Abstract
In most rural communities in South Africa, there is inadequate access to information due to a lack of public facilities and infrastructure, such as libraries and internet connections. This has a negative impact on the day-to-day activities of rural dwellers as it deprives them of the opportunity to access information, which is a fundamental right. This qualitative study used the Delphi technique, interviewing five experts in the Library and Information Services (LIS) fraternity in three rounds. The format in which information is accessed, as well as available information sources and resources, need (re)packaging in order to ensure free and equal access to information on a daily basis. This can be done through the provision of free Wi-Fi by rural municipalities in churches, gathering places, and royal houses to bridge the digital chasm. Provision of free Wi-Fi would give rural dwellers an opportunity to have access to online information without any hurdles as most rural dwellers are unemployed and lack money to buy data bundles for information access. With technological advancements, lot of information is shared online be it job advertisements, tertiary education applications, news, among others. The study provides a framework for addressing issues of information inaccessibility in remote rural areas. There is a need for increasing high-speed internet access for those in rural communities.
Keywords
Introduction and background to the study
One of the aspirations of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 in South Africa is that each community has a local library filled with a wealth of knowledge and a librarian who is collecting, organising, and making information accessible. The NDP envisages the infrastructure that compensates for resource deficits in communities where there are well-equipped libraries, laboratories, computer centres, and media centres to ensure that pupils in no-fee schools have access to similar learning resources to their counterparts in less poor communities. Furthermore, the right of access to information as a human right is now an established part of South African legislation through the Constitution and the Promotion of Access to Information Act (Act No. 2 of 2000). Community libraries that are responsive to the wide-ranging needs of their users are critical to ensuring an informed public. However, 30 years into democracy, rural communities in South Africa still do not have access to information. The uneven distribution and provision of public libraries in all South African communities are glaring and well documented. In urban areas where libraries exist, they are often soft targets when there are community uprisings. In many rural areas, schools are the only public institution communities have access to. In these areas, there are fragile social networks, largely dysfunctional community structures, no community libraries, limited access to media, and few sources of information about opportunities (Ngoepe, 2023). The lack of libraries in rural areas has been identified by Mojapelo (2023) as one of the factors contributing to low literacy level, as well as abysmally performance in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and Annual National Assessments in South Africa. The 2021 PIRLS report paints a gloomy picture that the ability of learners in Grades 4 to 6 in South Africa to read for meaning has deteriorated to 81% from 78% in the 2016 PIRLS, the lowest of all countries that participated in the survey. Mojapelo (2023) established a correlation of lack of community libraries in rural provinces of South Africa such as Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape, with the poor PIRLS results concerning the country.
With the adoption of Agenda 2030 by the United Nations, member states pledged to ensure that “no one will be left behind.” The pledge is a commitment to ensure that those who have been left behind can catch up to those who have experienced greater progress. This can also be applicable to people's access to information in rural areas. People in rural areas have information needs that arise from their daily activities, but there are no sources of information to meet those needs. As a result, they are left behind. Even in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, information is required in rural communities to assist residents in dealing with the situation. Television, radio, social media, and libraries can all provide such information.
It should be noted that most media information is generic and not tailored to a specific community. Because what people read on social media is filtered, there is no guarantee of the accuracy, reliability, or authenticity of the information. Furthermore, rural areas are not always served by newspapers (Ngoepe, Mojapelo, Ngoepe and Van der Walt 2017). As observed by Mojapelo and Ngoepe (2020: 92), most rural communities in South Africa, particularly in the Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape lack public libraries; as a result, learners in rural areas make career decisions based on advice from their teachers. This results in reliance on a single source of information to make decisions, which is not ideal. The danger with a single source is not that it is untrue, but that it is incomplete and may result in one truth.
In South Africa, while other provinces have established public libraries, the situation is worse in Limpopo, which has the fewest public libraries (National Library of South Africa (NLSA) 2016), and this has a negative impact on the country's development (see Table 1 for statistics on South African public libraries per province). Surprisingly, the Limpopo province returned unutilised money from the national Department of Sport, Arts and Culture for library conditional grants, which are provided to all provinces with the goal of developing and building public libraries (Mojapelo and Ngoepe, 2020). Policies, budget constraints, and infrastructure are also factors that exacerbated the situation.
Breakdown of public libraries in South Africa.
Source: National Library of South Africa (NLSA) (2016: 12).
