Communications Potentials of the Library for Non-Literates – an Experiment in Providing Information Services in a Rural Setting

Abstract

The realisation that all members of the society have identifiable Information needs has led in recent times to the intensification of efforts at providing library Services to those who are yet unserved. Prominent among those neglected in the past are the non-literates. It has been particularly difficult to meet their Information needs, when compared with other completely or inadequately unserved groups like the physically handicapped, because of their inability to make use of written or printed materials. Even with pictures and such other visual representations, it is well known that a full appreciation of their messages depends to some extent on people's level of education, or what they have been taught to expect from Standard pictorial representation of realities. There is also the problem in developing countries that the small percentage of literate people who can make use of conventional library and Information Services are for various reasons poorly served at the moment. As long as this Situation persists, it is difficult to even want to pay attention to those who, for reason of illiteracy, cannot benefit even from the inadequate Services available. Be that as it may, the idea of development embraching the involvement and participation of every member of a society has made it imperative for literates as well as non-literates to have access to Information, which is now realised as an important catalyst in development efforts. In developing nations, the strategy is now to approach national development through rural development. And in the rural communities the greater percentage of the people are illiterates. The problem therefore arises as to how to bring appropriate Information to people who cannot benefit from conventional modes of Information transfer, and to induce such people to seek and make

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