Rural Libraries Research Articles

Creating a ubiquitous reading environment for children in undeveloped rural areas: An action research project

Reading literacy in children is very low in undeveloped, rural areas compared to reading literacy levels in urban children. Action research is effective in exploring collaboration among libraries, schools, and families to improve rural children's reading levels. To create a ubiquitous reading environment for rural children, a three-stage and two-year action framework was initially designed and evaluated in this study. Ten action research circles were carried out within this framework involving 10 rural libraries, 11 primary schools and 127 families in China. Findings show positive effects of the improved reading environment. Five themes were identified to interpret why the research project exerted positive impacts on rural areas and to guide future action for libraries and other sectors to develop children's literacy as strategies.

SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES IN MALAYSIAN RURAL LIBRARIES

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the practices of social sustainability in selected Malaysian rural libraries. A qualitative approach was employed through the observations, interviews and reviews of documents related to the selected six (6) rural libraries involved in this study. This study concluded that all of the rural libraries involved in this study successfully implemented the social sustainability elements in their libraries.

Supporting Social Connectedness of Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Small and Rural Public Libraries

ABSTRACT This article presents a national study of how small and rural public libraries supported social connectedness among older adults in the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Results suggest that small and rural libraries employed five approaches to stay connected with older adults. Results further show that small and rural public libraries see establishing stronger inter-organizational partnerships with other institutions that serve older adults as a top priority. These results suggest a need for bolstering continuing education and professional opportunities focused on embedding public librarians more firmly into the broader field of practice of supporting aging in America.

Exploring barriers and possible actions suggested in rural libraries for information society: Perspectives from library practitioners in Malaysia

This study aims to explore the barriers when developing information societies and to suggest possible actions for rural libraries to participate in information societies, tailored to the needs of Malaysian rural libraries. This study employed a three-round Delphi technique; including a face-to- face interview in the first round, followed by two rounds of close-ended survey questions presented in a Likert-type scale format distributed to a selected group of leaders with experience in rural library planning and strategies. It reveals how funding, library infrastructures, information communication technology, local content resources, and human resources adversely affected rural libraries in the development of an information society. Based on the recommendation elicited for the five categories, this study suggests possible actions that provide practical guidance on the actions to be taken by the rural libraries in developing an information society.

Understanding the Digital Capabilities of Rural Communities in Low Literacy Rate Areas in Malaysia towards Digital Society

Despite several activities been focusing on urban areas, rural areas are no exception in being a digital society. Since the year 2000, various initiatives such as rural libraries establishment and Universal Service Provision (USP) programs tend to narrow down the digital divide between rural and urban areas in Malaysia. However, few empirical studies have been carried out on information access and usage of digital technologies among rural communities in Malaysia. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the digital capabilities of rural communities in low literacy rate areas in Malaysia towards a digital society. This study is a quantitative method and descriptive kind of study using questionnaires as an instrument to collect the data. Multi-stage clusters and simple random sampling were employed and 400 respondents were selected. Analysis performed confirms that rural communities in Malaysia, are digitally connected and informed society (Digital Society). Smartphones and the Internet were the highest types of ICT tools used by the rural communities in the study. The result did reflect on the ownership of their ICT tools, which most of the rural communities afford to have their own smartphones regardless of the level of age. A better understanding of digital capabilities towards information access and usage of digital technologies among rural communities could produce a better understanding of the adoption and usage of digital technologies. The findings are also expected to provide useful inputs in ensuring that the advancements in communications infrastructure and services contribute to the inclusion and participation of all segments of the population in the realization of a Digital Society. Meanwhile, able to understand the human and social factors, which affect and contribute to the adoption and usage of digital technologies and services.