Community libraries are entrusted with a vast amount of information in a variety of formats. Muchaonyerwa, Odularu-Olatoye and Guniza (2021: 12) opine that “access to library and information services is a major element in the growth, stability, independence and empowerment of communities.” As Mojapelo (2020) points out, apartheid rule between 1948 and 1994 left South Africa with a legacy of many societal challenges—including the dearth of libraries which the new democratic government is trying to address and redress. The underdevelopment of rural areas has a long history in South Africa. Furthermore, Bopape, Dikotla, Mahlatji and Ntsala (2021) emphasise that community libraries in South Africa were underserved due to antiquated policies and inadequate legislation emanated from the apartheid era. According to Ledwaba (2018: 121), public libraries were not well developed prior to 1994, except in former white communities. Mojapelo (2018) discovered that, even in post-apartheid South Africa, inadequate libraries face a slew of daunting challenges that undermine their mandate of providing information services and resources to all. Mojapelo (2018) adds that, in addition to financial assistance and staff turnover, community libraries in disadvantaged rural areas do not receive adequate support. However, the South African government through Department of Sports, Arts and Culture is providing conditional grants to address the past imbalances in the provision of LIS in rural communities. Progress in this regard is slowed by corruption, as well as by the burning of libraries during community protests (Mojapelo and Ngoepe, 2020).
Laishley and Zinn (2015) also highlight disparities in South African access to library services. Every day, information is required to survive in this era. Mnkeni-Saurombe and Zimu (2013) view libraries that meet people's ever-changing information needs as essential in rural areas. This is consistent with the IFLA/UNESCO Public Library Manifesto (1994), which states that public library services should always be easily accessible and equitable. Although Mhlongo (2018: 26) observed that “the democratic government made efforts to extend services to all South Africans by allocating funds through the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) in the form of conditional grants to all nine provincial library services,” this has not translated into the development of new libraries. As Ledwaba (2018) has observed, there are 1 612 public libraries in South Africa's nine provinces. Despite having a larger population and a larger geographical area, Limpopo has the fewest public libraries of any province. This is also noted by Mojapelo (2018), who states that the legacy of apartheid's uneven allocation of community libraries is visible and LIS provision remains patchy in the Limpopo Province (see Table 1 for distribution of libraries per province).
The situation of a lack of public libraries in rural areas is not unique to South Africa. Mtega and Ronald (2013) contend that due to the shortage of libraries in rural areas in Tanzania, rural dwellers rely extensively on information they receive from their peers, elders, teachers, or family members for their day-to-day activities. On rare occasions, some can access newspapers, as is also the case in some rural communities (Ngoepe et al., 2017). Indeed, reliable information services infrastructure is a necessity for bridging the information services chasm. This is because people living in rural areas are mostly illiterate, elderly, and children. Such people are living in poverty and mostly rely on social grants (Mojapelo and Ngoepe, 2020). For these people to develop, they need information on a daily basis, especially for learners to do their homework. This view has been raised by Mwantimwa (2020) in the Tanzanian context: rural communities need effective information services for developmental purposes. The author further explain that information services empower people as they provide knowledge that is needed to solve practical problems. Information services may be provided through telecentres, which can be regarded as an information centre providing free information services to rural communities (Mwantimwa, 2020).
Despite the importance of information to rural people, it is not always available due to a lack of infrastructure such as libraries and internet access (Ngoepe et al., 2017). Even when people in rural villages have cellphones, they are sometimes unable to access information due to poor network signals or a lack of data. This is exacerbated by a library shortage, as there is a significant backlog in providing adequate public library services in South Africa. According to Schedule Five of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, “public library services are the exclusive competence of provinces, in terms of Part A of Schedule 5 of the South African Constitution.” Prior to the 1996 Constitution, this function was shared by provinces and local governments, with local governments providing and maintaining buildings and personnel and provinces providing professional and technical services (Mojapelo, 2018). The lack of delivery of information services has a significant impact on how the community accesses information and, ultimately, how the country develops. This study explores how information can be (re)packaged for rural dwellers with no access to libraries so that the United Nations slogan of not leaving anyone behind can be fulfilled.
