Adoption and Usage of Cyberzone in Public Libraries and Its Efficacy in Building Social Cohesion Among Underprivileged Communities in South Africa

Abstract

Public and community libraries are playing a significant role in building and promoting social cohesion among communities and society as a whole. These social libraries serve as a conduit to access information, knowledge, and support lifelong learning. However, the traditional roles of public libraries continue to change as technology evolves. These libraries need to continually adapt their services to meet their user needs, thereby ensuring their relevance in this digital era, characterized by digital knowledge-based economy and to the communities they serve. Public libraries must integrate emerging technologies to their services by implementing cyberzones in order to build social cohesion among community members. The purpose of this study was to examine the implementation of cyberzones in public libraries and its efficacy in building social cohesion among underprivileged communities in South Africa.