Role of Library in society

Role of Library in society:

 Introduction All over the world libraries are dedicated to providing free and equitable access to information for all, be it in written, electronic or audiovisual form. They play a key role in creating literate environments and promoting literacy by offering relevant and attractive reading material for all ages and all literacy levels and by offering adult and family literacy classes. They embrace the social responsibility to offer services that bridge social, political and economic barriers, and traditionally make a special effort to extend their services to marginalized people. Libraries assist in finding, using and interpreting appropriate information that opens up opportunities for lifelong learning, literacy enhancement, informed citizenship, recreation, creative imagination, individual research, critical thinking, and ultimately, empowerment in an increasingly complex world.Having a comprehensive, country-wide network of libraries in literate societies is a relatively recent phenomenon dating from the late nineteenth century. Historically, public libraries have a strong tradition in Anglo-American societies. As early as the 1890s, the public library in the United States responded to the language and literacy needs of a large influx of immigrants, providing English and citizenship classes in many urban libraries. At the beginning of the twentieth century, libraries were part of an awakening consciousness that saw education as an instrument for social change. After World War II, mainstream libraries gradually started to extend their services to community groups and, by the 1960s, a special focus was set on reaching marginalized groups. In the following years, libraries played an important role in national literacy campaigns, for example in Thailand. In the 1980s, more flexible and proactive facilities, often called resource centres, began to emerge as a force in movements for social change and the democratic reconstruction of civil society. These centres began to explore new relationships with their users, valuing local culture, supporting community development, and preserving indigenous knowledge (Adams, 2002: 33-34). Today the role of libraries and professional librarians is changing worldwide. They are no longer passive keepers and preservers of books; rather, they have evolved to become facilitators of information and lifelong learning opportunities with an emphasis on service, identifying user needs and communicating solutions. Modern libraries are unfolding the community’s learning potential by providing information on community issues, such as health, employment, continuing education and local history.This equitable access to information is essential to enable educated and informed citizens to participate in a democratic global community.Libraries are also custodians of the local and national culture by storing popular and academic knowledge and material for current and future generations. Public libraries play the most

important role worldwide in helping to bridge the information gap by providing free access to information and communication technologies, particularly the Internet. They are inclusive in that they build bridges between individuals at the local level and the global level of knowledge. In industrialised countries, access to modern information technology is currently one of the most attractive library services

Preservation of reading Materials:

Library is tool to preserve  the reading material from written to audio and visual include newspaper,books,reports,magazines,digests,reference materials include dictionaries,encyclopedias,almances,directories etc. Dynamic and stimulating literate environments at home, in the classroom, in the workplace and in the community are essential to literacy acquisition, development and lifelong use. In many countries, people cannot imagine daily life without written information. They start the day reading the newspaper, they pass many posters and advertisements on the way to work or while running errands, they read and write e-mails and reports at work; they look through the daily mail and enjoy an interesting magazine or a good book in the evening. But in many countries of the developing world there is a serious lack of reading materials and hence a lack of reading culture or trend like Pakistan where there is no trend regarding studying the reading. UNESCO states that "the goal of Education for All also involves the development of literate societies in the developing world, and cannot be attained solely by providing quality learning materials to schools. If people are to stay literate, the must have access to a wide variety of written materials and continue the habit of reading in their adult lives" (UNESCO: Basic).

If we discuss about national library a qualitative material is preserved through repository, purchase, gifts or donation for society for future use, because national library is sole library in every country and preserve material which published by any author or publisher who has to submit two copies of that material in nation library without they cannot publish the material.

As for as public libraries are concerned which offer services for society

Education and library:

Over the years, many libraries have supported education efforts by providing teaching resources, information and referral services. A more active approach has been taken by libraries offering educational classes or one-to-one tutoring programs. Many libraries have outreach programs designed to meet the needs of specific groups of people with limited educational skills. Library resource materials are distributed to the institutionalized, including those in prisons, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and group homes for the elderly and disabled.

In addition, some libraries offer programs for groups at risk for education-related problems. Adolescents have been targeted because lack of education has been associated with other problems including crime, pregnancy, unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse, and school failure. After-school and summer educational programs have sought to encourage young people to become employable, contributing members of the community and generally to raise their self-esteem. Strategies have included homework help sessions, peer tutoring, and peer-group reading sessions.

Families have been targeted because lack of education seems to be passed from one generation to the next: children whose parents are functionally uneducated are twice as likely as their peers to be functionally uneducated. In family educational programs, emphasis is on the parent's role as the child's first teacher. Parents, who may have been inspired to seek education training by concern for their children, are taught interactive language activities for use with infants and young children. Some libraries invite entire families to share in reading activities and book talks, with each member borrowing a book to take home.Academic libraries include school library,college library,university library and religious library are playing important role in society about providing education.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR THE CHILDREN

A library is a very important aspect in the learning process of children. The extensive genre of children's literature is an essential part of the growing up process. Most of the public libraries are keeping with the times and equipped with facilities like CDs and even computers.