Problem statement
Despite being a fundamental human right, access to information has always been a serious issue in rural communities. Although people in rural communities require information on a variety of issues, access to information is limited due to a lack of libraries in these outlying or peripheral areas. A lack of infrastructure, such as internet access and poor telecommunications systems, exacerbates information inaccessibility. In rural communities, a lack of access to public library services impedes socioeconomic development (Mojapelo and Ngoepe, 2020). According to Mojapelo and Ngoepe (2020: 94), “well-resourced and smoothly operating community libraries can play a critical role in providing information sources to support school curricula and boost learner outcomes.” According to Mojapelo (2018), “even in post-apartheid South Africa, inadequate libraries face a slew of daunting challenges that undermine their mandate of providing information services and resources to all.” On the other hand, Mohammed (2019) identified the lack of library facilities and community information centres as major challenges in rural information service provision. Gibbs, Mengel and Siemroth (2021) highlight the high cost of data for information access, and this requires that rural dwellers have access to public library facilities as valuable resources that provides free Wi-Fi service.
Purpose and objectives
This study explored how information can be (re)packaged for rural communities so that no one is left behind in terms of access to information. The specific objectives were to:
identify information resources and sources in a rural setting. determine the accessibility of information resources in a rural setting. determine enablers and inhibitors for access to information in rural settings. suggest measures to (re)package information for rural dwellers.
Literature review
This study relied on constructs identified from gaps in the literature review regarding information provision in rural areas. Information sources and resources, accessibility, and (re)packaging of information are the constructs that guided the objectives, literature review, and data collection. Finally, the study suggests ways to (re)package information for rural residents.
Information resources and sources in rural settings
A variety of information resources can be found in rural areas, even though there is no access to community libraries. These information sources are important for rural dwellers’ daily activities. In their study, Kosec and Wontchekon (2020: 1) contend that “information resources in rural setting are required for agricultural services (including those related to extension and water access), infrastructure (including roads, clinics, and schools), and social services (such as healthcare, education, and social protection), among others. Such investments have the potential to significantly improve individual productivity, incomes, and citizens’ welfare.”
Research from South Africa (Ngoepe et al., 2017; Mojapelo and Ngoepe, 2020); Botswana (Mutshewa, Grand, Totolo, Zulu, Sebina and Jorosi, 2010); and Tanzania (Mtega and Ronald, 2013) has shown that the information needs of rural dwellers revolve around areas such as pensions, business, crime, agriculture, transport, proper housing, transport and communication systems, and basic health care. Other areas included literacy programmes, current affairs, job advertisements, legal matters, career development, non-governmental organisational activities, and politics, among others. Additionally, a study conducted Chege, Kiplamg’at and Rotich (2020) in Kenya revealed that Maarifa centres have addressed most of the community's information needs of government information through access to e-government services; e-commerce, agricultural development and knowledge creation, resulting in improved livelihoods. This is not the case in in rural provinces such as Limpopo Province, where there is absolutely no access to public libraries, leaflets, posters, or the internet due to poor connectivity in many communities. This has also been noted by Ngoepe et al. (2017) in their study entitled “Bridging the information gap through career expos to rural school learners in the Makgabeng village in the Limpopo Province”, which found that the internet was very bad due to poor network coverage and rural community members relying on radio and television, as almost every household is electrified, even though electricity was not reliable due to load shedding. Access to information has exploded in recent years through at least two main developments: rapid technological advancements and institutional innovations (Kosec and Wontchekon, 2020: 4). The first have generally come from the private sector while the latter have tended to come from the public sector. Both promise to increase the spread of information, including in relatively less-connected rural areas. In doing so, they promise to change not only rural livelihoods, but also rural governance itself (Kosec and Wontchekon, 2020: 4).
Accessibility of information resources in a rural setting
Access to information resources in rural settings remains one of integral aspects of community development as per the requirements of the South African National Development Plan of 2030. Accordingly, rural dwellers need access to accessible information sources on a daily basis. However, in countries like Tanzania, despite the governments’ effort to enhance information accessibility, there is a noticeable divide persisting regardless of the available information resources in rural communities (Mwantimwa, 2020). According to the author, these disparities are fuelled mainly by the high level of poverty in rural settings of Tanzania that results in access to irrelevant and outdated information by rural dwellers.
