COOPERATION, SHARING

This paper aims to identify and analyze the actions in the Network of Libraries and Information Centers on Art in the State of Rio de Janeiro ( Rede de Bibliotecas e Centros de Informação em Arte no Estado do Rio de Janeiro – REDARTE/RJ), in order to promote the production of new knowledge and implementation of new ideas, minimizing the difficulties met by information professionals who work in institutions which integrate the Network, so that to optimize the users services and the enrichment in the thematic field of Information on art. It investigates if the organizational and informational culture of REDARTE/RJ supports cooperation, collaborative work, information and experience sharing and the use of information and communication technology. It analyses the process of cooperation, sharing and collaboration among the participants of REDARTE/RJ, aiming to verify if the Network might be considered a social knowledge network. It seeks to understand the way that REDARTE/RJ has used and taken advantage of the interaction and collaboration as means to the accomplishment of the purposes determined in its bylaws. It comes to the conclusion that REDARTE/RJ has had a relevant role in Information on art, and has been useful to its users and to the professionals and institutions which are part of it, but in order to become a social knowledge network, there are still some aspects to be improved.

However, we know that although beginning with the cooperation and sharing of resources, through networks and library systems, the network transcended the material side, nowadays, it is possible the collaboration along with the exchange of experience, the collaborative problem-solving and the joint elaboration of service and procedures extensively, through institutions and professionals which choose to work in such system, this kind of network can be called a social knowledge network.
Set by professional of several institutions and education background, the information flow circulating throughout REDARTE/RJ is intense, bulky and rich.
Furthermore, for its pioneering role and significance in a field so in need, the professional should seek after constant update, making use of available resources, such managerial and technological ones, in order to better fulfill the purposes set by REDARTE/RJ's bylaws.
Given this scenario, the following questions motivated the research: Do the interactions originated from REDARTE/RJ activities stimulate the production of new knowledge to the information professionals? Does this knowledge contribute to new ideas and accomplishments of the participant libraries and information centers, optimizing these professionals' work and consequently contributing to the field of Information on art? How has REDARTE/RJ been performing in order to accomplish the mission to promote access to informational items available in their organizations and fulfill the purposes held in their bylaws?
The study has been held with the general objective of identifying and analyzing REDARTE/RJ's actions to promote the production of new knowledge and the implementation of new ideas, to minimize the difficulties found by information professionals working on the institutions which are part of the Network, and also to optimize the user services and the enrichment of the field of Information on art.
As specific objectives, it aimed to: investigate if the organizational and informational culture of REDARTE/RJ supports cooperation, collaborative work, information and experience sharing and the use of information and communication technology; analyze the process of cooperation, sharing and collaboration among the participants of REDARTE/RJ, verifying if this Network might be considered as a social knowledge network; identify the way that REDARTE/RJ has taken advantage of the interaction and collaboration as means to the accomplishment of the purposes determined in its bylaws.

