Public Library As Community Information Centre

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Abstract

This paper discusses the public library as a community Information Centre with Special reference to District Central Library, Dharwad. It proposes a re-focusing of public libraries towards the idea of an information centre, to contribute towards community development by satisfying the information needs of citizens. This new vision of the public library as an information centre creates greater links and integration between the public library and its local community. Public libraries and community development would seem like an unlikely combination, especially in the Dharwad District context service in public libraries to provide added value information; this will be of great importance in justifying the existence of the public library within its surroundings.. However, what does seem more realistic is the setting up of information

Introduction

In the present information age, information is considered to be a resource, a product, and thereby a need. Therefore, the problem of developing countries of the world is not merely economic poverty; it is also information poverty, which must be a great concern to human beings. Information is a basic need, and must be a priority. This kind of productive survival information is called Community Information (CI), which is crucial for socio-economic development in developing countries. Community Information Services (CIS) are concerned with the provision of problem-solving information. Public libraries are important institutions in the information society. In North Karnataka, these libraries have served society in various forms for development where there is a crucial shortage of educated and skilled manpower, logistical support, and infrastructure.

Information is that basic need of life, which helps in the proper fulfillment of other needs such as food; shelter etc. for its survival and growth. Hence it can be rightly said that without information, survival and development of any community is not possible. Therefore it is the basic responsibility of any welfare government to provide information services to communities. But in India, this important task of providing Community Information Service (CIS) is performed by many governmental, non-governmental voluntary organizations in their own way. There is no single agency to collect, reorganize and disseminate community information in a suitable form as per the requirement of different communities. In this context, Public libraries, being the library of communities can play important role in providing effective Community Information Services.

Public Library System

Public Library is also known as the people’s university. Public Library System, as the name implies, is user-friendly system as anybody can make use of this system without any discriminating on the basis of caste, creed, sex, religion, age, community and status. Dr. P.N. Kaula stated that, "Public Libraries came up as institutions for the masses, where the illiterates were educated with the aid of pictures, stories and demonstrations lectures and readings from the epics and other literature of our country and where the newly educated were helped to widen their knowledge with the aid of selected books on various subjects and education through literacy classes was imparted to women and children also through magic lantern, puppet shows and theatre".

2.1 Public Library- Definition

Public Library has been explained differently by different experts depending upon the importance they give to its objectives. However, the most widely accepted definition of a public library was formulated by UNESCO in 1949 which was later revised in 1972 (UNESCO 2004).

According to UNESCO manifesto, the definition of a public library is as follows:

a. Public Library is financed for the most part out of public funds.

b. It charges no fees from users and yet is open for full use by the public.

c. It is intended as an auxiliary educational institution providing a means of self education

which is endless.

d. It houses educative and informative materials giving reliable information freely and

without partiality.

.

Community Information Centre (CIC): The Concept

Community Information (CI) is the combination of two terms i.e. Community and Information. The term "Information" is used to identify many concepts; hence it is extremely difficult to define it precisely. Normally, information is a message, communicated by a communicator to a receiver. It is the product of human action in mind, which may be abstract or concrete. Therefore it is the raw material that is used in knowing, making decisions, taking actions, thinking and learning. Reid defines information as "a process rather than as material. Data only becomes information by the act of imparting it."1 Information can be regarded as data, which can be transmitted between individuals, and each individual can make use of it in whatever form he/she wants. When information becomes publicly recorded, it becomes objective knowledge available to all.

Community Information (CI) is the information for the survival and growth of the community or it is that information which is required by the member of the community to make effective use of the available resources around them. In this context Kempson has rightly defined CI as "information of self-reliance and self-determination. Thus CI is that information which helps to solve their day to day problems related to survival such as health, education, housing, legal protection, sound economic development, political rights etc and also to participate in social, political, cultural, legal and economic progress of the society either individually or collectively.

The information services through which community information (CI) is provided to communities is called Community Information Service (CIS).

3.1 Defination:

Kahn (1971) stated that the purpose of community information is to connect public users with a

problem or request to the relevant organisations that can answer their questions or needs and to

supply service providers with feedback from users. That is, community information is not

passive, but has an active purpose – connecting users with answers.

In terms of information content Toop and Forejt (1993) defined community information as

follows:

Information in whatever form (e.g. leaflets, posters, videos etc.), which is produced and disseminated by organizations directly concerned with people’s welfare and leisure activities. These organizations may produce information on health, benefits, culture, sport, etc., usually free of charge.

Need For the Study:

The social system is undergoing a vast change with the development of information generation and information technology, which has clearly divided the society into two groups i.e. ‘have’ and ‘have not’. The ‘have not’ group has lead to the formation of a section called ‘disadvantaged’ and the people under this group are not in a position to help themselves. In this context, there is high need for community information service to help these people.

Lack of access to information i.e. both public and private information is one of the major drawbacks for community development. Access to information leads to deprivation from a certain standard of life. In addition, lack of access to governmental information leads to low participation in governmental processes, which hampers the developmental process of a community and nation.

