Information Services in Rural Areas through Public Libraries: A Study

The human resources in India need to be harnessed and made productive. Lack of information to the masses is impending this effort. This paper discusses the role of public libraries in creating knowledge awareness in rural areas. There is a need to provide information to individuals and groups, almost at their doorstep and in a language understandable to them. For instance, rural folk needs to be appraised of the policies and programmes of the government. Rural libraries can be dynamic centers of knowledge and information playing a crucial role in the development plan, if information like health care services, sanitation, inputs for agriculture crop production, dairying, market information, literacy programmes etc., are readily and easily available. Dissemination of social information relating to unhealthy and unsocial practices in society is likely to bring out the issues into the open, and rally the people to face them boldly and profitably. Some, such issues relate to child marriage, atrocities on women, widow marriage, dowry deaths, corruption in public offices, drinking and gambling.