ABSTRACT
This study investigated the influence of public library services on rural farmers information needs in Abia State. The study was aimed at discovering the public library services provided and the influence it has on rural farmers information needs. Research questions for the study includes what are the rural farmers information needs, what are the services provided by public libraries to the rural farmers, to what extent does the public library services influence rural farmers information needs, what are the problems affecting meeting the rural farmers information needs and what are the ways of enhancing and meeting the rural farmers information needs. Hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Literature in relevant areas was reviewed. Ex-post facto design research design was adopted for the study. The population of study is 21,996 rural farmers in Abia State. Sample size is 393 rural farmers from six rural areas in the local government of focus which is Umuahia north. Structured questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. Data were quantitatively analyzed and presented using descriptive statistics, mean and standard deviation. The major findings of the study revealed that rural farmers’ information need include loan and credit facilities, weather forecast, information on marketing, pesticides and insecticides, among others. Poor road network, public libraries do not organize workshop and seminar, non provision of referral services, non provision of library extension services, among others are the factors affecting meeting their information needs. Ways of enhancing and meeting the rural farmers information needs include: provision of adequate power supply, provision of referral services, presentation of information in local language of the farmer, provision of current awareness services by public libraries among others. Based on the major findings, it was recommended that the public libraries should strive to know the information needs of rural farmers. It was recommended that provision of adequate power supply, provision of referral services, presentation of information in local language of the rural farmer, provision of current awareness services by public libraries among others, are ways of enhancing and meeting the rural farmers information needs in Abia State.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title
ii
Declaration iii
Certification
iv
Dedication
v Acknowledgements
vi Table of
Contents
viii
List of Tables
Abstract
CHAPTER
1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 9
1.3 Purpose of the Study
10
1.4 Research Questions
11
1.5 Hypotheses
11
1.6 Significance of the Study
12
1.7 Scope of the Study 14
CHAPTER
2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Conceptual Framework 15
2.1.1 Public library services 15
2.1.2 Rural farmers
18
2.1.3 Rural farmers’ information needs
22
2.1.4 Provision of information for adequate living
condition in rural area
27
2.1.5 Extent to which public library services meet
rural farmers’
information needs 29
2.1.6 Problems affecting enhancing and meeting the rural farmers
information needs 36
2.1.7 Ways of enhancing and meeting rural farmers’
information needs by
public
libraries 39
2.2
Theoretical Framework 41
2.2.1 The uses and gratification theory by Wilbur Schramm 41
2.2.2 Two-step flow of information theory by Paul Lazarsfeld 42
2.3 Review of Empirical
Studies 44
2.4 Summary
of Literature Review 62
CHAPTER
3: RESEARCH METHODS
3.1 Design of the Study 64
3.2 Area of the Study
64
3.3 Population of the Study
65
3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique
65
3.5 Instrument for Data Collection
66
3.6 Validation of Instrument
67
3.7 Reliability of Instrument
67
3.8 Method of Data Collection
68
3.9 Method of Data Analysis 68
CHAPTER
4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1 Presentation of Results
70
4.2 Major Finding of the Study
85 4.3 Discussion of Findings 86
CHAPTER
5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary
89
5.2
Conclusion
91
5.3 Recommendations
92
5.4 Implications of the Study
92
5.5 Limitations of the Study 94
5.6 Suggestions for Further Studies
94
References 96
Appendices 108
LIST OF TABLES
4.1: Mean
responses on rural farmers information needs 71
4.2: Mean
responses of rural farmers on the services provided by public libraries 73
4.3: Mean
responses on the influence on rural farmers information needs 75
4.4: Mean
responses on the factors affecting meeting the rural farmers
information needs
77
4.5:
Mean responses on enhancing meeting the rural farmers information needs 79
4.6:
Hypothesis test on difference of information need between male and female 80
4.7:
Hypothesis test on difference between male and female on services provide
by public library to rural farmers 81 54
4.8:
Hypothesis test on difference between male and female rural farmers on
extent public library services influence the rural farmers
information needs 82
4.9:
Hypothesis test on difference between male and female rural farmers on
