INVESTIGATING INFORMATION NEEDS OF LIBRARY USERS: A CASE OF BUSHBUCKRIDGE COMMUNITY LIBRARY

 

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Information is increasingly becoming an important resource that contributes to the development of rural communities as it brings knowledge that enables them to meet their needs, e.g. health, careers, business, education and training‖ (Islam and Ahmed, 2012:1). Easy and affordable access to current, sufficient and relevant information ensures that rural communities gain the knowledge and skills necessary to enable them to participate and contribute to their own development (Moore, 2007; Kamba 2009 and Etebu, 2012). The information needs of rural communities are therefore important to providers of library and information services (Balit, 1996, Munyua, 2000 and Moshapo and Hanrahan, 2004 in Islam and Ahmed, 2012).

According to Ngulube (2012:1), ―libraries and librarians play a central role in organising and communicating knowledge. They are also an important part of the knowledge production and use chain.‖ Thus, as a source of knowledge or information, libraries and librarians must be able to ―meet the diverse and rapidly changing information needs of library userk2s/users, particularly in rural areas where such information tends to be scarce and/or limited‖ (Naidoo and Raju, 2011). This means that  ―the information kept by library must be relevant, accurate, current and consistent with the needs of users. These needs must be assessed and appropriate strategies developed to ensure that library services meet them‖ (Wiese and du Plessis, 2014).

The above view is also supported by Islam and Ahmed (2012:1) who argue that ―as communities change so do the information needs of the people‖. Therefore, ―a library 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 the needs. This must be done regularly, for libraries and information centers to remain relevant Kaniki (1994). According   to   this   author,   several   factors   impede   assessment   of   community‘s information needs and these include indifference of library personnel, genuine lack of staff and financial resources, and staff reluctance to conduct such assessments. Related and perhaps more critical is the lack of knowledge of assessment techniques and the difficulty of developing simple but reliable methodologies.

The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Public Library Manifesto (1994:1) describes a public library as a living force for education, culture and information and as an essential agent for the fostering of peace and spiritual welfare through minds of men and women. What is this means is that libraries can and should contribute to the holistic development of individuals and groups in rural areas, including Bushbuckridge which is the focus of this study. Balapanidou (2015:4) concurs with this statement when he says that public libraries have always been collecting, preserving and providing resources and services relating to the history and development of the local community – including library users.

According to the International Federation of Library Associations (2001:2), the primary purpose of the public library is to provide resources and services in a variety of media to meet the needs of individuals and groups for education, information and personal development including creation and leisure. They have an important role in development and maintenance of a democratic society by giving the individual access to a wide and varied range of knowledge, ideas and opinions. It has been acknowledged that libraries play a key role in ensuring that rural communities achieve their educational goals. Community libraries in particular, have always been central to promoting literacy in the populations that they serve (Library and Information  Services  Transformation  Charter,  2014:1-2).

Against this background, this study utilises triangulation approach to investigate the information needs of library users in four local libraries of Bushbuckridge. The study is based on the assumption that libraries need to play a major role in addressing the information needs of rural communities by providing relevant, useful and tailored information that meet people social and economic development needs.

According  to  Kamba  (2009:2),  ―rural  communities  in  Africa  constitutes  the  larger percentage of the population whose information and development needs are not adequately met and consequently they have not been able to productively participate in the  development  process  and  enjoy  the  benefits  thereof. Equity  and  justice  requires that any programme for socio-economic development, whether general or in a specific sector, should cover and benefit all sections of the society, irrespective of race, caste, colour, religion, culture and other social, economic or political differences‖ (Kamba, 2009:2).

Crucially, Cheunwattana (1998) notes that the majority of rural population in developing countries are poor and illiterate and are economically and socially disadvantaged and their information needs have not been receiving much attention. Supporting this view, Kamba (2009) and Chester and Neelameghan (2006) argue that rural communities in Africa constitute the larger percentage of the population whose information and development remain largely unmet; which hampers their socio-economic development.

In the case of South Africa, lack of library and information services in rural areas conflict with the national imperatives to which LIS services are aligned. According to the South African Libraries 20 Year Review Report (2014:1-8), ―these national imperatives include redress and equity, social and economic development, social cohesion, poverty eradication, diversity and responsiveness, nation-building, entrenching a culture of reading and developing a national literature in South Africa‘s indigenous languages.

As previously mentioned, the main focus of this research is the information needs of library users in Bushbuckridge. Kamba (2009) point out that the information needs of library users are diverse and multifaceted. These range from farming, family planning, basic services, welfare agencies, child care, transport, indigenous plants and herbs, crops, schools, colleges, universities, churches, support networks and nature conservation.

