USE OF TRADITIONAL COMMUNICATION MEDIA IN RURAL INFORMATION SERVICE DELIVERY: LIBRARIANS'PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This paper discusses the use of traditional communication media in rural information service delivery looking at librarians' perspective. It reviewed the explanation of traditional communication media, being seen as the tools used in the dissemination of information in rural areas. It also discusses some of the traditional communication media, concept of rural information service delivery and use of traditional communication media- librarians'perspective. Traditional communication media is one of the tools used to disseminate information in rural areas and librarians can make use of them for effective information service delivery.On the other hand, rural information services is usually a message that is communicated by a communicator to a receiver in rural areas for the development of the rural people both socially,economically,politically and otherwise. The traditional communication media that can be used in rural areas include gong,drums,drama presentation,songs,town criers,talking drum,folk tales,folk dances, proverbs, riddles, etc. These traditional communication media can be used by information centres, which include libraries, because they tend to win the confidence of rural masses and appeal to emotions of the rural people. The paper concludes that communication in a simplest form can be defined as an act or process of using words, sounds, signs, behaviour to express or exchange information or to express ideas, thought, feelings, etc, to someone else.Traditional communication media involves the use of basic local resources, such as poems,storytelling,singing,dancing and games to convey realistic messages that citizens can relate to.