My ContentCommunity Information ServiceIntroductionMeaning and DefinitionWhat is Community Basic Characteristics of CommunityWhat is community informationWhat is community information Services (CIS)Why do we need community Information ServicesDesigning of CISPlanning of CISVision and goals
Community Information Service
Introduction
The Knowledge-based society of the 21th century, intelligence based on human originality will determine the survival and prosperity of individuals, organisations and countries. Therefore, every country is undertaking significant reforms in community based information services in order to cultivate creative human resources through open education and lifelong learning. The implementation of educational reforms is based on Information and communication technology (ICT) in community services. Effective use of the integrated services in community is key consideration. Adapting education and extension activities to the community is a new and developing process that requires flexibility in strategies and priorities to effectively cope with the requirements of a fast-growing environment continuous monitoring and and evaluation are necessary to ensure the reforms in every sphere of human life.
A community infonmation services for community development has become a contemporary pre-occupation of the library and information profession. How to energise and facilitate community improvement in third world countries through effective information dissemination has, more than ever before, attracted the attention of local and international bodies and institutions.
Like any other socio-cultural concept of community information (CI) is easy to understand but hard to define. Unfortunately Cl inherits Some of the vagaries of two component terms community and information. Community services have existed in India since the inception of gram panchayats, but the term community information services (CISs) is of recent Origin and any have its roots in the west. It has been emerging as a facet of public library system in the developed countries; with UK and USA taking the lead in this regard. Childers, a pioneer of community information services in the united states, has used the term 'Information Poverty' to describe the lack of basic survival information experienced by large numbers of people. Community information (CI) may be defined as information for the problems and crises encountered by individuals and their independence at different stages in their lives. It is the information for self-reliance and self-determination. It is the information in the community for the community.
Meaning and Definition
Allan Bunch (1982) first attempted to systematisation of CISs. The CI may broadly be divided into two groups i. Survival information such as that related to health housing, income, legal protection, economic opportunities, political rights, civil right etc. 2. Citizen action information, needed for effective participation as individuals or as members of a group in the social, legal and economic process.
What is community
Community is a body of people in the same locality or a group of people leading a common life or a group of people having common rights or a group of people a common possession or enjoyment.
=> Giggey difines that community is "a group of people who have some thing in common. This can be their age, education religion, interest, political affiliation, activities, work, possession or a combination of two or more of these".
=) The term 'community generally denotes a small, localized, political, economic and social unit whose members share values in common'.
Further usherwood defines community in a comprehensive way that any geographical community or neighborhood will be made up of a number of communities definable by race, social class or income group, employment, leisure interest religion and so on, each with its own informal information network that has grown up without the help of librarians or any other information advice workers.
Basic Characteristics of Community
Anyanwu (1992) outlines six basic characteristics with which a community can be identified
i. Shared territory within which the members live and develop the ways of life that give the community an identity.
ii. Shared beliefs which are nurtured and cherished by the people in the development of their common ideals, objectives, attitudes and values.
iii. Shared bonds of fellowship which demands obligations from the citizens, and the conferment of benefits to them.
iv. Set standards and patterns of behavior which bring every citizen to conform to normes and values; it also helps to develop intimacy of relationships and bond love and association.
v. Common culture which is the aggregate of the social, intellectual, artistic governmental and industrial attainments of a community, it includes the ideas traditions, customs, usages, institutions, associations and material objective characteristics of such a community and,
vi. Common administration where there is a common plan, a process involving accountability and responsibility for the good governance of such a community.
For any community to improve the standard of living of its citizens, it must encourage community development. Community development can be entirely communally sponsored, wholly government assisted or a bilateral co-operation between the community and the government community development is an essential ingredient for the perpetuity of any community.
What is community information
Community information means information which help individuals and groups
• To solve problems in their everyday lives.
• To take part in the democratic process.
• To take part in the Society
Community can be geographic community (region; city and village) community of interest or any social group. The Community Information Services (CIS) provides quick access to information about essential services in your neighborhood.