problems affecting meeting the rural
farmers information needs
83
4.10:Hypothesis
test on difference between male and female rural farmers on
the ways of enhancing and meeting the
rural farmers information needs
84
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
Information can be seen as an
indispensable resource in the society. Every human being needs information for
his day to day existence and wellbeing. No society can grow above the needs for
information. All human beings need information due to its importance, no matter
where they live or find themselves. Information is crucial factor that
influences all human endeavours, irrespective of sex, economic status,
location, level of education and so on. Information is regarded as a crucial
resource and an important commodity for development. It is a basic necessity
and brings success in everyday life activity including farming. No wonder, Emmanuel
(2012) sees Information as a strategic resource for virtually every person or
group of persons in organization or establishment, whether public or private
and equally valued alongside, human resources, financial resources and material
resources. Apata and Ogunrewo (2010) view information as power and as an
important working tool for the advancement of human and society. Societies that
do not have access to information they need, will sooner or later be left
behind in terms of cultural, technological, social and even economic
development. Information is an important tool used in the realization of any goal
set by individuals, thus constitutes the life blood of individuals and
societies. With this acquiring and using information is critical and important
for every human activity.
The Rural farmers need
information to satisfy their information needs and to enhance their
productivity. For this study, information may be described as the working tools
and empowerment, for a change that will lead to enhancement in productivity for
the rural farmers, if properly packaged and disseminated.
To understand information
needs, it is necessary to understand the context of human needs that creates
the need for information. Information seekers need information for problem
solving, current awareness, recreational purposes, decision making, for
updating of their knowledge among other things.
Information need is construed
in the sense of data or a set of data, specially required, that will enable the
user to make an appropriate decision on any related problem facing him or her
at any particular time (Solomon, 2002). According to Hjorland (1997) the term
information need is often understood as an individual or group’s desire to
locate and obtain information, to satisfy a conscious or unconscious need. Information needs are often understood as a
vague awareness of something missing and usually culminating in locating
information that will contribute to understanding and meaning. Similarly,
Spacey (2018) is of the view that information needs are facts that a person or
group needs or expects in an information source, which can be driven by curiosity,
the need to make a decision or complete a task.
However, Emmanuel (2012)
explained that information needs are information which seekers require, to
conduct their business and live their daily lives. The identification of
information needs of a person, will lead to the means of providing, packaging
and disseminating that information to suit his needs According to the source,
everybody needs information including people in rural areas, to enable them
carry out their daily activities.
The rural area, in Nigerian
context, is any area that is far from the urban city. It is a village, a hinter
land, with no good access road, no pipe-borne water, no electricity and no good
factories and industries. The rural dwellers consist mostly of illiterates,
subsistence farmers and artisans, whose demographic position comprises both old
and the young people. They live in poor and deprived conditions due to the lack
of basic necessities of life. Farmers are majorly found in rural areas
(Emmanuel, 2012).
Colgate (2019) defines farmers
as people whose primary job function involves livestock and/or agriculture.
These imply that, farmers are engaged in the business of farming operations,
preparation of the products for market, storage or delivery to market etc.
Gerber (2011) noted that farmers are people who do some combination of raising
field crops, orchards, vineyard, poultry or other livestock. Their products
might be sold either to a market, in a farmers’ market or perhaps, directly
from a farm. In a subsistence economy, farm products might to some extent, be
consumed by the farmer’s family or pooled by the community. Farmers are
described as people that are involved in the production of food for the
citizenry. In this sense, they produce the raw materials that industries used
in manufacturing clothes, food etc. Without the farmers, this may not be
possible, because of the vital role they play in the production work.
