PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES TO CHILDREN IN RURAL AREAS BY

Pubic library service to children in rural areas should have a prominent place in the line up of activities in the public library. This paper highlights children’s need for the library which makes it necessary for libraries to be established for them wherever they are, even in rural communities. Two methods were identified in this paper as means of extending library services to children who live in rural areas and they are the mobile library and the branch or rural library. Though the mobile library is seen as a vital feature in rural library service, but the rural library is regarded as one of the agents of development in rural communities. It generates stores and disseminates information which is very crucial to the rural populace and engenders development. Library services that are offered to children in rural areas are in the form of literature (books) extension activities, audiovisual (AV) materials and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The paper concludes by stating that as library service to children is an important aspect of public librarianship, the government should support the public library by providing funds, mobile library vans, accommodation, and information materials etc for this essential service