Chiwenga (2019) posits that in as much as access to information is important for developmental purposes, rural dwellers are still encountering difficulties in accessing relevant information. Maepa (2000) indicates that there are information resources in rural areas, but they are not always in a format that most of the users can relate to, especially in the context of a rural environment that is generally characterised by high levels of literacy. It is crucial that rural communities have access to information resources in rural areas. The principle of access, as articulated in the Batho Pele White Paper (Department of Public Service and Administration, 1997), stipulates that all citizens should have equal access to services to which they are entitled. Various international and national instruments reiterate this right (Department of Public Service and Administration, 1997). However, Hart (2010) notes that there does not seem to be a common understanding of what “access” really means.
Hart (2010), for example, pondered the question in her research in South Africa and concluded that, aside from geographic access, which remains a challenge, an understanding of the information needs of rural communities whose access to information is the focus is still lacking.
Mtega (2012) notes in her study the lack of information accessibility in Tanzania's rural areas. According to the author, most print publications were distributed only in urban areas in 2008, leaving rural areas with few publications. This could be due to a lack of libraries in rural areas to house some publications. Poor information accessibility in rural areas is a global issue, leaving rural residents with no choice but to obtain information from untrustworthy sources. Mwantimwa (2018) shows that rural dwellers in Tanzania rely on their mobile phones for information access and sharing due to their cost effectiveness, ease of use and timely exchange of information.
Enablers and inhibitors for the provision of information services in rural areas
There are factors that facilitate access to information services in rural settings. These include a well-developed telecommunications infrastructure, a well-developed road network, and high literacy levels, which result in a strong ability to search for information in a variety of sources. It was discovered that rural residents relied on information from friends, neighbours, relatives, village heads, religious leaders, and traditional healers to meet their information needs. Maepa (2000) discovered that when it came to day-to-day activities, rural residents relied heavily on radio, friends, neighbours, acquaintances, and professionals such as teachers and nurses. These sources, as outlined by Maepa (2000), are critical enablers of information access in rural settings.
To bring rural dwellers into the spotlight of social development, they must be well-versed in relevant information that will enable them to make sound judgement calls and decisions that will affect their lives and existence. The information-rich countries have advanced technologically through the effective use of information resources, whereas the information-poor countries are still finding their feet. In Tanzania, there is inadequate ICT infrastructure that hampers access to information (Mwantimwa, 2020).
Several factors impede the provision of information services in underserved rural areas. According to Kamba (2009: 3), public libraries must determine the purpose of the information they provide to library users, as well as the materials users require, as well as the challenges users face when seeking information in libraries. According to Kamba (2009), rural communities in Africa make up a large proportion of the population whose information and development needs are not being met, preventing them from reaping the benefits. In South Africa, Sikhakhane and According to Ejedafiru and Toyo (2015: 23), “lack of basic infrastructure, low levels of literacy, a lack of adequate and relevant information resources and services, as well as the absence of literacy programmes” impede access to and provision of information in rural communities. The following are the main information provision challenges noted by Ngoepe et al. (2017) that rural areas are facing: poor infrastructure; impassable roads; limited access to telecommunication networks; poor electrification; institutional and individual problems; lack of unreliable physical infrastructure for electronic information sharing; Inadequate technologies for delivering electronic information; lack of organised systems for the provision of information; lack of skills/expertise in information among providers and users of information; low literacy level; the limited availability of radio and television sets; the lack of financial resources; human capacity; the lack of legal frameworks at national and international levels to support the provision of information services to rural areas; poor quality of information services; poor information centre management; low bandwidth; outdated and irrelevant materials; and lack of ICT facilities.
In his study, Maepa (2000) noted the unavailability of community centres as a major challenge in rural areas. Information dissemination in rural areas requires an appropriate choice of information resources. In their study, Chinwe, Ogbonna and Osuchukwu (2014) discovered that textbooks, newspapers, picture books, television, audiovisuals, and radio were among the information sources offered in Nigerian information centres. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (2006: 3), farmers, advisory officials, and researchers in rural areas exchange information, knowledge, and skills for growth through personal interaction and media such as radio, print, and ICT.
Measures for (re)packaging information for rural dwellers
The issue of information gap in rural communities has been there since apartheid era. In an attempt to address the issue of lack of access to information, there were measures previously that were deemed to be effective. For instance, Nwokocha and Chimah (2016) and Maepa (2000) agree that for information services to be delivered to communities effectively, they should be disseminated through a bottom-up model where community members on the ground are the ones stating their information needs. The authors promote a community-centred model of information provision in rural areas. This was done because Nwokocha and Chimah (2016) indicate that “community information enables individuals to make informed decisions relating to themselves, their dependents, and their communities and can promote participation, social inclusion, and access to the democratic process.” As such, there should be plans in place to disseminate information resources among community members in a more effective and efficient way. Again, Nwokocha and Chimah (2016) discovered that “the rural populace suffers from acute low productivity and social and economic retrogression due mainly to ignorance, which is also a direct consequence of either inadequate or total absence of information dissemination.” This indicates the need to encourage effective communication between information providers and information receivers (the rural population).