Narrowing it down to rural
farmers, Williams (2000) opined that rural farmers are those subsistence
farmers, who employ traditional methods and tools in their daily farming
activities. According to him, they have been categorized as “partial economic
men” because of their duality in goal attainment. This makes farming a means of
both sustenance and cash income. Thus, the rural farmer is considered not only
as someone outside the country’s monetary economy, but also as a poor credit
risk. The dual set goal and the rural farmer’s small land holdings, force him
into mixed cropping which inevitably reduces his yields, even when all
necessary technological inputs have been added. Karthikeyan (2009) concurs,
noting that rural farmers use traditional tools and techniques. These tools and
techniques are not efficient to generate the required output. And these
categories of people live and work under difficult conditions, making their
farming a drudgery and time consuming. Furthermore, the rural farmers work
relentlessly, carrying out the bulk of marketing and processing of produce. For
this study, Nigerian rural farmers comprise of both male and female. They are
seen as small land owners, that engages in farming as an occupation to cater
for themselves and families and act as little source of income when the produce
are sold for the purchase of farm inputs, such as fertilizers for the next
season.
Rural farmers have suffered a
great deal of deprivation because they had been neglected by successive
government, researchers, extension agents, agricultural input suppliers, banks
and other financial institutions. They are being deprived of basic social
amenities like portable water, electricity supply, hospitals and all season
good roads, for transportation of their produce to market places. These male
and female rural farmers are exploited by middlemen, produce merchants and
opportunist city dwellers, who take advantage of the farmers’ agricultural
surpluses and lack of preservation to pay him ridiculously, low prices for
their produce. The significance of rural farming can thus, not be over
emphasized as rural areas form the food basket of the nation, and major source
of export materials. Rural farmers would necessarily have information needs
which should be identified.
According to Milovanovic
(2014), information needs of rural farmers vary according to the area of
interest of the rural farmer. He opined that in order to improve on
agricultural production, rural farmers should have the following information
needs: information need on crops, information need on production techniques,
information need on production equipment and agricultural input, market
information needs. He further stated that rural farmers would also need
information on weed control and management, weather forecast, availability of
credit facilities and expert advice on maintaining crops. Similarly, Megesa and
Michael (2014) identified information needs of rural farmers to include market
information, price information, information on credit facilities, pest control
information, fertilizer information and improved seed varieties. Regarding
marketing information, rural farmers need information on markets and their
locations. Through provision and access to market information, rural farmers
could be able to know where to get farm machineries and where to sell
agricultural products. When rural farmers are provided with market information,
they will make the right decisions thereby contributing to agricultural
development. They noted that due to lack of market information, rural farmers
are failing to negotiate better on the prices of their produce and thus paid a
little. The use of accurate and timely agricultural market information enhances
market performance by improving the knowledge of market actors. On the aspect
of price information, rural farmers also need information on current prices of
agricultural products as noted by (Mittal & Mehar 2012). Price information
has an impact on the sale of agricultural products by improving on the
bargaining capability of rural farmers with traders, better price realization
and reduction in arbitrage, wastage or spoilage.
As concerning information on
credit facilities, rural farmers need information on how to access credits
facilities from financial institutions in order to improve and enhance on their
agricultural productivity. To pest control information, farmers in the rural
areas need information on pest control methods. Access to timely and relevant
information on pest control will contribute significantly to agricultural
development in developing countries like Nigeria. On fertilizer information, rural
farmers may also need information on fertilizer in order to improve on their
farming activities. It is imperative that, rural farmers should be provided
with information relating to what a fertilizer is, its benefit(s), methods of
application, side effects (if any) and sale point. To the area of improved seed
varieties, advancement in agricultural technology has made way for the
introduction of improved seed varieties. Agricultural experts now engage in
crossbreeding, which makes it possible for seeds to grow and produce multiple
fruits within less possible time (Mbagwu, 2018). She equally noted that through
seed hybridization, there would be the production of different species of crop.
So, the rural farmer needs information on improved seed varieties, to enable
him competes with his counterparts in the developed nations. The rural farmer
can have access to these identified information needs through some agencies
owned by the government, notably of these agencies is the public library. The
public library is one agency that should be in the rural communities to provide
library and information services to the rural farmers.
