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Growth of Library in Rural Area

INTRODUCTION

Rural libraries established fact that 70 percent of Indian population live in rural areas. Our central government is trying to restructure the rural areas in all five years plans. The results of the plans show that there is an improvement but it is not as expected as in the plans. There are many factors involved in restructuring the rural communities. One among them is to establish the libraries at rural areas to provide right information to the right user at right time.

OBJECTIVES

It infuses awareness among rural people of the sources of information and encourage them to make extensive and comprehensive use of information stored in a library;

It takes care of economic, educational, social and cultural information needs of the local population;

It converts uneducated/illiterate and non literate into potential library users;

It provides information on employment opportunities on various fields;

It guides, and counseling direction on all matters public hygiene, family planning, legal matters etc.

The public library coordinates with other organizations and institutions in the community and creates a comprehensive database of all information relevant to the community.

PUBLIC LIBRARY MOVEMENT IN TAMIL NADU

The Madras Public libraries Act, 1948 the first of kind in India was brought into force from the year 1950. Under the provision of this Act the following units are functioning in this state:

1. State Central Library (connemara Public library) -1

2. District central Libraries -18

3. Branch Libraries -1568

4. Mobile Libraries -12

5. Part time Libraries - 649

6. Rural Libraries -1492

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Total 3750

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Under the jurisdiction of these libraries the following services are rendered;

1. Mobile library service

2. Home Delivery service

3. Library service for children

4. Library service for prisoners in jail

5. Library service for estate workers and remote settlers on the hills

6. Library service for police personal

7. Hospital Library service

8. Rural Library service.

RURAL LIBRARY SERVICES

The fundamental aim of the rural library is to provide timely, pertinent, accurate and reliable information services to all the rural populace. The following are some of the important services that may be provided;

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A. Information with emphasis on; Local history, local commerce and Industry, local Agricultural products and local places of tourist attraction and facilities, local and general employment opportunities, Statistics- Government and private and Career development information;

B. Information about Census: Population- Male, Female, Age group, Literacy, percentage, professionals, Rural and urban Forest etc. and National Resources.

C. General information on State and the country.

D. Cultural activities are- arranging lectures by eminent persons on different subjects,

Dramas, debates etc.

SERVICES IN RURAL AREA

The network of rural and mobile libraries should used to a greater extent for the dissemination of information to local communities.

The potential of the library in rural areas to support rural business by the provision of employment and training information needs to be exploited in consultation with the economic development staff of the planning Department. It is suggested that the experiment of providing small libraries in village shops.

ADVANTAGES OF RURAL LIBRARY SERVICE

The rural library helps different sectors of the community by providing right information to the right reader at the right time. For example, it will help children to create reading habit, unemployed youths to get better jobs and farmers to improve agricultural production. Libraries of all countries are functioning for social development by extending these activities and services, sharing books, extension lectures on various topics such as child labour, epidemic diseases, reading habits and environmental protection

RURAL LIBRARIES IN PRESENT SCENARIO

 The number of news papers available in the library is not sufficient.

 The required books are not available in the library.

 The required GK books are not available in the library.

 The number of reference books available in the library is inadequate.

 The number of periodicals available in the library is not sufficient.

 The furniture’s are uncomfortable in the rural libraries.

 The space of reading hall is very small.

 The parking facilities around the library are inadequate.

 The working hours of the rural library in convenient.

 The ventilation facilities are poor in the rural libraries.

 The cataloguing facilities are not systematic in the rural library.

 The facilities for accessing the books are improper in the rural library

SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

In order to maintain and raise the growth of library in rural area, the following suggestions may be found useful.

1. The Government may take steps to extend the library building to invite more readers.

2. The Government shall take steps to build shelters for cycles and motor bikes for the visitors.

3. The Government may take steps to build reference hall in the rural library for utilization of reference books.

4. Library working hours may be framed according to the convenience of users.

5. The library may be fully computerized so that users can easily access the books and the

Library staff can maintain the transactions very easily.

6. The books available may be brought online, so that users can access information from home itself.

7. The network of rural library should be used to a greater extent for the dissemination of

Information to rural communities.

8. The Government may provide water supply and light facility in the rural library.

CONCLUSION

From the above, the study has been observed that the public library movement in Tamil Nadu, rural library services and rural libraries in present scenario. It also indicates the rules and regulations for establishing the library in rural area. Now a day’s library is important part in the world. The library gives more information to rural community and its help to development of rural area. So the government should take steps to growth of library in undeveloped area.

REFERENCE

Allen, Harrell.T. New methods in Social Science Research. New york: Praeger Publishers,

1978

Ijari,S.R “ Rural library services.” Education through public libraries: A practical Approach. Ed .Palanivelu,C and K.S.Raghavan,K.S. Madras: Government of Tamil Nadu Directrorate of Public libraries,1991.261-265

Kothari, C.P. Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. New Delhi: Wishwa prakashan, 1990.

Kumaresan, S.C and Swaminathan,S. Library science unleashed. Trichy: Rock City Publications, 2003.

Source: ArticlesBase.com