Page 71 - DLIS101_LIBRARY_AND_INFORMATION_SOCIETY

Library and Information Society

Notes 6.2 Libraries Extension Services

Extension Services
Extension services is the activity of lending or delivering books and other forms of information to
users who are distant from a library or who may be relatively near it but unable to travel to it.
Effective extension has been developed through the commitment and experimentation of librarians
in a variety of types and size of libraries, but the larger units of services have been encouraged to
implement the most ambitions programmes. Urban and rural systems, state library agencies, and in
at least one notable example, a federal library agency have pioneered in extension services. The
concept and practice of library extension in the united states received dramatic support in the federal
library services act of 1956, for the extension of services to rural areas. Extension support continued
when LSA was renewed and expanded by congress in1964 as the library services and construction
act.
In a well developed urban suburban or rural library system extension is provided as a convenience
to user population for whom travel to a central library is difficult or expensive. Extension services
may be a necessity to significant numbers of users who find travel to the central library impossible
because they have physical disabilities are institutionalized or homebound, or lack transportation.
Because of these human and economic considerations, extension is a necessary and important
specialization in public library services. Extension may also be provided in special, academic and
school district libraries, but the service is most frequently associated with public library operations.
Extension service is a part of many library organisations, but it does have limitations. Because of
logistical and financial considerations, it cannot normally provide complete information services.
Compared to centralized services, on a per user basis extension is usually an expensive means of
providing information delivery. In many cases funding required for branch operation will reduce
the funding otherwise available for central library services. In spite of these limitations, extension is
accepted as an essential component of effective library and information services.
Special considerations include the logistics and mechanical means for delivery, human and safety
factors related to delivery systems, achieving balance between he expense of the information
resources to be made available and their relative value to extension users, and the application of
information and communications technology to assist extension.
Library extension began as a means of delivery of traditional lending services to users in growing
cities and to dispersed population in rural areas. Extension techniques were further developed to
respond to the needs of special populations such as the visually handicapped the homebound and
the economically disadvantages. In the 1980s the concept of library extension took on additional
new meaning as library uses of computers and improved telecommunications were employed to
meet the demands of increasingly sophisticated information users.

Describe the need of resource sharing in library.

The Extension Services Division of the Library provides library services through four large branch
libraries (Stanford L. Warren, North Durham, Parkwood, and Southwest), a small branch library
(Bragtown), and mobile and outreach services (McDougald Terrace and Salvation Army Boys & Girls
Club, Bookmobile, and Older Adult and Shut-In Services). Library services include book and book-
tape circulation, reference and reader’s advisory assistance, children’s and adult programs, public
access to the Internet, reading incentive programs for children, direct service to day care centers and
preschools. Public meeting rooms are available at the large branches.
• Offered a minimum of ten (10) children’s programs a month in the full service branches, five
(5) per month in the small branches and outreach stations, and twenty-five (25) per month in
the bookmobile.

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