The public library is
shouldered with the responsibility of providing information and information
services to all categories of users, irrespective of their location, age,
occupation, economic status, educational qualification and so on. It is
supposed to be in close contact with the rural farmers and provide their
information needs as identified above. The library services provided should
have an influence on the rural farmers information needs. It will enable them
learn and know new methods of preservation, marketing of agricultural products,
knowledge on improved seed varieties, new farming techniques among others. This
is because information is an essential ingredient in most agricultural
development programmes. Meyer (2005) noted that Nigerian rural farmers seldom
feel the impact of agricultural innovations either because they have no access
to such vital information or because it is poorly disseminated. High output of
agricultural research, yields a large pool of new agricultural technologies,
which are yet to be disseminated to farmers, particularly, those in the core
rural/traditional farm production centres. In order to bridge this gap and
accelerate the pace of dissemination of the research findings and other
necessary information that could be of benefit to rural farmers, the public
library services should be focused on provision of information, using variety
of communication channels in different communities which includes use of town
criers, agricultural extension agents, religious leaders, community leaders
among others. Using the above communication channels will ensure that agric
information will be disseminated to rural farmers in their local language and
orally. This is with the assumption that both the approaches and technical
information packaging and repackaging will be suitable to the rural farmers.
The paucity of provision of information needs of rural farmers is a key factor
that has greatly limited agricultural development in developing countries
(Milovanovic, 2014).
Since information is essential
to survival, as it provides and keeps farmers abreast with new knowledge and
newer discoveries in their occupation and is also an important factor for any
project and development. It is imperative to identify the rural farmers’
information needs, which should cut across agricultural and other areas of
their information needs. It is equally important to find out the ways through
which the public library provides information to these set of users. These the
study advised should be done, taking into cognizance the rural farmers’ level
of education, language and their preferred medium of communication. Rural
farmers are in Abia state as well as in other states in Nigeria and do have
information needs. Abia state is a state in the south eastern part of Nigeria.
It is one of the thirty six (36) states in Nigeria. Majority of the local
government areas in Abia state are rural areas. Most rural dwellers in Abia
state engage in farming at a subsistence level using traditional farming tools.
These rural farmers may not be educated but still have information needs. The
public library is supposed to take a lead in the provision of information to
rural farmers in Abia state. The public library services should have an
influence on the rural farmers information need in Abia state. This influence
may lead to increase in production of food that will sustain the society,
reduce ignorance and superstition among the rural farmers. It is these facts
that make it essential to study the influence of public library services on
rural farmers information need in Abia State Nigeria.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
Information is a universal
commodity and an important factor for the sustainable development of any
society. People seek for help from where they know they can get one when they
have problems. When there is no proper information flow, it may be impossible
to know about government policies and programmes. Public library services
should be tailored towards provision of information to clientele. The provision
of information by the public library should be a gateway to eradicating hunger
and poverty. Rural farmers need to know about the happenings in the
agricultural sector, in order to improve their harvest and productivity. There may
be lack of knowledge on inventions in the agricultural sector hence low agricultural
productivity which will have negative effects on the growth of the economy if
adequate information is not provided to the rural farmers. This is to say that
there may be poor agricultural production output, food insecurity and difficulty
to feed the nation when rural farmers cannot have access to information. A poor
information society may be created, in a case where public library does not
provide services to rural farmers. Based on the relevance of information to
rural farmers and the survival of a nation therefore, the study is intended to
find out the rural farmers information need and to know the public library
services provided to rural farmers. It is equally targeted at finding out the
extent the services provided by public library influence the rural farmers
information needs. In view of the foregoing, the problem of this study is that
there is no exiting literature, clearly stating the rural farmers’ information
needs in Abia state and the influence public library service has on the rural
farmer information needs.
