User Education Process in Public Libraries in Sri Lanka: with Special Reference to Libraries attached to Pradeshiya Sabhas

Abstract

Libraries are a place to use literature, music, art, or reference sources, including books, manuscripts, reports or art, without the purpose of selling. (Merriam Webster Online Dictionary, 2011). The education on propagating and making the awareness on the use of library and information sources, provided by libraries or information centers is known as User Education. Different libraries and information centers use vivid user education systems and services at weaker and higher levels. The study aims to study User education practices in relation to Pradeshiya Sabha libraries, to study the organization as well as to explore the reasons for its lack and to make suggestions to improve the User education. For this study, five public libraries administered by the Pradeshiya Sabha of Kandy district were selected using a random sample. For this Study, 100 men and women, 20 from each library, were included in the research. Primary data was collected by giving questionnaires to the contributors. Approved statistical reports were used to obtain the Secondary information. Although many issues are being discussed in the field of Sri Lankan libraries, the activities of the local libraries are still in progress