https://lisdigest.org ISSN (Online): 2672 - 4820 Library and Information Science Digest Vol. 15, 2022
THE POWER OF IMAGERIES IN COMMUNITY
INFORMATION AND ENGAGEMENT:
REPOSITIONING AUDIOVISUAL RESOURCES
Ngozi Perpetua Osuchukwu PhD CLN
Department of Library and Information Science,
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria.
Email: ngostary2k@yahoo.com
Angela Ebele Okpala PhD
Department of Library and Information Science,
National Open University of Nigeria.
Email: angelaebele@yahoo.com
Abstract
Audiovisual resources create special effect and enhance the facilitation of access to information.
Librarians leverage on this and package information in desired format for rural community dwellers to
engage them in effective service delivery. If audiovisual resources excite the city dwellers, the effect on
rural communities is overwhelming. It stimulates learning and makes learning more concrete yet the use
of multimedia in rural communities seems so elusive. This paper sought to highlight the power of
audiovisual resources when integrated in engaging the rural communities for participation in sustainable
development and national development, the benefits derived, challenges thereof, andchatting a new way
forward. These days, librarians take information to their users wherever they are. Librarians serving the
rural community should consider that they have limited access to the Internet, cable TV network,
electricity supply, and other amenities enjoyed by the city dwellers. Yet these rural dwellers are
information savvy and value every piece of information provided to them. Thus connecting and
engaging them with simple audiovisual resources would place librarians on the right path towards
building sustainable and national development among the rural dwellers.
Keywords: Audiovisual Resources, Imageries, Rural Dwellers, Community Information Engagement,,
Sustainable Development, National Development.
Introduction
There seem to be a disconnect in rural library
information service delivery in Nigeria. Rural
communities are very important in national
development because they encompass all groups
of people, ranging from small business owners,
farmers, fishermen, artisans, petty traders, retired
people, civil servants, children, and people living
with disability. These rural communities also
have rich cultural heritage needed for sustainable
development (Vassilakaki et al., 2019). Thus,
they should be engaged to harness their rich
cultural heritage for national development. It also
improves the standard of living of the people as
well as the open cordial relationship with the
libraries. Here comes the value of audiovisual
resources to engage, connect, enable, inspire and
enhance rural community dwellers’ in accessing
the right information from the right sources
(IFLA, 2019). The integration of audiovisual
resources in information service delivery ensures
developed creativity, integrating learning, and
sharing of the quality of community services
among the librarians. This is what Emerald
Group (2015) affirmed as today's constant
evolution of sharing information as examples of
good practices with peers for those working in
librarianship.
The audio visuals (AVMs) can be divided into
three mainly – the audio that gets to the hearing
sensory organs which involves the radio, cassette
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player, tele-lecture, CD, telephones, recording,
music/sound, songs,visual aids in the form of
PowerPoint presentations, video clippings,
etc.The video resources can be viewed and
observed with the eyes. They include silent films,
charts, illustrated books, VCD, pictures, posters,
maps, globes, drawings, models, and cartoons.
Then the audiovisual – combines both audio and
visual resources for stimulating learning
experiences. They are television, film, motion
picture, videotape, printed materials with
recorded sound, demonstration, etc.(Library and
Information Network, 2013; Ashikuzzaman,
2013). In the same vein Shamsideen, (2016)
informed that audio relates to "hearing", visual is
"seeing". Some librarians offer spaces,
programs, and workshops to help colleagues
package good resources for community
members.
The Rural Community Setting Rural
communities are those communities that are
situated outside the city with limited basic
amenities such as electricity supply, pipe borne
water, good road network, telecommunication
services, good schools and other basic amenities
enjoyed in the urban areas. According to Dijkstra
et al. (2020), the sectorial employment or
provision of infrastructure and services is used to
determine whether settlements should be
classified as urban or rural. Usually, rural
dwellers in African communities are
disadvantaged educationally, economically,
politically and in most cases made up of the aged
and their children. In spite of all these, they form
part of the society and needed in national
development. When they are neglected, an
important section of the society is neglected.