1.3 PURPOSE
OF THE STUDY
The general purpose of the
research is to investigate the influence of public library services on male and
female rural farmers information needs in Abia State Nigeria. The specific objectives
of the study are as follows:
1.
Identify the rural
farmers’ information needs in Abia State Nigeria.
2.
Find out the
services provided to rural farmers by public library in Abia state Nigeria.
3.
Ascertain the
extent public library services influence rural farmers’ information needs in
Abia state, Nigeria.
4.
Find out the
problems affecting meeting the rural farmers’ information needs in Abia state
Nigeria.
5.
Suggest ways of enhancing and meeting the
rural farmers’ information needs in Abia state, Nigeria.
1.4 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
1.
What are the rural
farmers’ information needs in Abia State Nigeria?
2.
What are the
services provide to rural farmers by public library in Abia State Nigeria?
3.
To what extent
does the public library services influence the rural farmers information needs
in Abia state Nigeria?
4.
What are the
problems affecting meeting the rural farmers’ information needs in Abia state
Nigeria?
5.
What are the ways
of enhancing and meeting the rural farmers information needs in Abia State
Nigeria?
1.5 HYPOTHESES
HO1: There is no significant difference between the mean responses of male
and female rural farmers on rural farmers information needs.
HO2:
There is no significant difference between mean responses of male and female
rural farmers on public library services provided to rural farmers.
HO3: There is no significant difference between mean responses of male and
female rural farmers on the extent public library services influence the rural farmers’
information needs.
HO4: There is no significant difference between mean responses of male and
female rural farmers on the problems affecting meeting the rural farmers’
information needs.
HO5:
There is no significant difference between mean responses of male and female
rural farmers on the ways of enhancing and meeting the rural farmers
information needs.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The findings of this study are
hoped to be of benefit to the rural farmers, researchers, government and policy
makers, agricultural organizations and research institutes, public libraries
and Librarians.
This study is hoped to help
rural farmers in accessing their information needs and the best method of
making information available to them by public libraries. There will be high
level of productivity if the information needs of rural farmers are properly
provided and packaged in the language they can comprehend and appreciate. When
the public library should visit the rural areas to collect opinion on the rural
farmers information needs, it will enable the rural farmers freely express
themselves on what their information needs are and the result would be
enhancement in agricultural activities and products.
For the public libraries who
are intermediaries between the rural farmers, research publications and
agricultural literature, the findings of this study will reveal for the
Librarians or information service providers. It will also serve as an eye
opener for them as information service providers to the rural farmers, to put
more effort in carrying out the task at hand. When this work is published and
kept on the shelf, it will guide the information providers to state at a
glance, the information needs of the rural farmers in Abia state.
It is hoped that the findings
of this study will aide in proper monitoring and implementation of government policies.
These will help the government to know the existing gap between the urban and
rural farmers in terms of their access to the policies that are on ground for
the enhancement of their productivity. The study will guide the government on
ways of improving the budgetary allocations to the public library to enable
them meet up with providing the identified rural farmers information needs.
The result of this study will
enable agricultural organizations, research institutes as agricultural
information providers to put more efforts in reaching the rural farmers with
timely information to meet their information needs. It will add to statistics
of literature on agricultural information and guide in providing the
information to seekers without delays.
This study will serve as a
reference tool for researchers in related fields for further research in this
area of study. This means that the findings of this study will expose them to
more areas that are yet to be covered in relation to information needs of rural
farmers in Abia state and other parts of Nigeria.
To the field of librarianship
and information managers, this study is hoped to add to the existing literature
in the influence of public library services on rural farmers information needs.
It is hoped that at the completion of this study, ways of meeting and enhancing
the information needs of rural farmers will be better understood by the public
libraries.
1.7 SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
The scope of this study is on
the influence of public library services on rural farmers information needs in
Abia State, Nigeria. The study was limited to the information needs of rural
farmers in Abia State, public library services, the extent, problems and
strategies for enhancing rural farmers’ information needs. It will cover Abia State
library board as well as rural farmers in Abia State.
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