Library outreach programs in rural areas - Rural Libraries and Information Services

Without a doubt, electronic information and education technology can provide the rural student with access to educational opportunities and the vast range of library and informational resources needed to support distance learners. However, the costs of equipment and communication must be contained at a reasonable level.

CONCLUSION

If we consider rural outreach service to be the distribution of library facilities and services over the distances involved in low concentration areas of population, we can conclude that a great deal of work has taken, and continues to take, place. National libraries like NLM and NAL have considerable efforts underway in their areas of interest. Many state library agencies have a strong interest in promoting service in rural areas, normally by supporting and assisting local public library facilities. A great many academic libraries whose institutions are involved in distance education are looking for various ways to provide library service to support these efforts and are developing concerns for their remote access patrons.

The backbone of library service to rural areas is still the public library The traditional delivery systems--bookmobiles, books-by-mail, and deposit collections--remain of prime importance, although services and programs available from bookmobiles have evolved and continue to change. The availability of new technology on these vehicles has increased their potential.

This technology has also increased the opportunities for the small rural library to interact with the larger world of information resources. With the growth of free nets, it is currently uncertain whether library facilities will be required for broad information access in rural areas since many users will have access in their homes. However, it seems likely that, in the near future, public access points will be necessary for a great many users. Certainly the professional assistance these can provide is unlikely to be available from other sources.

Electronic access is unlikely to have much effect on the role of the library as a source of recreational reading material in rural areas, although the potential does exist for electronic browsing of library fiction catalogs coupled with e-mail requests filled by U.S. mail or bookmobile delivery.

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