Are They Facilitating the Information Poor? An Appraisal of Information Services of Public Libraries in Punjab

ABSTRACT

Purpose

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the information services provided by public libraries to information-poor in the most populous province of Punjab. In addition, the challenges faced by public libraries in providing desired information services to information-poor were reviewed.

Methodology

The study was quantitative in nature. The survey research method was used. The data was collected through a structured questionnaire.

Findings

The results indicated that public libraries were struggling to provide the required information services to information poor. Lack of government funding was one of the biggest challenges in providing required services, as reported by public libraries. Further lack of information policy and inadequate information and communication technology infrastructure were identified as key challenges in providing required information services to information poor.

Originality

The present study addressed the information services of public libraries to information-poor which is unique in its nature.

KEYWORDS:

• Public libraries
• information poor
• public library services
• challenges
• information poverty

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sumaira Hussain

Sumaira Hussain is a PhD Scholar at Institute of Information Management University of the Punjab Lahore Pakistan. She is also serving as a Senior Librarian in Department of Mathematics, University of the Punjab Lahore Pakistan. Prof. Dr. Kanwal Ameen is Professor in Information Management. She has served as chairperson (2009-2018) of the Department of Information Management (now Institute of Information Management), University of the Punjab, Lahore Pakistan. She also served as director, Directorate of External Linkages in the same university. Presently She is serving as vice-chancellor of the University of Home Economics. Kanwal Ameen is the chief editor for the Pakistan Journal of Information Management and Libraries. She is also a teacher, author, researcher, and lecturer in the field of library and information science as well as a pre-doc (2000–2001) and post-doc (2009–2010) international Fulbright Scholar.