Rural Public Library's Outreach Services in Bridging the Digital Divide in Thiruvananthapuram District

Abstract

The study investigates the outreach services offered by the rural public libraries in the Thiruvananthapuram district. Out of the fifteen A+ rural public libraries in the district affiliated with the Kerala State Library Council (KSLC), six libraries were selected for the study. The study found that out of the six libraries, three of them were automated, and they are using Koha integrated library management software. The majority of the librarians effectively serve current awareness services, reference and referral services through personal interaction, and also using ICT tools like e-mail and social media. All the libraries are using social media platforms WhatsApp and Facebook for sharing information. Five librarians opined that the easy way of bridging the digital divide in society is by providing e-learning and e-governance services to the community. The librarians strongly believed that helping to access government websites on user requirements is an effective way of supporting e-governance information service.