Methodology
This qualitative study employed the Delphi technique to collect data from experts in library and information science in Limpopo Province. The focus was on Limpopo Province, as it is predominantly rural, and the study's aim is to explore how information can be (re)packaged for rural communities. The Delphi technique is a widely used and accepted method for gathering data from participants within their domain of expertise. The Delphi technique belongs to a set of qualitative research methods that rely on the judgement of individuals presumed to be experts in the subject under consideration (Ritchie, Burns and Palmer, 2005: 85). The researchers needed the experts’ opinions with the aim of achieving a convergence of opinion as far as the provision of library and information services in rural settings is concerned. Five experts in the Library and Information Services fraternity were identified through snowball sampling looking at their extensive involvement in LIS matters and their contributions to public librarianship in the form of either establishing community libraries or writing about the subject and serving on library boards. Three rounds of interviews as per the requirements of Delphi Technique method of research were conducted. This is supported by Keeney, Hasson and McKenna (2011: 4), who indicate that the Delphi process consists of two or more rounds of questionnaires administered by post to an expert panel. The researchers consolidated the responses after very set of interviews. Experts were allowed to modify their answers as they were presented with each other's responses. This was done to reach consensus on the answers provided.
Round one of the Delphi technique started with an open-ended set of questions, thus allowing the participants freedom in their responses. Round two was developed after the researchers completed the summarisation of the responses obtained in round one. Based on the responses from round one, more specific questions were developed. The questions for round three were created using the responses from round two. The researcher devised new questions and presented the panel with round-two responses. As with round two, the experts were permitted to modify or expand their responses as they had access to the responses of other experts. The identities of other experts were concealed when we shared the round two responses to ensure confidentiality. The expert responses were shared with the researcher after round three. Experts were allowed to review, modify, or expand on their previous responses even at this stage. This was done primarily to reach an agreement. The researcher stopped developing new rounds at this point, as consensus had been obtained.
Data were analysed thematically, and experts were assigned codes from A1 to A5 to ensure anonymity. Below are the codes and profiles of the experts:
Participant A1 - established two Limpopo community libraries and served on the Limpopo Provincial Library and Information Services Board (2008-2011). He was a Northern Sotho poet who wrote and published over 50 books. He is also a director of a rural publishing firm. Participant A2 - worked as an academic at a South African university and as a teacher for 22 years. In 2008, he worked for the Gauteng Department of Basic Education as a Senior Education Specialist: Library Services. He also served on the Limpopo Provincial Library and Information Services Board for two terms. Participant 3A - was a founding member of the Bolobedu Student Educational Project, which provided student support at the University of Limpopo, career guidance, and catch-up programmes for matriculates from 1991 to 1994. He had successfully planned and implemented the Papyrus Library computerisation project for the library services of the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality. Since 2000, he has been a member of the Library and Information Association of South Africa. Participant A4 – was a professor of LIS at one of the universities in South Africa and has written a lot on public libraries. Participant A5 – was a heritage practitioner in Limpopo and had an interest in library and cultural issues.
Results and discussions
The results are presented and discussed as per the objectives of the study. In some instances, experts are quoted verbatim.
Sources and resources available for information access
The first objective was to describe information sources in rural areas. This is due to the fact that most rural communities lack access to public libraries. According to Boloka (2022), there are only three public libraries serving 135 villages and a population of more than 172 601 people in Blouberg Municipality, which is predominantly rural and on the outskirts of almost everything. The situation is similar in other municipalities in Limpopo province, such as Mogalakwena Municipality, which inspired Makobe village residents to establish the Bakgoma Public Library in (Mojapelo and Ngoepe, 2020).
According to the responses, TVs, radios, cellphones, career expos, traditional authorities, and schools are among the resources available in rural communities. According to Odefadehan et al. (2016), people in rural areas obtain information at home from their elders, radios, newspapers, and televisions. However, these information sources do not always provide the information that communities require. Radio and television, for example, rarely provide information on job opportunities, though they do provide information on career choices.