In the present information age, information is considered to be a resource, a product and thereby a need. Hence, the problem of developing countries is not merely economic poverty but also information poverty, which should be met on a priority basis. Such kind of productive, survival and developmental information is called Community Information (CI) which is crucial for socioeconomic development of a community.

Objectives of the Study:

To identify the quality of services being provided by the Public Libraries in Dharwad District

To determine the present status of manpower / personnel working in Public Libraries in Dharwad District

To study the problems faced by the Public Libraries in Dharwad

To be familiar with the concept of Community Information Service (CIS) and its effectiveness through public libraries.

To discuss present CIS activities and propose a plan for introducing public library based CIS in Dharwad

District Central Library, Dharwad:

District Central Library, Dharwad was initiated in 1974 with the first chief librarian J. C. Mahashetti.

The District Central Library Dharwad is a apiary of intellectual’s activities. Since its very inception it has carved a niche for itself in academic, literary and social circles of the city beautiful. The library has a regular flow of visitors representing a cross-section of the population of this region. The library has given a positive thrust to book-culture and related activities.

Organizational Structure:

Chief Librarian

Librarian

Librarian

Librarian

Assistant Librarian (05)

Library Assistant (13)

Library Attender (03)

District Central Library Network in Dharwad District

Central (Main) Office in Dharwad.

There Are Five (5) District Central Library Branches Throughout Dharwad District.( Kundgol, Kalaghatagi, Ebsoor, Annigeri, Navalgund)

There Are 127 Panchayat Libraries of District Central Library, Dharwad

Users of District Central Library:

Total Membership of the District Central Library Dharwad is and daily users are 345. Among 38500 Users, the following are the broad categories and their percentile:

S. No

Categories

Percentage

1

Children’s

15

2

Students

40

3

House Wives

5

4

Age Old Persons

5

5

Academicians

10

6

Police Men

2

7

Medical Persons

10

8

Teachers

10

9

Politicians

3

Growth in Collections:

District Central Library Dharwad has the total collection of books approximately 5 lakh, around 100 Journals and Magazines and Daily News Papers.

Year

Books

Journals And Magazines

News Papers

2009-10

251459

54

6

2010-11

311546

55

8

2011-2012

498965

60

9

Annual Addition of Books have been Increased in 2011-2012

Growth in Expenditure:

District Central Library of Dharwad is funded by State Govt. The following are the expenditure details of District Central Library, Dharwad:

Year

Expenditure On Books

Expenditure in Journals magazines and News Papers

2009-10

1 lakh

50.000

2010-2011

1lakh 10.000

51.000

2011-2012

1lakh 20.000

55.000

2012-2013

2 lakh

1 lakh

According to Public Library Expenditure, more money has been spent for procuring of books rather than Journals/Magazines. Expenditure over books shows that users of public library are increasingly using books rather than Journals and Magazines.

Services of District Central Library, Dharwad.

12.1 Reference Service-

District Central Library being provided Bibliographical and Documentation based services to its 38,500 users among approximately 2250 users per day. Further, it is also providing referral service to its users as well as other.

12.2 Circulation Service-

District Central Library also providing facility of books rendering to home on the basis of membership charge. Three books can be borrowed for 15 days by a member. It is also providing facility of book reservation and renewal on telephone.

12.3 Study Circle-(Computer Books)-

Competitive books are available for various competitive Examinations like IAS, UGC-NET, Railways, UPSC and other Govt. Jobs etc.

12.4 Reading Room Facility-

District Central Library also providing reading room facility, it has a huge hall for general reading around 100 seats capacity, In addition to this is has also reading room facility at different sections of the library like Reference Section, Children Section etc.

12.5 Library at your door-step-

Library at your door-step facility is providing books on request to senior-citizens at their homes in Dharwad

12.6 Books on Demand-

District Central Library also providing books on demand.

12.7 Extension Services-

District Central Library of Dharwad Providing Some Extension Services Like, Book Exhibition, Debate, Film Shows etc

Providing CIS through Public Libraries in Dharwad: Problems:

As communities change, so do the information needs of the people. A resource center cannot continue to attract users without tailoring information and resources to meet the needs of the community. One of the most difficult but necessary activities in the provision of community information is the assessment of information needs. This must be done regularly, for libraries and information centers to remain relevant (Kaniki, 1994). There are a number of reasons why information needs assessments are not conducted. These include the indifference of library personnel, genuine lack of staff and financial resources, and staff reluctance to conduct such assessments. Related and perhaps more critical is lack of knowledge of assessment techniques and the difficulty of developing simple but reliable methodologies.

The problems of providing CIS through public libraries are summarized below:

13.1 Gap between services and real information need:

It has been pointed out that, ―one of the best known (reasons) is the conflict between the services provided and the real needs of the users. In the developing countries this arises because the introduction of modern information services has tended to be based on, or derived from, traditional library services with no account being taken of the needs of the many and varied users, who are very seldom associated with the planning and operation of the services‖ (Salman, 1981). In Dharwad, there is a great gap between service provided and information requirements.

13.2 Content of library services:

There is a gap between content of library services and the needs of users. Public libraries provide conventional library services such as reference, lending, photocopying, open-shelf reading room facilities, and so on. They are not providing CIS in any real sense.

