’s role in facilitating inclusion and access to knowledge for all people.
Online e-books require an internet connection to access and read, while offline allow you to download the file for reading without internet. Both digital formats are accessible on devices such as computers, tabletswith reading offline depending on applications and platforms that offer this functionality,
The Secretary of State for Culture and Creative Economy, Danielle Barros, stated that one of the secretariat’s missions is to bring culture and reading to the entire population free of charge.
“The Parque Digital Library was a milestone in the democratization of access to books, especially in the technological era we live in. Now, with the expansion of the collection and new features, such as the Experiences Module, we are taking another important step towards recognizing Rio as the World Book Capital. It is a source of great pride to see our public policy reach even more people and strengthen the reading culture in all of Rio de Janeiro’s territories”, concluded Danielle.
Experience module
The Superintendent of Reading and Knowledge informed that through the Learning Experiences Module, contact can be made with all public libraries and community libraries in the state.
“We will be able to offer courses to everyone who accesses the platform. We will be able to hold a symposium, meetings to talk about literature, to encourage reading; we can provide training, through our state library system, to literary agents in community libraries, public libraries throughout the state of Rio de Janeiro.”
The Learning Experiences Module arrives with a new version of the application and can be used for Book Clubs, where everyone gets together and talks about the selected works; in workshops, for those who want to learn how to write stories, poems and scripts.
Furthermore, the space is perfect for helping people who work with culture, helping authors, learning about their stories and spreading knowledge.
Reading club
Gabriel Salabert said that some activities are already being prepared for next year. Among them, he highlighted the Reading Club.
“We already do it here at Biblioteca Parque and it will also take place at Biblioteca Parque Digital, with a greater reach because, sometimes, people can’t come at the scheduled time, but they can watch from somewhere. We’re going to propose this reading club and meeting activities, literary writing training activities, training for storytellers. It’s a range of activities for the world of literature.”
To promote rapport between readers and authors, Salabert clarified that the Parque Digital Library can include works by other writers that are not part of the collection, but that can be uploaded to the platform on a temporary basis, including to promote their work.
“We are looking at the best way to make this possible, so that everyone can have access.” The new Parque Digital Library model began operating on Thursday (18): “We are sure it will be a great success.”
Access
This new tool is only intended for residents of the state of Rio de Janeiro. The superintendent stated that the platform is free and there are no restrictions. Even those outside the state can access it.
To do this, you need to register via website and confirm by e-mail. The Parque Digital Library can also be accessed via a mobile app, which is now available for Android and IOS.
“It’s a quick, simple registration, nothing too bureaucratic, so you can have access to all the content that the person can read on the train, subway, bus, or when traveling and, in a digital way, access the book”.
The application can be downloaded from either the Apple Store or the Google Store, or via the website.
According to Salabert, physical book lovers also continue to have access to the Parque Physical Library collection.
“The Library remains very active. And the Parque Digital Library is just another option for the population.”
The Digital Library operates 24 hours a day. The physical Parque Library will not operate on the 24th, 25th, 31st and 1st of January 2026.