Model Libraries: Historical Outline of the Project

The article presents the history of interaction between the government authorities and the library and information sector in the project of development of municipal libraries. The project resulted in the “model libraries”. The project has been operating since the early 2000s. The purpose of the article is to reveal the implementation and analyse the support at the level of federal and regional government management of the program until 2018 (the start of work within the frames of the National project “Culture”). The author presents periodization of the project, as well as quantitative characteristics and approaches to the understanding the concept of “model library”.Model library is a public library of municipal level that has standard and optimal set of material and information resources. At the same time, there is no approved definition of this phenomenon. It is assumed that the model rural library in its functions, content and equipment meets international and domestic standards and serves as a model for other institutions. The “model” indicators are reflected in the “Model Standard for Public Library Services”.The project on creation of model libraries on the basis of municipal public libraries in rural areas of Russia started in 2002 with the emergence of the all-Russian project “Creation of model public libraries in rural areas”. Since 2012, funding under the federal target program “Culture of Russia (2012—2018)” is carried out in the form of subsidies allocated on a competitive basis. The project became a “catalyst” for modernization processes in rural libraries of Russian regions. The transformation program included the following stages: repair and equipment of the library premises; acquisition of books and electronic publications; conducting training seminars for staff. The rural model library targeted the goals of ensuring equal and free access to information, creation of a comfortable library space, etc.After the approval of the “Model Standard for Public Library Services” (2014), it was decided to test its feasibility by creating so-called “pilot libraries of a new type”. According to this document, model libraries are intellectual centres equipped with high speed Internet, access to modern domestic information resources, which should provide access points to the National Electronic Library.The regional leaders in creation of model libraries are the Republic of Chuvashia, the Belgorod Region, the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Kursk Region and the Republic of Mari El. As of January 1, 2019, there were 3,310 model libraries operating in the country. The creation of model municipal libraries has become one of the departmental projects of the National project “Culture”.

Preservation of Information Resources in Selected Rural (Public) Libraries in Southern Nigeria: State-of-the-Art

Rural libraries serve the specific information need(s) of communities where they are domiciled. They are vital to the knowledge society, fundamental to the information access and distribution framework at the community level. Today, rural areas are almost void of crucial contemporary information-based technological infrastructure. Preservation of information resources is crucial to its sustainable utilization either for individualist or communal development. This study presents the status quo on preservation of information resources in public libraries in rural communities in southern Nigeria. The survey design was adopted; random sampling was used to draw 98 respondents, questionnaire was constructed to elicit responses with 91% returned rate. Results showed that information resources are in poor state of preservation due to deposition of particulate matter, dilapidation of library building, and mutilation. Dusting/cleaning of shelves/books and the engagement of humans to secure information resources were the most frequently used to preserve the information resources. Rural libraries lacked CCTV and no RFID installed to prevent theft. There are almost no visible digital preservation activities in place. The constraints to preservation include the obsolete nature of information resources, delay in government’s response to plea on preservation requirements, no air conditioning, poor electricity and underfunding. Staff training on preservation, workable preservation policy, increase budgetary allocation, and community awareness of use of information resources may enhance preservation efforts. Rural libraries are merely fast fading store houses of information resources with its purpose almost been defeated. There is need for urgent attention from the public and concerned agencies. Useful recommendations were put forward accordingly.

Agriculture-based community engagement in rural libraries

Community engagement in rural libraries receives little focus and is an overlooked area of research. In this article, we report exemplars of agriculture-based community engagement in rural and Southern and Central Appalachian region of the United States. An online survey of rural library professionals demonstrates the positive impact of agriculture-based engagement activities on the overall community-engagement initiatives in this region. This article synthesizes eight distinct agriculture-based initiatives with many subprojects, lists an inventory of stakeholders involved in agriculture-based community-engagement initiatives, and highlights the challenges faced by the rural libraries. Three successful examples, namely, seed library, community gardens, and farmers’ market initiatives, are presented with details to help other libraries adopt these successful community-engagement initiatives. The results show that rural libraries are very creative with their limited resources and they hit many areas of impact in the community through their community-engagement activities.

Environmental Sustainability Practices in Rural Libraries

The key purpose of this study was to investigate the implementation of environmental sustainability practices in Malaysian rural libraries. A qualitative approach was employed through interviews, observations, and examinations of documents related to the six (6) rural libraries which were involved in this study. This study concluded that rural libraries in Malaysia had not fully implemented the environmental sustainability elements as suggested by the International Federation of LibraryAssociation (IFLA). Nevertheless, rural libraries in Malaysia had put good effort into environmental sustainability practices.

