Impacts of Library and Information Services to Community Development in Digital Era

Abstract

Community library services was introduced by public libraries in the western world as an extension services to provide information to the community. The invention of information and communication technology (ICT) enable public libraries to provide electronic information services for the development of the community. As a result of that, communities are given real time assistance to access information on health, agriculture, education, religion, recreational and cultural activities. The paper examine the concept of community Library information services as a services given to the community to enable them use information services in different format, the state of community library and information services in digital era. The paper later highlighted the impacts of library and information services to community development in activities like agriculture, health, education, legal matters e.t.c. in digital era, lack of understanding of information need of community, lack of reading culture, absence of community information literacy, insufficient library education and in house training were later discussed as the challenges faced by public libraries in extending library and information services to the community. Lastly conclusion and recommendations were given, that investments in public libraries in developing countries like Nigeria is needed to make them true community information service center. Also ICT awareness, training and mobile library services should be extended at all level for the growth of the community.