Many city dwellers came out of these
communities. It remains a source of identity for
many people, especially in this part of the world,
where everyone still goes back to his rural
community to be part of town union development
(Anaehobi & Osuchukwu, 2015). Thus their
involvement in national development makes it
imperative to make information engagement and
audiovisual resources available to them for the
attainment of an informed citizenry crucial for
societal and national development (Anambra
State Library Board Newsletter, 2018).
Incorporating Audiovisual Resources in
Community Information Engagement
Audiovisual resources are the non-book and
non-print resources in the library that may be
used in library with or without equipment. They
come in different sizes, formats, makes and
operations but the general thing about them is
that they convey information and messages
through the senses of hearing and seeing.
European Disability Forum (EDF) (2020)
pointed out that audiovisual media is vital in
defining the cultural landscape of modern
societies and provide a primary source of
information, education and entertainment, from
which persons with disabilities shall not be
excluded. The need to incorporate audiovisual
resources in library and information services in
rural communities is to improve service delivery
and the life of the people socially, economically
and otherwise. Affirming this, ALA (2018)
presented the review of standards found in the
Association of College and Research Libraries
(ACRL) Guide to Policies and Procedures which
recommended community college, college and
university libraries and guidelines that represent
best practices to develop media collections,
services and programs relevant to the library user
communities. In other words, librarians must
adopt proactive approaches to the provision of
effective audiovisual resources. Thus, if
librarians cannot genuinely package audiovisual
resources nor facilitate access to information in
rural areas across the country, then the quality
assurance attached to their ethics is questionable.
Expectedly, libraries should include locally
produced art, music, writing and performances as
part of the library collections for community
engagement. They use a variety of means to
communicate what is available in the library, as
well as to encourage citizens to engage in
programs and services which their communities
offer. According to Smith (2019) libraries are
evolving, leaning outside of our walls, and
connecting with our communities in new and
powerful ways. Boise State University (2015)
called it taking every dedication, focus and
innovation to remain relevant with the best
practices while keeping the communities alive
with the desired information.
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Studies have shown that engagement can be
strategically targeted for joint programs as well
as creating safe spaces for every member of the
community. For instance, the creation of these
spaces allows for new innovative programs like
drawing, painting and classes (Anambra State
Library Board Newsletter, 2018; Mersand et al,
2019). This could place librarians in the right
position of leading information and knowledge
processes. Simply, audiovisual resources, in
llibraries create together maker spaces, fab labs
and design studios, where patrons of all ages
build, explore and learn designs.
Benefits of Audiovisual Resources in Rural
Community Engagement
There are several benefits of using audiovisual
resources in rural community engagement.
These include:
Advocacy
Audiovisual resources are keys to advocacy in
the communities. With audiovisuals, the
stakeholders understand fast and reason with the
librarians on the use of the library sustainable
development of their communities. Verbal talk,
only, cannot produce the desired result with
audiovisuals. Thus, creating posters of libraries,
images of community services, local musical
interludes and skill acquisition centres will
endear the use of library to the rural dwellers.
This implies that proactive librarians should have
good approaches to advocacy, communication,
data analysis, creativity, critical thinking,
leadership, project management, and
technological expertise among others (Schwartz,
2016).
Facilitation of Access to Information
The use of audiovisual services for rural dwellers
that need information on several aspects of life
like livelihood, agriculture, trade, microcredit,
community health and development, requires
well-packaged information resources filled with
relevant sounds and imageries. It could involve
packaging it in local languages with designed
fliers and leaflets while bearing in mind the
library's relevance as it relates to that rural
community.
