A framework for bridging the information services chasm in a rural setting without public library facilities

Abstract

Although people in rural communities require information on a variety of issues, there is a gap in access to information due to the lack of libraries in these outlying or peripheral areas. The inaccessibility of information is exacerbated by a lack of infrastructure, such as internet access and poor telecommunications systems. To collect data from library and information science experts and residents of the Taaiboschgroet village in South Africa's Limpopo Province, this study used a qualitative approach involving the triangulation of the Delphi technique and a narrative inquiry. Data were gathered through interviews with Taaiboschgroet village members and Library and Information Science experts from Limpopo Province (three sets of interviews with three LIS experts). The study discovered that rural people require information on a wide range of topics, including health, education, politics, farming, and social life. This information is used for schoolwork, applying for university admission, knowing which politi