Page 74 - DLIS006_INFORMATION SOURCES AND SERVICES

Unit 4: Information Services and Products

6. …………………………….. are concerned with managing information in order to make it Notes
easily accessible.
7. As libraries become increasingly based on digital storage and access technologies,
……………………………… approaches seem particularly useful.

4.6 Dissemination of Information

Information dissemination is a proactive information service designed to educate and inform
focused groups of users on social, economic and educational issues, problems, and opportunities
of interest to them. It requires systematic planning, collection, organization, and storage of
information for its delivery to the target audience using different media and communication
means.

Let us now discuss the importance of information dissemination before moving on to a
community’s information needs.
It is a fact that survival and self-development are the major issues central to several adults in
many communities. The need to raise their socio-economic status is thus necessary and urgent.
This requires empowering adults, the under-privileged and economically weaker sections of
society with technical skills and education. However, organizing programs meant mainly for
raising awareness, education, and training are information and communication dependent.
Information dissemination as such constitutes an important and critical factor for the success of
adult education and learning programs.
More often than not, organizers perceive information dissemination to be a one-way form of
communication, circulating information and advice mainly through mass media in a cost-
effective and timely manner. In some cases, the media are posters and pamphlets, while in some
others reliance is exclusively on text-based print medium. However, two-way form of
communication is relatively more relevant and effective for organizing awareness programs
and activities in adult education.
Information dissemination requires systematic collection, organization, and storage of
information relevant to the needs of adult community. There are several approaches to capturing
relevant information both content-oriented information and problem-oriented information.
Some approaches are traditional while some others are innovative. Adult educators can generate
a series of services after gathering information through such approaches. Let us here look at
different models of collecting information.

Model 1: Searching Indexed Resources

This model is more suited for collecting content-oriented information. Here we capture
information from indexed information resources such as multidisciplinary and specialized
databases, library catalogues, repositories, digital libraries, web resources. Information captured
from such resources is first stored in the database created for the purpose before it goes to the
target audience.
The indexed information resources useful for searching content-oriented information are of the
following types.
Electronic databases and Online bibliographic services
Local library catalogues
Digital libraries and repositories on the Internet

Web resources

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