Keywords
Community services
Public library
Social sustainability
civic engagement
How to Cite
Abstract
The present study assessed the participation of the communities in the community engagement program and services offered by public libraries in Kannur, Kerala. Public libraries functions as people’s own spaces by engaging the people with vibrant and innovative outreach programs and services. The main objective of the study was to assess the current status and utilization of public library’s community engagement services by the different user groups.. Moreover, it tries to identify the challenges faced by both users and librarians in the utilization and actualization of these programs. The study was conducted among the different reader group communities namely Balavedhi, Yuvajanavedhi, Vanithavedhi and Vayojanavedhi in public libraries functioning under the Kerala State Library Council A well-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from library users and interviews with the librarians were conducted to collect data. Chi-Square test was conducted to compare the challenges faced by users in different community groups. The study found that most of the users take advantage of the community services provided by public libraries, and they also require additional services from the library, such as free Wi-Fi, ICT facilities, and more e-governance services.
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