ppt

1. Innovative Public library services for
Rural farmers
Project Submitted for the Partial Fulfillment
for the Degree of Masters in Library and Information Science
at The University of Burdwan
Submitted by
Tanaya Bhar
Roll-BUR/MLIS/2020/o31
Registration No.-201701055946 0f 2017-2018
Supervised by
Dr. Sukumar Mandal
Department of Library and Information Science
The University of Burdwan
Burdwan, West Bengal

2. INTRODUCTION
This project highlighted on the public library’s role in the society as a focal point for
local community development. It proposes a re-focusing of public libraries towards the
idea of an information centre, to contribute towards local community development by
satisfying the information needs of citizens, farmers and community institution. This
new vision of the public library as an information centre creates greater links and
integration between the public library and its local community.
Here we think that public library has still a lot to do for the rural communities,
especially for the farmers, From a survey among fifty farmers in Haripal and Jangipara
Block, Hooghly district in west Bengal.
on the other hand a survey among five Public Libraries in Haripal and Jangipara Block
was conducted to find out whether there are special services for the farmers whether
farmers visit libraries for any information relating to their occupation. It was found that
Public Libraries so far done nothing for the farmers who have been potential users of
Public Libraries. Library timings do not suit the farmers. So Public Libraries should
take immediate initiatives to reboot its importance among the rural communities. Public
Library should plan to start to provide above mentioned services for farmers.

3. Objectives of the Study:
The objectives of this study are:
 To understand the relationship between public libraries and
local community development.
 Describe the role of public libraries in Community
Development
 To find the information need of the rural people, especially of
the farmers vis-à-vis the condition of the rural libraries to
establish whether the rural libraries are in a position to satisfy the
information need of the farmers.

4. METHODOLOGY
To know the information need of the farmers’ one hundred and fifty
farmers were approached in Haripal and Jangipara Block in Hooghly
District of West Bengal. We personally met the farmers in the field
whether they were working. They were asked what type of
information relating to agriculture and their livelihoods they
frequently need to seek and where do they go for the information. On
the other hand all the five rural libraries in the above mentioned
blocks were visited to find out actual condition of the libraries to
assess whether the libraries are in a situation to provide services
farmers.

6. Farmers need information on:
Weather
 New varieties of crops and their availability
New farming Technique
 Best Practices in farming
 Availability of fertilizers and pesticides
Govt. Schemes like agricultural loan, subsidies etc.
 Training and Workshops for farmers
 Market price
 Scientific use of fertilizers
 Disease of crops and its preventive measures

7. The following services are provided to the
farmers by above mentioned rural libraries
 Weather Information
Information on new varieties of seed
Information on new farming technique
Information on scientific use of fertilizers and
pesticides
Information on Govt. scheme, subsidies, loan
etc.

8. Expert advice
Information Technology training for farmers
Webinars for farmers.
The following services are provided to the farmers
by above mentioned rural libraries

9. CONCLUSION
Public libraries are in India are still very relevant. All the libraries
should be government organization, not government aided or
government sponsored. In this era of information technology the
libraries should be equipped with modern tools and techniques. The
government should ensure that our rural fellow have free access to
the internet through public libraries .
providing these services to the farmers by the rural public libraries,
farmers can understand exactly which crop should be cultivated at
which time or a good quality seed or pesticide, or a good quality
fertilizer should be used for a particular crop. As a result there will
be no damage to the crop and that crops will not be harmful to
human beings also. As a result, farmers will benefit from their
business and the people of the society will also be able to collect
crops at the right time.