REFERENCE FOR SCHOOL/COLLEGES
The quintessential library is a boon for the students in schools and colleges. There exist a large number of reference books that provide information about wide ranging subjects are a must for students to understand the concepts in their curriculum. The reference books often provide in depth information about various subjects and thus help in the process of education.
ADVICE ON IMPORTANT SUBJECTS

There are large number of books that provide advice about various topics like business, health, travel, food and careers. These books serve as a great source of advice. Many people make it a point to read and go through these books before taking important decisions in their life. Thus libraries are also helpful for people who are looking for information about specific subjects. For example a person who is planning to travel to a particular place would like to read about that destination.

WHOLESOME INFORMATION

A library usually has a good collection of encyclopedia, dictionaries and maps, which are a source of extensive information and references for people. The encyclopedias are a vast source of information about all the topics under the sky. There also exist specialized dictionaries like medical dictionaries, literature dictionaries or business dictionaries, which provide information about specific terms used in specialized fields.
Self education:

Public library play very important role while acquiring self education. It is a university of the people since it is maintained and financed by the people of the community who freely throng in this institution and acquire knowledge that they need in their day to day life. The librarian also strengthen his education studing the book and can improve his education by self education.If a librarian gets a job but his interest to become a teacher so he consult book in library to attain this objective.The scope or command of a public library that meets specific but general requirements of the public thus remains quite broader in its vision. It offers from the other types of libraries in that by offering opportunities of informal self-education it inculcates reading habit amongst all types of general readers and, as a result, maintains a sizeable collection of newspapers, light literature, i.e., fictions, novels, story books, e.t.c., for recreational studies, and a children‟s corner equipped with juvenile literature. Among its broad based functions to perform in educating the general public as well as the children, the following ones can be quoted:

a) It facilitates informal self-education of all people in the community;

(b) Enriches and further develops the subject on which individuals are undertaking formal education;

 (c) Meets the informational needs of all;

(d) Creates and further develops civic sense and habits of the citizens;

(e) Supports educational, civic, and cultural activities of groups and organizations; 8

(f) Encourage wholesome recreation and constructive use of leisure time.

(g) Provides children, young people, men and women opportunity to:

(i) educate themselves continuously, (ii) keep abreast of progress in all fields of knowledge, and (iii) maintain freedom of expression and constructively provides a critical attitude to all public issues and world

Education Culture:

Libraries have many roles in relation to education and learning, but some need to be invented or reinvented. Libraries need a “push” component – they need to proactively advertise and market their services as opposed to just waiting for people to visit. It leads a society to education environment and education help to recognize a man right way. It all depends upon material that a library provides because a good book lead a person on right way and not suitable book leads a society in destruction.If we talk about academic library there are lot of material but its librarian responsibility to provide right material to users. Users reads different type of material books, historical biography, magazines, renowned authers books which motivates the users regarding education,so reader take inetest in reading materials which develop education trend.Obeviously if one person like some books in library he will tell to other friends ,colleges,they also take attension to study this while visiting libraries.

  Libraries and societies Society progress:

As gateways to knowledge and culture, libraries play a fundamental role in society. The resources and services they offer create opportunities for learning, support literacy and education, and help shape the new ideas and perspectives that are central to a creative and innovative society. They also help ensure an authentic record of knowledge created and accumulated by past generations. In a world without libraries, it would be difficult to advance research and human knowledge or preserve the world’s cumulative knowledge and heritage for future generations.It tells the heritage and culture of any nation and transfers the tradition,customs,norms to next generation which are very important for progress of any nation.

In current scenario librarys role become more important in rapid changing environment because without this information new generation does not aware about current challenges in world.e.g in digital age world has become global village so its librarian resposibilty to give such material which could meet the current need of users that leads  a society on progess.

Information Function:

As we know library gives information basic level to research level,every kind of information to readers whatever he wants whether he search for self education or recreation acitivity,education purposes,. So library science changed his name as information science, because it provides information in every field of life medicine ,sports, IT, social contexts etc.

Library and Democracy

Public libraries do play an important role in our society. They help to bring people into the democratic process and keep them informed as citizens about the actions of their representatives. They also play a vital role in supporting the most vulnerable during a recession and provide them with the tools they need to develop their skills and gain employment. In times of prosperity these facts are easily forgotten. In times of recession we are reminded of their value to the community. Public libraries have not lost their relevance, maybe some of us have just forgotten what made them relevant. Libraries ensure that everyone can gain access to information and thus partake fully in the democratic process. The role of a librarian is, therefore, absolutely crucial in a democracy. .Democracy means give freedom to reader for accessing information and take benefits what he want.But there is a limit for accessing information because such books or materials are prohibited for libraries like sensitive mattor how to make atom bomb or secret information about any country this is illegal.

Formation of Civilzed Society:

As discussed above library make a civil society whose social norms ,culture, tradition,heritage and religion values reflect original shape,its only possible when library provide right material which helps the users to identify himself.For doing this libraries arrange workshops in which identify the problem face by the users and  develop interest among society for visiting the library. Because a good library leads a society tend to success. When people study their culture ways of living according to regligion,norms, tradition ,so harmony and unity develop a nation may develop.

Identification of Various problems:

A library is considered a institution where problems can be solved.Actually if we analyzed deeply a library is like hospital where problem is identified and treatment is done in the form of information and solution.e.g libraries arrange seminars on dengi fever to give awareness to peoples or readers how to save himself from this disease,whate are the precausions to prevent himself from dengi and what are the symptoms of this disease.a library may arrange workshop regarding terrorism,on social evils etc means give awareness to society