Participant A2, for example, stated: “Rural communities have radios, TVs, as well as cellphones. However, it would be better if there were newspapers available as some community members travel over 140 km to buy a newspaper for viewing vacancies.”
The experts agreed that rural areas lacked resources, and not just in terms of information access. There are no paved roads, and some areas remain without water or electricity. Experts agreed that public library access was critical in rural areas for bridging the information services gap. They identified the following factors as contributing to the lack of public libraries:
poor readership in rural villages. many politicians are not interested in educational facilities. educated people are migrating from their rural villages instead of promoting them to get resources. apartheid spatial planning made rural communities to have an acute shortage of public libraries in rural communities. This is evident in that there are more public libraries in urban areas compare to the urban counterparts. budget is needed to build more community libraries and equip them with Wi-Fi and other resources. a lack of political will.
Factors inhibiting access to information
There are factors impeding the provision of and access to information services in rural areas, according to Ejedafiru and Toyo (2015). The authors highlight the rural areas’ lack of libraries and proper infrastructure. The researchers also looked into the factors that impede information access in rural villages. Some common factors were mentioned by the experts in their responses.
Participant A4, for example, stated: “Shortage of access to library services as well as lack of newspapers are among factors inhibiting access to information in our village.” “Lack of newspapers, libraries, and poor network connection are the major factors that hinder access to information in most rural areas in the periphery of the province, which is also in the periphery of the country.”
Participant A6 added: “Poor internet connection, which leads to difficulties accessing the internet, a lack of community radio stations, and poor community leadership are some of the factors hindering access to information in the village.”
The experts concurred that the identified barriers to information access were widespread. A2 has been added as a participant: “Access to information in rural areas is hindered by a lack of access to libraries. This has been in existence since the apartheid regime. Rural settings also have poor network connectivity in that even people who afford data bundles struggle to access the internet.”
Measures for information (re)packaging in rural areas
This objective sought suggestions from the experts on how to bridge the information services gap in a rural setting. Participants made multiple but common suggestions. Participants believed that having public libraries in rural villages, as well as access to newspapers and a community radio station, would help bridge the information services gap. They suggested that this could be achieved through library conditional grants that are returned to Treasury every year by the Limpopo provincial government.
Participant A5 provided the following justification for his suggestions: “Communities need a library, as information is freely accessible in a library. One does not need to buy data and electricity to access information in the library. The government takes care of data and electricity costs in libraries.”
The recommendations provided by experts can be summarized as follows:
By establishing more information centres in rural villages; By establishing indigenous activities in rural areas to involve all community members; By establishing educational centres for adults to engage all stakeholders, especially traditional leaders, to fight illiteracy; Through library ecosystems by partnering with the Department of Basic Education and utilising school infrastructure for libraries catering to both communities and learners. By improving network connectivity in disadvantaged rural communities; and By improving roads infrastructure. “The key to the problem is legislation affecting public libraries. Libraries are unfunded mandates for municipalities, which currently spend more than 70% of their total budget on public libraries. Firstly, I will recommend that the legislation be prioritised for finalisation. I will further recommend that the operations of the public library service be fully delegated to the municipalities because they are at the scene of operations and are currently spending more for the function. That municipalities be fully supported in carrying out their responsibilities through appropriate systems. Gauteng and the Western Cape have improved models. All scattered good practice in the sector should be analysed for possible consolidation and implementation. The turnaround time is a problem in that the legislation has been gathering dust for almost ten years; specific timelines should be set for the implementation of the legislation. All government spheres (national, provincial, and local) are delegated some responsibility for a function. There should be standards in the sector to level the playing field in terms of access. Proper funding should be allocated for the establishment of public libraries or community information centres in rural areas to enhance access to these areas and reduce disparities. In the case of smaller communities, the service can still be rendered in partnership with a local school to fast-track access. A functional monitoring system should be developed to force those delegated the responsibility to report and improve deficiencies with sharp teeth. This is from my observation that where the system provides consequence management services, they are delivered with great technique, accuracy, and speed. Incentives or awards for innovative work by both individuals and institutions in the sector will raise the bar for improving access to information in rural areas. I was pleased to observe, at the 2018 IFLA conference, countries competing on a newly established library facility with distinct innovative library services that display brilliant ideas by individuals and institutions. Imagine one of our rural libraries or community information centres being chosen as the IFLA library of the year.”