NETWORKS: CONECTION AND INTERACTION
Despite not being created for such purpose, the Internet is used to bring people closer and promote the information and knowledge sharing. The connections it offers make it possible better location and access to information, documents, organizations and individuals, without considering aspects such as distance or time zone among them.
In addition, such relation takes place without being necessary the centralization of the communication by an individual or an institution, as it may occur simultaneously, from many places in the network. According to Castells (2003, p.8): "The Internet is a means of communication which allows, for the first time, the communication of many with many, in a chosen moment, at global scale".
In the bibliography there is mention to several categories of networks, referring to people and organizations. Common to each one of them is the sense of connections, ties, linkages and webs, once the word 'net', in etymology, originates from the latin 'retis', which means "[…] interlaced threads, wires, ropes, strings, etc., as regular openings, tied by meshes, forming a kind of tissue" (CUNHA, 1998, p.669) According to Marteleto (2001, p.72), in the academic field, the networks were first studied in the field of international relations, beginning with the end of World War II and continued until the end of the Cold War, when there was a redefinition of the actors involved in the international relations.
Currently, networks and their flows are objects of study from different fields. Luna and Velasco (2006, p.15) claim that, besides the different focuses, notions and approaches regarding networks, they might be conceived as a learning environment, as a communication system or a means for integration.
The several network categories identified in this research, which are presented by different actors, such as Inojosa (1999) and Luna and Velasco (2006), often are overlapping; they are views originated from distinct criteria, and there is not in the related bibliography a consensus regarding those terms. For instance, many authors do not give a clear differentiation between knowledge network and information network. Therefore, this subject deservesas suggestion for future study the elaboration of some taxonomy, as a deeper reflection regarding the classified structure for different kinds of network and its concepts.
Taking into account their objects of sharing, and/or product(s) originated from the established relations, networks can be categorized as:  Libraries networkit consists of a set of libraries or library systems which, despite being connected, keep their administrative autonomy; the cooperation among the institutions is the foundation to the network (VALERA OROL; GARCIA MELERO; GONZALEZ GUITIAN, 1998, p.218).
 Information networksthey aim at the reunion of persons or organizations for information sharing, collaborating with the organization of products and service availability, which would be made impossible if there was not the effective participation of the parts involved (TOMAÉL, 2005b).
 Knowledge networksthey also value for interaction, but the object of sharing is mainly information and knowledge. It is through these networks that knowledge, experience and individual learning are shared, aiming at reciprocal benefits (TOMAÉL, 2008). They comprise the development of new ideas, knowledge and processes, originated from the interaction among the actors involved, strengthening individual and general storage regarding an object in particular (TOMAÉL, 2005a).
Despite they differ in relation to the purpose of the interaction, the three kinds of networks listed above can be considered social networks, once they consist of a set of autonomous beings which gather ideas and resources around objectives and interests in common (MARTELETO, 2001, p.72).
As confirmed by Castells (2009) andTomaél (2008), the networking shall be based on a collaborative sense, converging into common goals. To the first one, " […] networks are structures capable of unlimited expansion, integrating new ties once they are able to communicate within the network, that is, once they share the same codes" (CASTELLS, 2009, p.566); to the second one, "When the subject 'network' is approached, comes with it the conception of cooperation, once the networks are responsible for articulations among different actors who interact [...] and strengthen all the group […]" (TOMAÉL, 2008, p.1).
Another fact which should be mentioned here is that, nowadays, when one speaks of network, they tend to associate its activities to the computer network.
However, the network activity has existed for many years: Barabási (c2002) and Watts (1999) claim that the 'net' metaphor was used for the first time in 1736 by the mathematician Leonard Euler; in scientific communication, the net organization has been common for many yearsas example, there are the invisible colleges (cf. MEADOWS, 1999); Ribas and Ziviani (2008) affirmed that texts on Anthropology, Sociology and Psychology have mentioned the term 'social networks', as currently understood, since 1930.
However, we cannot ignore the fact that information and communication technology has expanded and, in a way, improved this phenomenon, as claimed by Castells (2009, p.565): "Although the form of social organization in networks has existed in other places and times, the new paradigm of Information Technology provides the material basis for their deep expansion in the whole of the social structure". Not only these tools are able to intensify the interaction among the network ties, once they allow the communication from 'many to many', but also make the interactional process more democratic by disregarding the time and space factor.
The networks can be seen as vehicles thrusters of innovation, that trigger transformations of personal, professional, organizational, economic and social, thus strengthening areas of knowledge and optimizing working processes.
For better comprehension of the several possibilities of network activity, we highlighted processes of cooperation, collaboration and sharing, which tend to pervade networking work.
In the related bibliography, sometimes the terms cooperation, collaboration and sharing appear as synonyms. According to Michaelis Dictionary (WEISZFLOG, [200-]), collaboration means the act of collaborate, cooperate, help. Thus, some authors deal with collaboration as a synonym for cooperation. However, these terms hold distinct meanings, as stated by Dillenbourg (1999, p.8): "In cooperation, partners divide work, solve sub-tasks individually and then gather the partial results into a final result. In collaboration, partners do the work 'altogether'".
It is also important to bear in mind that the terms collaboration and sharing are related to the exchange, although in different ways: sharing has relation with the will or motto of giving, sharing, helping and assisting; collaboration, in turn, may be seen as a joint act, aiming common goals (ALVES; BARBOSA, 2010).
Cooperation, collaboration and sharing have always been present among informational professionals; be it consisting in options to minimize gaps arisen from the lack of resources for their duties' performance; be it due to the aim to provide better service to users.
Nowadays, networks, mainly the knowledge ones consist in a favorable environment to the development of new ideas, products, services and the redesigning of work processes resulted from the strengthening of individual and general storage of knowledge, favored by information and experience sharing. After all, the fact of information and knowledge sharing, as in the networks, shall be linked to the learning purpose: "[…] the information and knowledge sharing will only be effective if it is implied with a learning process, for the access only, without this process, does not change reality, therefore loses its purpose" (TOMAÉL, ALCARÁ; DI CHIARA, 2005, p.95).
The participation of information professional in networks provides creation of new knowledge, leading to innovations in libraries and information centers, related mainly to creation and/or reformulation of products and services.

METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES
The research method used was case study, in order to understand a complex

THE CASE OF REDARTE/RJ
The idea of forming a network of information professionals emerged from an experience of Solange Zuñiga, who, during her undergraduate course, made intense Then, during a conversation with Helena Ferrez, who was working at the same Department, they decided to give shape to this idea. The project, at first, consisted in creating a network on a national basis. However, they could see from the beginning that this network would need to be more matured to take larger proportions. The approach was done informally, seeking to verify the interest from information professionals who worked directly with the users in taking part at a network; the plan was to get the staff, not the managers. The idea was to form a network of individuals/professionals, enlarging knowledge and the collections within these institutions, allowing librarians to lead the user towards a collection which could serve them better if their libraries' collection was not able to do so, optimizing the work of information professionals seeking to give users greater access to information on art.

RESULTS
The most significant results of the research are pointed out as follows:

Organizational and Informational Culture at REDARTE/RJ
This study considers organizational culture as the set of principles which determine attitudes and behavior within an organization and which embraces informational culture. It is related to the way people deal with (evaluate, organize, process and disseminates) information and knowledge in an organization (company, network, etc.), taking into account the use of Information and Knowledge Technologies and factors such as principles, values, beliefs, rites and organizational behavior.
We identified values and culture that promote information and experience exchange in REDARTE/RJ. The members have initiative of information sharing decentralization of communication and a high level of credibility on information disseminated.
According to the answers, one can say that although there is a board of directors, elected by vote, they do not guide communication, allowing free participation and integration among the Network members.
In this aspect, what needs to be worked out by REDARTE is the creation of spaces for sharing failures and shortcomings, because these experiences should also be shared. The so-called 'knowledge base' would have great applicability in this case, and repositories for 'best practices', for 'storytelling', for 'success stories', for 'problems found' would allow successful or unsuccessful experiences to be taken as examples and good practices could be replicated in different institutions that take part of the Network, turning information sharing, which is the core of an information network, into learning, new knowledge and innovation, which are features of a knowledge network.
Another factor that should receive attention is the development of standards to facilitate communication among members of REDARTE/RJ, since one of the principles for sustainable development of a network is the use of a common language by its members.
A concerning fact is that it seems to exist little encouragement to record the information and know-how that flows through REDARTE/RJ. Although there is recognition of its importance and that there is need for handling this information and experiences, there are no policies or procedures developed to stimulate their reuse ISSN: 1981ISSN: -1640 Therefore, it is necessary that the REDARTE/RJ adopts information and knowledge management strategies and turns them in formal policies, allowing the management, retrieval and dissemination of information and experiences.
The process of recording what is necessary for later retrieval and use, to be structured, has in its favor the requirements pointed out by several researchers in the area as fruitful to knowledge management: its members are already in the network, The social networks potentialwhich are a highly used social web resource throughout libraries in the whole worldis also little explored by the Network.
Facebook, for instance, is used only to make information public.
In general, the web resources are not very much used, and systemic use of chats, video conferencing and instant messaging to offer services to users more efficiently was not seen. A specialized library network, as it is the case of REDARTE/RJ, could seek to offer collaborative services, including online user service.
Thus, we notice the need for greater stimuli in using web tools, in special the social web (Web 2.0), by REDARTE/RJ's participants, and for aiming at more familiarity with information and communication technology, be it for performing its traditional roles, be it for learning and exchanging experience. This attitude would optimize the interaction among members of the Network, and foster closer relations with users of information on art and with information professionals that currently are not part of that group.
Although some of REDARTE/RJ's integrating libraries and information centers do not have technological infrastructure, and that the value given to face-toface meetings is made so evidently relevant, it is necessary to put efforts in new approaches, ideas and values, in order to stimulate a more intense and comprehensive use of communication and collaboration tools by the Network's participants.
Great part of the group has shown openness to this effort made by REDARTE/RJ, even though some resistance it is still noticeable. It is important to deepen the analysis of cultural barriers regarding the use of these technologies to improve communication and collaboration. As well as seeking to overcome resistance to the expansion of interaction with other professionals and users so the group moves towards greater integration. It is noticeable that this Network should develop and enhance the several resources already available, as indicated by a member. And participants should insist on ways to increase information and experience sharing and collaborative work, making their activities public and raising the number of adhesions and support, adding value to remote information sharing.
There lies an opportunity of proximity and interaction with professionals not participating and with users of information on art, pointed out as the primary target public of REDARTE/RJ nowadays.

