OFELIA advances community development through libraries conceived as inclusive spaces for learning, participation, and social transformation. Primarily serving children, adolescents, and women in rural and Indigenous communities across South America, these libraries function not merely as repositories of books but as living laboratories where innovative educational methodologies are developed, implemented, and assessed. Our work focuses on orality, literacy, visual, digital, and media literacies, as well as innovative library practices and reading promotion. Grounded in community-led management models, OFELIA collaborates closely with local communities to identify needs and co-design culturally relevant and sustainable initiatives that strengthen local capacities and opportunities.

Alongside its educational and community-based interventions, OFELIA is developing a research agenda that examines the role of informal learning environments in fostering creativity, critical thinking, cultural preservation, and civic engagement. Through evidence-informed approaches—including participant observation, analysis of reading responses, interviews, and the study of children’s and adolescents’ productions—we investigate how diverse populations engage with texts, media, and cultural practices beyond formal educational settings. This work seeks to better understand learning variability, identify factors that support meaningful learning trajectories, and generate evidence on the educational and social impact of community libraries.

Currently, OFELIA is consolidating a methodological framework for the systematic study of its libraries as sites for learning, cultural transmission, and community empowerment. In collaboration with E-PREVIO, an Equatorian research group specializing in gender, health, and violence prevention, we are developing tools to examine how participation in library programs influences children’s and adolescents’ relationships with school, family, and community life. Particular attention is given to how gendered social and cultural contexts shape access to learning opportunities, engagement with library resources, and broader processes of personal and community development. Through this partnership, OFELIA seeks to contribute to educational research and to the design of evidence-based interventions that promote equity, inclusion, and social well-being.