What is community information Services (CIS)
According the library association's working party CIS means that which assists individual and groups with daily problem solving and with participation in the democratic process. The services concentrate on the needs of those, who do not have ready access to other sources of assistance on the most important problems that people have to face, problems to do with their homes, their jobs and their rights. There are other two popular concepts remain in the same terminological plane with CIS. These are "Public Information work" and "Local Information Service."
Why do we need community Information Services
Mast communities are socially, economically and culturally heterogeneous though the degree of heterogeneity may vary from place to place and from time to time. One of the main aims of the national library and information policy is to faster, promote and sustain, by all appropriate means, the organisation, availability and use of information in all sector of national activity. It is heartening to note that chattopadhyaya committee had stated that the main thrust in the area of public library system should go to the rural public library. A village or a village cluster with an adequate population should have a community library which will also serve as an information centre. Resources of different agencies engaged in the work of public health, adult education, local self-government and such others may be pooled to build up the composite centre.
According Kalpana Dasgupta (2000) need of information, in changing environment is due to socio economic aspects, social condition, political conditions and behavioral aspects. Before establishing a village library a survey of village environment, needs of the people, availability of resources, infrastructure facilities and attitude of people are necessary.
To over come the problem of digital divide we need integrated information system. Like Geographical Information System (GIS), community Information System (CIS), Rural information System (RIS) another voice from knowledge management sector in Integrated information System (IIC). It controls and coordinates all types of information from all nook and corner and put it on one common platform. Now a days technology brings people and nations closer together. In the 21st century, community building via technology with not only help communities grow and prosper, but also will help to erase disparities and case distances between populations; distances that have persisted since the inception of the Republic According to UNESCO (1994) public library manifesto we need is because of
* Democracy and citizenship
* Economic and Social Development
* Lifelong Learning
* Cultural and Linguistic diversity
Designing of CIS
Department of information technology (2000); Government of India has set up Community Information Centre (CICs) at 487 block headquarters in the seven north east states and sikkim as a part of the Prime Minister's agenda for socio economic development of the region. These CIC can help in combating escalating crisis in health energy, water, education and literacy as well as poverty alleviation. The CIC will provide internet connectivity, e-mail facilities interface between citizens and government distance learning programs, information on national programs, disaster management system, public health awareness etc. to the public.
While designing any community information system one should consider the following elements;
* Socio-economic background
* Educational background
* Information seeking behaviour
* Knowledge of ICT among community
* Role of community agents
* Information needs of community
* Initiation by government and NGOs
The basic themes for the program are participatory design, software development, community information, social networks, localism and globalism. Librarian is a right person to act as a community agent. He acts as a catalyst in transforming the knowledge. Administrators should keep in mind the role of librarian in disseminating the need based information, and make use of his service in CIS. Government or administration should provide sufficient infrastructure to libraries to provide CIS. The essential needs of CIS are;
* Good library building
* Qualified staff (Librarian)
* lCT facility : computer, printer, scanner, telephone
* Internet connectivity/modern
* Television/Fax
Along with above mentioned needs it demands good support from all the government departments to share their programs and policies with library. Then the librarian is able to collect, organise and disseminate the information to community. It is not an easy task to establish or run CIS in short span of time. It needs proper planning and implementation.
Planning of CIS
* Setting objectives
* Defining policy
* Identification of resources
* Training
* Implementation
* Promotion
* Monitoring and change
We can find information about Community groups, consumer and educational, organizations, health and social service agencies and religious, recreational and cultural institutions. Many of these programs and services are difficult to identify. To provide such a CIS one should compile a Directory of Community Services (DCS) which is the heart of the community information services, which is complemented by a special collection of related handbooks and guides. Individual branch library pages also provide local community information including elected officials neighborhood demographics, school, ele.
Vision and goals
The vision and goals of IIS is to make provision of providing comprehensive information on local services and support to communities that can be accessed easily, from a range of settings used by different communities and through different media and formats. Also providing communities with choices, how and when they access local information and enabling communities to exercise choice and to become informed consumers of services to support their society. Integrated information services facilitating the citizen-administration relationship and achieving a fully integrated service, (in person by telephone or on the internet) completely focused on local people's needs.
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