Evergreen Library Penetrating into Classroom Teaching: Applying and Expanding – Take Tianzhu No.1 High School in Northwest China as a Sample

This paper provides a study of the school library programs sponsored by the Evergreen Education Foundation (EEF) and identifies the vital role of school libraries in improving students’ information quality. Based on analyzes Strategies for building literacy skills in the library of Tianzhu No.1 High School, the study confirmed the program developed reading and literacy skills among students. As EEF programs continue to expand into other locations in China, it is the authors’ hope that this study may provide useful information and analysis based upon which decisions about future programs can be made. It is also their hope that this study provides impetus for more studies on the rural library programs in other areas of China or programs in other underdeveloped regions of the world.

Social capital in the theory and research of LIS professionals in the light of the literature on the subject. Review of current knowledge

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to present the latest scholarly trends in the field of social capital in libraries, to review research concepts published by LIS professionals and to suggest further research possibilities in this area.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a review and critical analysis of literature associated with research on social capital in libraries to highlight its importance for the development of LIS and its impact on the functioning of environments linked with various types of libraries. The goal of literature analysis was to determine the current condition of research on social capital in libraries. The main trends were identified and the need for further qualitative analyses, which are missing at the moment, was confirmed.FindingsIt was determined that, so far, LIS professionals have focussed mainly on the role of municipal libraries in developing social capital, the problem of building trust, especially in immigrant circles and the impact of libraries on promoting a civil society. Academic libraries, rural libraries, organisational capital in libraries and individual social capital of librarians were a much less frequent subject of research. The role of libraries in developing social capital in educational (primary and secondary education) and professional (non-university professionals) circles is practically non-existent in research, and it will require in-depth studies and analyses in the coming years.Originality/valueThis paper constitutes a synthetic review of the latest research concepts concerning social capital in libraries. It identifies the most important research trends and areas that so far have not been explored and suggests research methods to help LIS professionals design future research in this area more effectively.

Innovative Lessons from Our Small and Rural Public Libraries

Public libraries that serve community populations under 25,000 and/or rural areas make up more than three quarters of the total libraries in the United States, and yet are rarely featured in professional media. Small and rural libraries were the first to offer services during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and, in many cases, continue to outpace their large, urban counterparts in providing access to their communities. This article explores the innovations, collaborations, and challenges of small and rural libraries from the personal experiences of five library professionals.

Impacts and changes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in librarianship: the rural school library scenario

This article presents data on the impacts and changes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic on librarianship within the context of rural school libraries. We understand the work in libraries as a special activity that is only valued if contextualized. Thus, we question the role of the library and the librarian practices in the current pandemic scenario with the purpose of updating the debate on librarianship in rural schools. To this end, we conducted a bibliographic and exploratory field research mediated by the application of a questionnaire. We conclude by highlighting the precarious situation that prevents actions and activities to encourage reading and the dissemination of pedagogical resources to support school and school-community libraries.

Rural Library Sustainability Development: A Case Study in Langkawi

The sustainability concept has been widely discussed in various fields nowadays. In Malaysia, sustainability is highlighted in the 11th Malaysia Plan with the focus of improving human well-being, green environment, infrastructure that supports the Malaysian economic development, and the empowerment of public servants with high productivity. Sooner or later, all organizations in Malaysia will be implementing sustainability elements in their procedures. Now, it is time for libraries to be in line with this trend to ensure their existence. This study, therefore, seeks to identify the sustainability elements needed by rural libraries to sustain in the community and continuously provide information to the community. A rural library in Langkawi is the focus of this study. The staff, the user, and the non-user of the rural library were interviewed on the environmental, economic, and social sustainability elements.