Marketing of libraries and Information
Centres
Every good marketing aims to impress and
attract. Audiovisual resources provide one of the
best marketing mix. Rural dwellers are close to
nature. Jingles could be composed with the local
instrument; mother tongue and the content
designed to address their information needs on
agriculture, micro credit loans, seedlings, farm
equipment, use of ICT in displaying their
products. These are aimed at drawingl draw their
quick attention to the library. Clearly, these
strategies are ways of marketing libraries and
information services in the communities (Madu
et al., 2018).
Health Information
The fact that community dwellers need health
information as much as the city dwellers make
audiovisual resources the best bet for that
engagement. Engagement strategy in this regard
may involve the use of pictures, posters, power
point presentation, audio recordings, music,
public address system, and simulation, among
others. Institute for Healthcare Advancement
(IHA) (2020) stated that in Health Literacy
Universal Precautions, videos are particularly
effective way to demonstrate self-care activities
such as injecting insulin, using an inhaler, or
exercising. Clearly, the picture of a child with
diarrhoea or measles, a pregnant woman without
medicare, immunization announcement, and
prevention of epidemics and pandemics are
better done with audiovisual resources.
Civic education
Audio visual resources are needed in educating
the rural populace to create inclusive national
development, information on governance,
citizenship, obligations of the people,
contribution and participation. Pictures and
graphics can be used to show the citizenry can
participate in community development. AVs
help in showing the levels of government and
the different governmental structure. In support
of this, Anaehobi and Osuchukwu (2015)
recommended a strong call for librarians to
understand local issues and support rural
dwellers to connect with the local government
administrators and social agencies in addressing
their needs.
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Literacy activities
The lack of community libraries in many rural
communities and schools makes the use of AVs
the needed service in promoting literacy
activities. The pictures and sounds add value to
reading and learning. The use of charts like
alphabets, parts of the body, arithmetics, picture
books and other pictorial learning resources
(National Association for the Education of
Young Children (NAEYC) 2021). Studies have
shown that many community school children do
not have the ability to read while many more do
not own storybooks. Their parents may or may
not buy them textbooks. When libraries visit
these communities monthly or quarterly to allow
them free access and utilization of these
audiovisual resources, it affords them the
opportunity to build their minds, widen horizon
and inspire more learning. When citizens learn,
they develop the mindset that will help them
participate in nation building. Librarians through
the library resources help the rural community in
this aspect.
Inclusion of Persons with Disability
Sound is the most natural source of information
(San Diego State University Library, 2020) for
persons living with visual impairment.
Depending on the nature of disability, the radio
and other sound recordings could be explored as
vehicle for the communication of information to
persons living with disabilities (PWDs) in rural
communities. Such persons face marginalization
in the society. Some of them do not have the
opportunity of going to school of the blind. But
with information sharing and engagement
through AVM, they can appreciate the gift of life
and become creative in their own ways. Other
AVMs like projectors and slides are good
avenues of reaching out to persons with hearing
impairment and the physically challenged. The
European Disability Forum (EDF) (2020), stated
that the UN Convention on the Rights of People
with Disabilities includes the right to “enjoy
access to television programmes in accessible
format” (Article 30). Again the integration of
audio visual in rural community enhances
self-reflection and helps teachers to develop their
competencies in special education in disabilities
and children with special needs (Sediyani et al.,
2017). They need to be treated like others
because they are members of the society. Thus,
the library owe them this duty of care.
Leisure and Relaxation
Because many communities do have regular
power nor access to cable TV or access to
entertainment, TVs and videos for recreating
relaxation and leisure, the libraries can offer
these services to them (Oghenetega et al., 2015).
It has been said that libraries can offer both
social and humanitarian services. Putting smiles
on the faces of marginalized and excluded
persons is one of the beautiful gifts to humanity.
For a group that has never owned television or
video, for a group that has never watched a
movie, for children that have never known the
joy of children's movies and cartoons, AVs do the
job excitedly while inspiring the younger ones to
grow beyond the limit of rural communities and
develop their people. This offer increases the life
span and brings respect to the librarians. Such
services can take place during festive periods like
Christmas, the holiday period, etc.
