Library and Information Services for Rural Community Development in Africa: Problems and Prospects
Loading...
Date
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The African population is still predominantly illiterates and rural dwellers. That majority of these group of people are not educated does not imply that they do not have information needs. The information service delivered to the grassroots in Africa is poor and adversely affects their life pattern. Librarians, particularly those in public libraries that might have received adequate training in library schools on community information service are therefore challenged. Libraries in Africa provide information in order to educate, inform, entertain, recreate, and enlighten the users. Their social, cultural, craft and technological needs are identified through their information seeking behaviour. Libraries facilitate the provision of information needs for development of the rural communities by the involvement and use of human and material resources. However, the satisfaction of information needs of the rural communities depends on the extent or adequacy resources and effectiveness of staff in utilizing available resources. This ultimately enable the users acquire greater skills and experiences for development of the rural communities. Adequate provision of library services is a fundamental determinant of the extent to which information needs are provided for grass-root development of every rural community in Africa. Rural dwellers have need for information services which will impact their social, cultural, demographic, educational, craft and technical challenges to promote community development at the grass-root level. It is against this backdrop that this paper attempts to explore rural libraries in Africa with a particular reference to history, characteristics, challenges and prospect of library services towards socio-economic development. Subsequently recommendations based on findings are made for enhanced library and information services in the community libraries which eventually will foster socio-economic development in Africa.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Abissat, M.K.(2008) Taking ICTs to Rural People in Ghana. Retrieved from 9/9/2015 from:
http://www.ginks.org/cmspages/GetBizFormFile.access.
Adimorah, E.N.O. (1983). “Users and their Information Needs in Nigeria: The Case of Imo
State Public Libraries”, Nigerian Library and Information Science Review ; 1(2); 137 - 148.
Age Concern (2008) Delivering for Older People in Rural Areas: A Good Practice Guide.
Available: http://ageconcern.org.uk/Age concern/Documents/Older Rural People.pdf
Aina, L.O. (2004) Library and Information Science Text for Africa. Ibadan Nigeria, Third
World Information Services Ltd.
Alegbeleye, G.O. & Aina, L.O (1985) Library Services and Rural Community in Nigeria: An
Introduction. Ibadan: University Press.
Camble, E. (1994). The Information Environment Workers in Borno State, Nigeria. African
Journal of Library, Archives and Information Science 4 (2) 105.
Chijioke, M.H. (1995). “Public Library Services as Information Networks: Nigeria in the
Twenty First Century’’. Journal of Librarianship , 21(3): 177.
Dent, V.F. & Yannotta, L. (2000) A Rural Community Library in Africa: A Study of its use
and users. Libri (55) 39-55. Retrieved 24/5/2016 from: http://fieldmarshamfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/tumblr/References/Dent/2005.pdf
Dent, V.F., Goodman, G. & Kevane, M. (2013) Rural Community Libraries in Africa:
Challenges and Impact. Advances in Library and Information Science (ALIS) Book, Retrieved 15/5/2016 from: www.igi-global.com/book/rural-community-libraries-africa/84173
Dent, V. F. (2014) Rural Library Services in African Countries: History, Development, and
Characteristics. Retrieved 15/5/2015 from: www.igi-global.com/.../rural-library-services-in-african-countries/94475
Disco, L.I. (1994). Information policies and government guidance in Nigeria: What hope for
Communities? Resource Sharing and Information Networks 9 (2):141–151
Ekoja, I.I. (2010) Information Needs and Behaviours of Populations in Less Developed
Regions, In: Bates & M.N. Maack (eds.), Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, Third Edition, Vol. IV. New M.J. York; Taylor & Francis
El-Kalash, K. I. and Ahmed, M.M. (2014). “ICT Education: A panacea for Sustainable
Integration and National Development in Nigeria”. A paper presented at the 2014 National Conference of the Department of Educational Foundations, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu 15th-18th October 2014.
El-Kalash, K.I.; Mohammed, S.B. & Ahmed, M.M. (2014) Towards a Sustainable Rural
Community Development in Nigeria: The Role of Information. Ebonyi Journal of Library and Information Science, 1 (1), 88-101
Feather, J. & Sturges, P. (2003) Community Librarianship. In: John Feather & Paul Sturges
(eds.) International Encyclopedia of Information and Library Science. 2nd Edition. New York; Routlege
Giddings, B., Hopwood, B. and O’Brien, G. (2002). Environment, Economy and Society:
Fitting them Together into Sustainable Development. Sustainable Development, 10 187-196.
Guillman, H. (2003). Fighting Rural Poverty: The Role of ICTs. Paper as IFAD side event at
the World Summit on Information Society, Geneva.
Harande, Y.I. (2009). Information Services for Rural Community Development in Nigeria.
Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). Paper 271.
Issa, A.O. (1998). The Information needs of rural dwellers in Kwara state. In: Tijjani. A., et
al. (Eds.) Issues in Information Provision: Nigerian perspectives. Zaria: Naliss.
Kegan, A.(ed)(1999). “The Growing Gap Between the Information-Rich and Information-
Poor; Both Within Country and Between Countries”. IFLA Social Responsibilities
Discussion Group Paper. Accessed online at http://www.ifla.org/vii/dg/srdg.7htm on 28 December, 2010.
Melkote, S.R. (1991) Communication for Development in the Third World. Newbury: Sage
Meyer, H.W.J (2005) The nature of Information and the Effective use of Information in Rural
Development. Information Research, 10(2). Retrieved 4/7/2015 from: http://www.information.net/ir/10-2/paper214.html.
Moldova Public Library (2012). Access to Information through Public Libraries in the
Republic of Moldova. Available at: https://www.irex.org/.. Accessed 18/9/2015
Momodu, O.M. (2012) Rural Libraries and Community Development in Nigeria.
International Journal of Basic, Applied and Innovative Research (IJBAIR), 2012, 1(3): 91 - 97 www.antrescentpub.com
Obetta, C.K. & Okide, C.C. (n.d). Rural Development Trends in Nigeria: Problems and
Prospects. Society for Research and Academic Excellence. Retrieved 8/4/2015 from: http://www.academicexcellencesociety.com/ruraldevelopment
Okiy, R.B. (2003). Information for rural development: Challenge for Nigerian rural public
libraries. Library Review 52 (3):126-131.
Omotola, S.J. (2006). No Democracy, No Development or Vice Versa? In: Hassan A. Saliu et
al. (eds.) Democracy and Development in Nigeria: Conceptual Issues and Democratic Practice, Lagos: Concept Publication.
Opara, U. N. (2008) The Public Library in Contemporary Nigeria: Challenges and the Way
Forward. IFLA Journal, December 2008, 34 (4) 349-358. Retrieved 18/5/2016 from: http://ifl.sagepub.com/content/34/4/349.abstract
Opara, U.N. (2015) The Role of Information and its Communication for Rural Development
in Nigeria. Ebonyi Journal of Library and Information Science, (1) 1; 2-22
Pansare, N. (n.d.). Essay on the Important Characteristics of Rural Community. Retrieved
25/5/2016 from: http://www.shareyounessay.com/86996/
Rosenberg, D. (1993) Rural Community Resources: a Sustainable option for Africa?
Information Development, 9 (1&2), 29-38
Servaes, J. (1996). Communication for Development in a Global Perspective: The Role of
Government and Non-governmental Agencies. Communication, 21 (4): 407-418
Ukachi, N.B. (2007). Information Needs, Sources and Information Seeking Behaviour of
Rural Women in Badagry, Lagos, Nigeria. Information Trends, 4 & 5, 1-19.