Harande (2009:2) argues that sometimes rural communities are provided with information that is either not reliable or distorted in the process of transmission. This unhealthy situation constitutes a major impediment, which keeps the rural communities in developing countries far away from development indicators.‖ Besides receiving distorted and/or insufficient information, rural communities also face other barriers that prevent them from meeting their information needs. These include ―basic infrastructure (e.g. electricity, telecommunication, utilities, roads and transportation); low level of literacy;  lack  of  proper  information  services  and  technical  competencies‖  (Kamba, 2009).

In light of the challenges mentioned above, Kamba (2009:7) suggests several steps that may be taken to address the information needs of rural communities. These include creating awareness (through village heads, community leaders); public lecturers (on market days, hospitals and other social gathering); reawakening the role of oral tradition in most of the rural communities and integrating it with digital technologies for enhancement; organising shows and public gathering for education and entertainment; constructing viewing centres, establishing innovative community information centres; skills acquisition centre, and deploying extension information workers to rural communities.

 

Research indicates that the emergence of information and knowledge society is a significant intervention with the potential to ensure that knowledge and information are very  important  for  achieving  meaningful  development  Sturges  and  Neill  (1998).  This view is supported by Balit (1998:1) in Kamba 2009:2) who points out that the least expensive input for rural development is knowledge. Knowledge and information are basic ingredients of making one to be self-reliant and are essential for facilitating rural development and bringing about social and economic change. Therefore, libraries should be at the forefront of this information provision revolution.

Munyua (2000) points out that library users require information inter alia on supply of inputs, new technologies, early warning systems (drought, pests, and diseases), credit, market prices and their competitors. There is general consensus in the literature that information plays such an important role in almost every human activity and access to information and advice is a key resource for local people (Harande,2009). According to Sturges and Neil (1998) in Kamba 2009:2), lack of information has impacted negatively on the development process, particularly in rural areas. One of the factors contributing to this problem is that information is still not perceived as important as other resources necessary  to   support   rural   development. What   compounds   the   problem   is   that planners, developers and governments do not yet acknowledge the role of information as a basic resource, or are unaware of its potential value‖ (Kamba, 2009:2).

For this reason, information can be regarded as a basic resource by African communities which the populace may use to improve their conditions of living and is essential to development process. Not only does information expand the possibilities of social, political and educational and economic development of any country, but it also facilitates awareness and empowerment. Information is an asset and a resource for development  of  communities,  governments,  agencies,  and  the  target  population.

Making full use of the right of access to information is the decisive operation in modern society and the source of wealth and power‖ (Kamba, 2009:2). It is for this reason that Okiy  (2003)  described  information  as  an  important  ingredient  I  the  development process. He argues that people in rural areas whether literate or not should have access to information which will empower them in their social and political obligations and enable them to become better and informed citizens Kamba (2009:7) further argues that ―rural community development is the back bone of a country‘s development; ignoring rural communities by not providing them with basic needs and access to information infrastructure and services will basically lead them to migrate from rural communities to concentrate in urban areas which not augur well for African development.

The survey of public libraries led by the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) in 2007 found that ―South Africa had three libraries per million people, comparing unfavourably with countries in the developed world but quite well with other African countries like Botswana or Kenya‖ (Department of Arts and Culture Report, 2008:122).

Furthermore, the DAC Report also revealed that ―South Africa has only 34% of the public libraries it requires, meaning that another 2762 need to be built (DAC Report, 2013). In Bushbuckridge, which is the central focus of this research, more than 5941 246 people rely on four libraries to satisfy their information needs. Clearly, there is a need to understand whether these libraries are able to meet the information needs of library users, particularly in Bushbuckridge which is the main focus on the study.

An examination of the LIS Transformation Charter (2014:30-31) suggests that there are both challenges and opportunities that impact provision of library information services to communities, particularly in rural areas. These range from shortage of human resources and funding to limited access to LIS. Below is a brief discussion of these challenges.

 

It is generally accepted that effective delivery of library and information services to rural communities in particular depend on the availability of skilled and hard-working employees. Unfortunately, as explicitly acknowledged in the LIS Transformation Charter (2014:32), too few library professionals are being trained to meet present and future needs; some institutions are closing their LIS schools and few are still training librarians; present practitioners are not receiving continuing professional development to equip them with new skills; attracting young people into the library profession is a major challenge, and that the work the workforce in all sub-sectors are ageing, with serious implications for the future.‖ With respect to education and training needs of library staff, the  LIS  Transformation  Charter  (2014:  32)  notes  that  the  LIS  curriculum  does  not always meet the needs of the contemporary profession and its constituencies. As will be seen in Chapter 4, the study included some questions that focused on the staffing needs of the four participating libraries in Bushbuckridge.