Promotion of community and global events
Libraries that understand the power of
audiovisual resources have used audiovisual
resources to celebrate community events like
new yam festivals, age-grade celebrations, new
moon, community day etc. They have also
promoted world events like the international day
of women, indigenous people, mother tongues,
human rights, etc. Films have been streamed on
related events with displays of beautiful arts and
crafts on cultural heritage. The libraries have also
partnered with the village groups in joint
activities on local events that project their
indigenous knowledge in ways that mix and
match with colours.
Challenges of audio-visual resources in
information engagement
Inadequacy of trained personnel
Many librarians do not have the capacity to
operate technological tools used in information
dissemination. Perhaps, they do not have the
capacity to organize media resources, as well as
manage and render services with them. Probably,
they need regular training, learning and
re-learning in handling AVMs. Fear of the
unknown on the part of professionals has
hindered the use o audio visual resources in
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community information engagement. This fear
could be technophobia (Madu et al., 2018).
Organization and utilization of non-print
materials:
There are challenges in providing access to
audiovisual and proper utilization of audio visual
resources. For instance, when the audio visual
resources are not classified and given proper
identification for monitoring and safe keeping, it
creates problems. When they are carelessly
handled by the users and librarians without
proper packaging in their jackets, they spoil
easily.
Funds/Budget allocation: Using AVM in
libraries is capital intensive.Many libraries more
especially government libraries are facing
budgetary cut which affect the effective and
efficient use of AVMs for engagemen in rural
setting.
Copyrights and Licensing: Some AVMs are
under copyright license which prevent their free
usage in information service delivery. For
example, some AVMs contain time-limited rights
or sponsored rights (Dumitrache & Anghel,
2012) The copyright restriction is a major
challenge which affect rural library service
delivery.
Misplacement of priority: The use of
audiovisual materials in community engagement
seems not to have received priority attention.
This neglect pushes its use to the background
while other resources like books are given more
attention. Thus it will not likely attract any
positive placement and retention in rural
community engagement.
Staffing: Many libraries complain of low
staffing and excess workload. The use of AVM in
libraries requires specialised skills. From
personal experience, not many library staff know
how to use AVM. Thus lack of skilled
manpower affect the use of AVM in community
engagement.
Non-provision of audiovisual units and
infrastructural facilities: AVMs require enough
space because some of them are heavy and
stationery. Ideally, AVM should have a unit
dedicated to its use. It is sad to note that many
libraries and institutions do not create units or
sections for audiovisual resources (Oghenetega
& Amugen, 2014). This affects community
library engagement.
Erratic power supply: The use of some AVM
require regular power supply. It is a common
knowledge in Nigeria, that electricity power
supply is not steady. This hinders the use of some
AVm like the computer, television, CD /DVD
player.. Nigeria is known for erratic power
supply (Ojobor et al., 2020). Similarly, low
current damages some AVMs. Indeed a library
needs its own standby generator to enable it
discharge its duties, maximally. Low current can
contribute to the breakdown of some AV
resources and as a result, hamper the advantages
they offer.
Foreign exchange constraints: Most
audiovisual materials are imported and bought
with foreign currency. With the budget cut in
libraries and the rising exchange rate, it is very
difficult to procure reliable AVMs for the library.
The way forward
Librarians must identify with rural library
services in their host communities and include
them in their programs. They should integrate
themselves with the social life of the community
to know when they have meetings, dates for their
cultural activities. Such information will help
them to organize library materials that will add
value to such programmes.
They can collaborate with the community
stakeholders to provide fliers in the local
language of the people as well as compose
jingles and music that suit the culture of the
people. Librarians must learn and build their
capacities in the application, management and
structuring of audiovisual resources like drawing
cartoons, painting, etc. There is no strict rule on
audiovisual resources. The important thing is to
have an alternative resource reading material that
will impact the same value.
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