Zemsky Rural Public Libraries of Kursk Province and their Readers (Late XIX — early XX Centuries)

The article is devoted to the formation and development of zemsky rural folk libraries in the Kursk province in the late 19 th — early 20th centuries. The documents of the State archive of the Kursk region and materials published in the “Current school statistics” of the Kursk provincial zemstvo are analyzed. Information about the founders of free public libraries is presented. The factors that influenced the formation and development of libraries are identified. Attention is paid to the age and sex of the readers, their education and occupations, reading intensity, reading preferences and requests. The relevance of the study is due to the need to comprehend the social and cultural significance of the activities of zemsky rural libraries. The dynamics of growth in the number of rural folk libraries and their distribution by counties are traced. Attention is paid to the subject of books and authors, preferred by the villagers. It is concluded that thanks to the joint efforts of the zemstvo, public organizations, local intellectuals and the initiative of peasant communities, rural national libraries have become a viable social institution and played a significant role in introducing peasants to the book.

Reading interest and reading pattern of rural library users in a low literacy rate area

The rural library generates knowledgeable and up-to-date communities through the inculcation of positive lifestyles. The purpose of the study is to investigate reading interest and reading patterns among rural communities in the low literacy rate areas in Malaysia. The quantitative study employs a multi-stage cluster and simple random sampling, whereby 400 respondents from 16 rural libraries at Sabah, Sarawak, Kedah, and Kelantan were selected. This investigation shows that rural library users interested in the reading activity. Most of the users are female, read 2 to 5 books in a week, and prefer to read printed materials in Malay. There is no significant difference in reading interest and gender. Findings suggested that more library needs to be established in rural areas to foster reading culture. Librarians and community leaders play a role in promoting library facilities for the community. More research needs to be conducted to assess the impact of the rural library on the community, especially in the low literacy rate areas. Keywords: literacy rate, reading interest, reading pattern, rural community, rural library

Tongwei County Library

Through the cooperation with the Evergreen Education Foundation in the United States, the Tongwei rural library network has been set up and a cooperation service alliance between a public library and school libraries has been built; using project funding by Evergreen, it reached out to the local communities, and meanwhile, it carried out small projects to enhance its service capacity. Through participation in the Evergreen-sponsored international conferences, training, and projects, librarians have improved their service capabilities and sharpened their awareness of library services. Based on the local cultural characteristics and user needs, and funded by a grant from Hangzhou Library Foundation, Tongwei County Library has established a reading room as a space where people can read calligraphy and painting materials. In addition, it carried out special collections services, shot the documentary film “Autumn Story,” and held “Tongwei impression.” It is the first county library to achieve management automation, and the national-level library in the fifth national public library assessment.

Rural librarians' perspectives on makerspaces and community engagement

AbstractThis study investigates eight rural librarians' perspectives related to makerspaces, community engagement, and youth informal learning through cultural probes and semi‐structured interviews. Preliminary findings through content analysis suggest the importance of aligning the librarians and the youths' interests in making to support learning within library‐based makerspaces and highlight the need to support rural librarians to develop STEM competencies and strategic partnerships.

A Story of Transformation of an Iranian Rural Library in Nonformal Education of Children and the Life of People

AbstractThis research shows how a rural library (named Fatemeha Library) in Iran can be transformed into a successful one and how it is possible to introduce a prototype for the establishment and d...

Natural Disaster Accessibility of Small and Rural Libraries in Northwest Florida

ABSTRACT Public libraries are critical community facilities through which librarians support their communities before, during, and after natural disasters such as hurricanes. In their disaster responses, public librarians work to effectively restore library buildings, provide library materials, and, most critically, provide services that strengthen community resiliency and sense of safety. However, a neglected aspect of disaster policy and response is the lack of documentation regarding library transportation accessibility. In this study, the researchers used geographical information systems (GIS) approaches to investigate the extent to which public libraries are sited to serve vulnerable, rural populations in Northwest Florida. Results suggest that many public library branches are inopportunely sited relative to pockets of high-need populations, indicating that disaster services may need to be offered outside of the library building or transportation options be made available to residents of disaster-prone, inaccessible areas. The study’s findings have the potential to inform library and information studies education, multidisciplinary research and policy-making, and to develop a public library disaster preparedness and response.