In addition to the challenges mentioned above, community libraries in South Africa have also been seriously affected by the lack of adequate funding arrangements. There is no funding framework or model with clear emphasis on the funding of library and information sector and of libraries within organisations (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014).

Access means the ability to access the functionality, and benefit of libraries.  This include distance and transport, building design, assistive technology, relevant and usable content of resources, suitable format of resources, and the languages spoken by staff. Accessibility is also used to focus on people with disabilities and their right of access to library services (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014).

According to the LIS Transformation Charter (2014), many people do not have access to library services. There is unequal spatial access to library services with regard to urban/rural, suburb/township/informal settlements as well as the different provinces and local governments. This applies not only to community and school libraries but also certain university libraries. The shortage of suitable resources in the languages of potential library users also limits their access to information and the services of the library. Many libraries ate in old buildings and in buildings which have not been designed as libraries. The creation of physical infrastructure to provide access to the facilities is a challenge. Most libraries do not provide formats that are accessible to visually impaired and learning disabled users (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014).

According to the LIS Transformation Charter (2014:92-93) ―there is a high level of adult illiteracy and a low level of  functional  literacy‖, all of  which prevent communities from meeting their information needs. Based on the 1995 Household Survey and 1996 General Population Census, of about 26 million adults in South Africa (people aged 15 and over), about 12 to 13 million have less than a full (Grade 9) general education, 7. 4 to 8,5 million have less than Grade 7, and about 2. 9 to 4.2 million have no schooling at all, and are illiterate. There is an unsatisfactory literacy environment in homes. The National Survey into the Reading and Book reading Behaviour of Adult South Africans (2007) revealed that half of South African households have no books (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014).

The  LIS  Transformation  Charter  (2014:93)  further  notes  that  ―the  majority  of  South Africans are infrequent readers and the usual reading materials are newspapers and magazines. A quarter of the population never read in their leisure time, with people in rural areas and older people featuring strongly in this group‖. Some of the factors that continue to prevent libraries from contributing to a reading culture include poor supply of reading materials in indigenous languages, the impact of the mass media, the mismatch of content and reader needs, budget cuts, tax on books, library closures and the issue of unfunded and under-funded mandates.

 

Other constraints limiting access to LIS services include the following: First, distance is a deterrent to use of the library, particularly given the spatial distribution of public libraries, thus privileging white communities. This is a legacy of the past. Second, opening hours limited to the typical working day also negate social inclusion. Thirdly, the extension of opening hours affects operating finance because of cost implications. The average opening hours of libraries in South Africa are 40 hours per week, compared with Cuba, with its admirable literacy rates, where the average opening hours are 90 hours per week. Fourth, security issues – public libraries have also been exposed to threats to security as have so many other entities. This has limited opening hours in many instances to office hours. Fifth, membership charges also act as a barrier and highlight the unevenness of provision. In some areas they are applied and in others not (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014).

According to the LIS Transformation Charter (2014), between 5% and 12% of South Africans live with moderate to severe disabilities, which include sight disability, hearing disability, physical disability, and other kinds. People with disabilities are excluded from the mainstream of society and experience difficulty in accessing fundamental human rights. Disabled people‘s organisations across the world have therefore repositioned disability as a human rights issue. The social model has become the accepted approach to people with disability. This model recognises that it is society itself that should accommodate people with disability rather than the other way round. This model requires substantial changes not only to the physical environment but also to people‘s attitudes in order to ensure the right of people with disabilities to play a full, participatory role in society (LIS Transformation, 2014).

While information communication technology (ICT) is increasingly becoming a major competitive and service delivery tool worldwide, many community libraries in South Africa are not adequately equipped with information communications technology to be able to deliver much needed information to users, who need this information to meet their development needs. ICT has significantly transformed the way in which libraries package and deliver information services to users. For example, computers and Internet services enable users to search and find information quickly and timeously.

Inflexible and ineffective procedures hamper the procurement and acquisition of library and information resources and this leads to waste. Given this situation, there is a need for libraries to work with publishers and booksellers with recognised professional organisations as LIS sector stakeholders that are fully committed to assisting libraries to deliver their mandate to their communities (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014).

According to the LIS Transformation Charter (2014), some of the challenges impacting provision of LIS are linked to the recipients i.e. users. First, many people lack the reading and information skills for them to be able to benefit optimally from library services, including at tertiary level and in the workplace. Second, many are also unaware of the benefits that libraries offer, e.g. information on rights, services, health and work. Third, poverty has a significantly negative impact on library use. The spatial distribution of libraries mostly places them out of reach of the poor. Lastly, in rural  areas, traditional leaders are not being sufficiently involved in the kind of LIS decision- making and promotion which would strongly enhance community involvement and LIS use.

