ROLE OF THE LIBRARY IN DISSEMINATING INFORMATION FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The paper discusses the role of the Library in rural development. It discusses the importance of information to rural people, the concepts of development and rural development, information needs of rural dwellers, challenges faced by rural people in accessing information and the role of the library and librarian in the development of rural communities. The paper is an opinion paper. Historical research design was used for the paper and data was obtained from documentary sources and analysed with content analysis in a narrative form. Findings from literature reviewed showed that the information needs of the rural people were numerous, ranging from health, agriculture and allied occupations, education, housing, employment, transportation, religion, recreation, culture, welfare and family matters. Their challenges of accessing information were due toilliteracy, poverty, lack of information infrastructure, lack of libraries and information centers. The library can fill the information need of the rural people through education, provision of reading and information materials. It concludes by stating that the library plays an important role in rural development, so they should endeavor to stock the rural libraries with materials that will meet the information needs of the rural people. It goes further to recommend that librarians working in the different types of libraries should endeavor to acquire materials such as books and make ideas available through radio broadcast and cassette recordings.