13.3 Lack of understanding:

Many public librarians in rural areas do not know what community people needs are. their understanding is related to funding or better management skills and frustration over the publics' non-use of library materials and services. As long as librarians remain book oriented, instead of information- and people-oriented, people will continue to ignore the library. Citizens may see the book as neither crucial to their survival needs nor important to their entertainment needs.

13.4 Information may not reach people:

The information may not reach the people who need it most. It has been argued that, ―there may

be something wrong with the delivery system; that is the right information may be available but it is not getting channeled to the people who need it (Stevenson, 1978).

13.5 Absence of community information literacy:

Community people are not aware of CIS. The users of public libraries are not as familiar with the

concept, as library personnel. The fault may be with the individual. The lack of motivation on the part of individuals to use information is a complex issue. CIS literacy remains low among people in the community and library personnel.

13.6 Insufficient library education and in-service training:

In Karnataka, the number of professionally qualified librarians in public libraries is low compared to developed countries. CIS is not taught in library science courses and this leads to a lack of proper planning to introduce community information system through public libraries.

13.7 Poor organizational structure:

It is not possible to promote the development of CIS through public libraries in Karnataka

without first establishing an organizational structure for libraries that includes it.

13.8 Lack of reading culture:

The statistics related to the low production of printed material may affect all kinds of library

development. There remains a lack of motivation to search for information. People in developing

countries, especially in rural areas, still do not have a good quality of life, and are still struggling for economic survival.

The problems are facing public libraries in Karnataka regarding CIS are centered on the

Following areas:

Lack of proper training facilities and trained personnel;

Lack of library legislation;

Poor public relations by libraries

Another problem is matching library services and community information needs. Obstacles such

as inadequate road and transport systems, cultural and linguistic diversity, and unequal social and

educational levels make the establishment of a nationwide library service and the spread of relevant information an enormous task. To speak of extending services where almost none exist is to ignore the realities.

Suggestions:

13.1 Identification of Information need:

The working professionals have to recognize information needs of community through careful study. Acquisition of community information from all sources and in all forms. Therefore the established rule for obtaining and organizing these materials should be changed.

13.2 Proper Planning:

A comprehensive plan for development of the public library system in Dharwad is needed. A bottom-up approached may be adopted, giving first priority to rural public, private, and other libraries. The government may take the lead role in close consultation with library associations and the universities having LIS schools.

13.3 Acquisition of Material:

The acquisition of these materials should be on the basis of local and translocal community need and should be accurate, extensive and up-to-date. The acquisition and organization of such materials should be a regular housekeeping process.

13.4 Primary resources:

Public Libraries should provide primary resources like journals and periodicals including national and local newspapers and magazines on a variety of topics. (E.g. business, health and lifestyle, gardening, science, nature, history.)

\

13.5 Reference and General Information Services:

All public libraries should have "reference" sections, containing books and other materials which can be consulted in the library. Reference sections should be included resources such as dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias, government publications, business information, yearbooks and atlases. Some reference material, in particular business related material, should be available in CD-ROM or over the Internet. And also has to provide contact details and information on the services provided by the county council or corporation and by government departments, including social welfare information, etc.

Internet Services:

Present era is the Information Technology era so every public library should have computers and internet facility, because of that now the users are expecting that type of services.

13.7 Other Material:

Along With Print material All the Public library should have non print material also such as CD Cassettes, DVD’s, and E Books etc.

13.8 Maintaining Directory:

Each public library should prepare directories on different aspects such as health, education, transport, telephone etc and on different agencies, along with their activities and contact points of their locality to meet the general community information needs of the community.

13.9Networking:

All public libraries in a state should be connected through a networking system to share their resources. Further the state network should have connectivity to different regional, national, and international library networking system.

The public library should keep close link between other governmental and non-governmental agencies, experts of different fields to collect and share resources.

It will be helpful to solve specific problems of clientele of the community.

13.10Information about the community: A guide should contained relevant information on the city, such as restaurants, banks, hospitals, picnic spots chemists' and laundries, etc. This type of information will be helpful for many users: new residents, visitors. Etc.

13.11 Career information: Library should provide career guidelines information which helps the unemployed or people looking for new job opportunities.

Conclusion:

In defining the concept of library, Rubakin, the famous Russian biblio- psychologist and educator opined that "it is not just a shop where books are to be had; it is an advisor, a guide, a friend. It must go out to reader, bring him in rather than wait for him to come of his own accord". A public library, being the library of the community is intended to provide functions of an advice center and local information center for the whole community rather than only offering books and other reading materials to readers.

There are many agencies alternative to public libraries to provide CIS such as Community Resource Centers, Community Information Centers, Community Libraries etc. But these alternative centers seem to be serving a particular community information need or a particular interest group. In fact, it can be said that the inherent problem lies in the services of traditional public libraries are responsible for the emergence of such centers.

Public Library is the local information centre where the community can locate their information needs through its various services. It promotes the people irrespective of age, race, sex, religion, nationality or language in various activities of knowledge’s District Central Library, Dharwad playing a crucial role ansd providing remarkable services to its users and encourage them to use its library. There are few services which are not provided by Academic Library but being provided by Public Library.