Despite the problems mentioned above, opportunities exist to provide LIS that meet the development needs of library users nationwide. These include but are not limited to the following (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014):

As knowledge centres, libraries are expected to play a leading role in promoting and instilling a culture of reading with an emphasis also on writing and learning. Although reading occurs both inside and outside of libraries, they play a leading role in building a nation of life-long readers. They supply not only books, but other reading materials such as newspapers, magazines, reports and pamphlets.

In addition to their educational and cultural roles, libraries also contribute to economic development by improving productivity through a reading and functionally literate workforce. There are already several state and private literacy organisations, as well as public-private partnerships, that promote reading and that involve libraries in these partnerships. There are however challenges that need to be met in order to entrench a culture of reading (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014).

According to the South African Public Libraries Review Report (2014), the community library conditional grant was deployed in 2007 with the allocation of R1 billion for a period of three years. It estimated that R1, billion would be spent for this purpose in the cycle 2012/13 to 2014/15. This represents a good opportunity to scale up provision of library and information services to meet the information needs of library users, especially in rural areas where supply of these services tend to be limited and dissipated.

Consideration of the key laws underpinning provision of LIS is central to the goal of this study for two reasons: firstly, they set the guidelines that should inform delivery of these services to communities. Secondly, they provide the yard stick against which the efforts of libraries in meeting communities‘ information needs can be determined. These are summarised below (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014:26-30):

Crucially, the Bill of Rights in the Constitution (Chapter Two) enshrines the fundamental rights to equality; freedom of express and access to information, education and training opportunities for all South Africans. These rights impact directly on the functions of libraries as both custodians and providers of information services to library users generally and library users in particular. In this way, the Constitution paves the way for people to use library services in order to develop themselves through reading, research, learning and information sharing (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014:26).

Driven by the Department of Arts and Culture, this White Paper aims to promote, develop and make accessible the rich and diverse traditions of all South African literatures in written and oral forms. Additionally, the White Paper also emphasises the role of libraries in development and in the promotion of a culture of reading and learning. In the same vein, this White Paper also acknowledges explicitly the lack of an entrenched reading culture in South Africa; suggesting that library services are currently not being utilised by all the people of South Africa due to lack of understanding about the potential benefits of these services (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014).

Chiefly this Act establishes the National Library of South Africa through the amalgamation of the South African Library in Cape Town and the State Library in Pretoria. More importantly, this Act also provides for the collection, recording, preservation and giving access to the national documentary heritage and the world‘s information resources. The overarching goal is to ensure that library users have reasonable access to archival information; which they can use to meet their development needs (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014).

This Act is primarily designed to promote the information needs of people with disabilities. Specifically, the Act focuses on blind and print-handicapped readers and on improving access to library and information services for South Africans with disabilities. A fundamental objective of this Act is to ensure that librarians create a suitable environment that enables disabled persons to access and use library services to meet their development needs (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014).

As a member of the international community, South Africa ratified the UN Convention and its Protocol, thus committing itself to modify and amend existing laws, regulations, customs and practices that discriminate against persons with disabilities. This commitment is reflected in the LIS Charter (2014), which provides for redress and equity in the provision of library and information services.

In terms of this Act, publishers in South Africa must provide copies of each new publication to places of legal deposit. Additionally, this act also guarantees the preservation of the national documentary heritage, and its availability across the country. The Act further notes that suppliers of library and information resources are key stakeholders in ensuring that communities have access to these services (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014).

Essentially, this Act regulates copying and access to information. Under this Act, it is noted that copyright laws must be fair, and that such laws should ―balance the interests of commercial and non-commercial publishers with the public interest.‖ In addition, the Act also makes special provision for libraries, education, literacy training, inter-library lending, preservation, and access by persons with sensory-disabilities. However, this Act also limits the amount of information that library users can extract from books and related publications. Thus, it is important for library users to obey copyright laws when looking for information to meet their development needs (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014).

Although not directly related to ordinary library users, this Act however, requires the availability of a library in communities as a minimum uniform norm and standard for school infrastructure; thus ensuring that young people, who are part of the research population, have easy and affordable access to library information services (LIS Transformation Charter, 2014).

Jointly led by the Department of Arts and Culture, National Library of South Africa and the National Council for Library Information Services (NCLIS), the Transformation Charter aims to achieve the following overarching objectives (26-30):