Cooperation at REDARTE/RJ
A cooperative process, as understood in this study, is that which occurs when partners split the work, through previously established agreements among the parties, aiming mainly at the rationing of resources (human, technological and material).
It can be said that the elements that have traditionally shape cooperation in libraries, are present in REDARTE/RJ, since most members strongly agree that their participation in the Network brings greater possibilities of borrowing documents and receiving donations and facilitates obtaining copies of parts of documents, in addition to optimizing the process of collection development.
However, these actions can be better arranged. Through the disclosure of this intent on the part of the board of REDARTE/RJ, and formalizing, in some way, these actions at the Network, the participants could better understand the process, and knowing their role, could get involved. In addition to being a form of institutional managers also is able to view these products as an additional benefit in participating in the Network.
The need to look more carefully at this issue, in order to better understand the cooperation process at REDART/RJ has become clear by the discrepancy It is evident the need for for strengthening and stimulating the accomplishment of more cooperative work among REDARTE/RJ's participants, highlighting that nowadays the cooperation among libraries is not restricted to the traditional activities concerning the collection development.

Information Sharing at REDARTE/RJ
Sharing concerns the determination or will for helping another individual, apportioning something one belongs, such as information and experience. It has a more spontaneous character than cooperation, by not having implied division of tasks.
In relation to information sharing at REDARTE/RJ, it is relevant to register that the group does not perceive resistance to sharing new ideas and projects at the Network.
In spite of this, the matter of non-active involvement coming from some institutions should be brought up, and a greater incentive from the Network administration is needed, since among the principles of networking there are participation, colaboration and solidarity.
Since the lack of human resources in the institutions has been pointed out as a cause to little or no participation of a few institutions, it is worth mentioning that the use of tools that enable the long-distance meetings ( It was considered by respondents that sharing in REDARTE/RJ, provides: increased access to information on art; updating members about the field of information on art; professional updating; and allows forwarding the user to the institution best suited to completion of customer service.
However, since the user of information on art is considered the main focus REDARTE/RJ, nowadays, the information shared should be useful for the improvement of their care in each library or information center. That has not been verified, which requires the procedures be which requires the procedures be reviewed by the organizations, so that the users will be more directly affected by the Network's activities. Therefore, we emphasize the need to carry out an users study.
The poor contribution given by the information shared at REDARTE/RJ towards the decision-making at the institutions also calls attention. The achievement of treatment of the information provided in this network, aiming at its subsequent retrieval may be seen as a resource to strengthen this aspect.