Participant A3 provided a comprehensive response by indicating that:
Measure to (re)package the information
Based on the findings of this study and the reviewed literature, the researchers suggest the framework as reflected in Figure 1 as a measure to (re)package information for rural dwellers.
Measure to (re)package information for rural dwellers.
The proposed framework takes into account the complexity and slow pace with which the government in Limpopo builds public libraries. The model is intended to establish information centres in an attempt to (re)package information in rural communities. Experts indicated and stressed the need for information centres in rural communities. They indicated that information centres can also help bridge the information access gap evident in most rural communities with limited access to public library services (Boloka, 2022). There are important stakeholders that can be instrumental in (re)packaging information and, at the same time, bridging the information services gap in rural communities with little or no access to information, which is a fundamental human right. The stakeholders can include the chief/headman, LIS graduates, NGOs, provincial library services, radio stations, book clubs, network service providers, the National Library of South Africa, and Nal'ibali. These stakeholders will play different roles in (re)packaging information in rural communities. For instance,
There is going to be a need for funding to establish information centres. The
Conclusion and recommendations
It is clear that rural community libraries are essential to provide rural dwellers with diverse information sources to meet their multiple information needs and these are necessities for socio-economic development. However, findings indicated that most rural communities in South Africa clearly have limited access to information due to a lack of public library facilities. For information, rural residents primarily rely on radios, televisions, and their peers. Daily access to information is critical for rural residents to make informed decisions. Currently, there are insufficient information resources in rural areas to meet the information needs of rural residents. According to the study, there are several information sources that disseminate and communicate information to people who live in rural areas. Oral information from neighbours, churches, the royal house, municipalities, stokvels, schools, local civic association, women's clubs, burial societies, and mortuaries, local government offices, nearest libraries, local shops, local clinics, courts of law, and community radio stations are just a few examples. However, the resources available in rural areas are insufficient to allow rural residents to survive in the information age. Churches, for example, only provided the word of God. Municipalities and royal houses, on the other hand, are perceived as not sharing information, whereas mortuaries and burial societies are only concerned with funeral arrangements and membership fees as they are driven by profit.
Findings showed a complete lack of access to information sources in rural communities. As Mojapelo and Ngoepe (2020) would attest, with the ongoing dire shortage of rural community libraries, particularly in disadvantaged rural communities, there is no need for villagers to fold their arms and relax. With a shortage of community libraries in South Africa, citizens need to resuscitate the waned spirit of thuma mina (doing things by themselves) and start building these institutions. Community members should rather start developing their own information centres. It has worked with Bakgoma Public Library (Mojapelo and Ngoepe, 2020), Makgabeng-Setlaole Open Air Museum (Ngoepe and Bhebhe, 2024). Such cultural establishment can be equipped with Wi-Fi to help community members to access information. Experience has shown that where a community do it themselves, government is highly likely to give a helping hand, as a Northern Sotho adage reckons that the authority helps those who help themselves.
Establishing a library in a rural setting is a difficult task in view of the daunting challenges such as lack of funding, electricity, water, roads, and digital infrastructure. Infrastructure is the primary key to the success of the rollout of library and information services to remote rural areas of South Africa. A recent media report indicates that 806 schools across SA will be closed in 2024. About 1142 schools have either been closed or merged (Ngoepe, 2023). Villagers do not have to build infrastructure from scratch. Abandoned schools can be refurbished into libraries. These schools can be fenced off to save them from more damage by people and roaming animals. In the long run, they could be turned into fully fledged libraries. Library service is an integral part of the knowledge economy, sustainable development, and inclusive growth. Library resources in varying formats are needed for socio-economic development of rural citizens who are characterised by high poverty levels, high unemployment rates, and high illiteracy rates.
As rural households are mostly scattered, another way of distributing connectivity is through requesting municipalities to provide free Wi-Fi through churches, meeting places, and royal houses to bridge the digital chasm. There is, however, a need for increasing high-speed internet access for those in rural communities. The proposed framework could be used to address issues of information inaccessibility in remote areas. This way, rural residents can gain access to information and avoid falling behind. The study's overview has the obvious limitations of relying primarily on a literature review and only five experts via the Delphi technique. As a result, additional research into where and how rural residents obtain information is recommended.