Collaboration at REDARTE/RJ
When there is collaboration, the work is carried out together in order to achieve common goals, aiming at the sum of individual knowledge and skills for producing something new or reformulating something which already exists.
We believe this should be a major focus of a network like the REDARTE/RJ: everyone working towards a common goal whether it is the joint problem-solving or the innovation in services and products.
Concerning the collaborative aspects of such as group aid in solving professional issues and problems in their daily tasks are made present at REDARTE/RJ, which justifies its existence and confirms the importance of such a network for information professionals.
In this case, once again the Network could better explore some of the practices and tools of Knowledge Management, as repositories of cases of success or failure fed by the Network's participants, and also, as repositories of suppliers, in which participants themselves would point out the best and worst (giving marks, for example), in a way of helping everyone and strengthening collaboration among the Network's members.
Collaboration at REDARTE/RJ has been considered positive by respondents, considering their contribution for the work as information professionals and for the collaborative work stimuli in the Network's integrating units.
However, it is noticeable that even though participants feel encouraged to exchanging ideas with other units, this takes place almost exclusively during REDARTE/RJ's reunionsthe monthly meetingsnot being a close relation among the library and information centers. Thus, such attitude should be incited by REDARTE/RJ, aiming at better integration among the participants, with possibility of joint creation of products and services. After all, sharing and collaboration within a specialized network such as REDARTE/RJ should have the knowledge production as main objective.

Fulfillment of REDARTE/RJ's purposes
In its bylaws, REDARTE/RJ takes over the following purposes: REDARTE/RJ's activities for their purposes' fulfillment have been considered effective by the respondents; although we believe that the approximation with users would allow the support of decisions and better guidance to the group's activities, better serving their needs and demands. Again, here, we highlight the importance of carrying out a study about the users, which could be a subject to future research.

FINAL REMARKS
Taking into account the relations established among its members, and based on the definitions of Valera Orol, Garcia Melero and Gonzalez Guitian (1988) and Tomaél (2005b), we can state that, even though keeping the original features of a library network, since there is administrative autonomy, with strong elements that characterize the cooperative work, the REDARTE/RJ is an information network, since it aims at meeting persons or organizations for the information sharing, contributing to products organization and services availability.
We highlight as REDARTE/RJ strengths: trusting environment; sharing initiative, open communication, non-resistance to new ideas and projects, optimization of collection development; aid in solving professional issues; encouraging participation in external events; openness to participation of external members at meetings; contribution given to professional development regarding the field of information on art; contribution given to development and access to the field of information on art; its importance for improving the performance of information professionals.
We point out some issues to be improved at the Network: promoting spaces for sharing faults and failures; establishing standards, aiming at better communication among the integrating organizations; making practices official and showing policies, such as those referring to cooperation activities, which would allow better integration and involvement of the Network's members; treatment of information, allowing their subsequent retrieval and use; more balance in the involvement of the integrating organizations; minimization of barriers in relation with the use of technology and social web tools; team-working with other professionals, institutions and other information on art networks (external ones); review of activities for the user of information on art to be more directly targeted; strengthening of collaboration and experience exchange among the integrating organizations.
Promoting learning and innovation, enabling the provision of new information product and services.
In order to effectively become a social network of knowledge, as defined by Tomaél (2005aTomaél ( , 2008, REDARTE/RJ should work out the aspects mentioned throughout this study regarding informational and organizational culture, gathering strengths, especially in terms of sharing experiences and information, as well as collaboration, including remotely, in a better integration among REDARTE/RJ's participants. There should also be more space for interaction among information professionals external to it and to its users After all, as verified in this study, REDARTE/RJ performs an important role to the field of information on art, for its users and professionals, as well as its libraries and information centers. This has been taken by the librarian Isabel Ariño Grau as: "My professional life is divided in prior-REDARTE/RJ and after-REDARTE/RJ".
We hope that organizations like this could be multiplied, be improved, and that we see someday the so dreamed and necessary REDARTE nationwide.