ABSTRACT
Information is defined by the Random House Collegiate Dictionary (1999) as “knowledge communicated or received concerning a particular fact or circumstance; as knowledge gained through study, communication, or research; and as the act or fact of informing.” How does this relate to the role of libraries in rural development? Abid (1995) identified seven types of information needs in rural areas: health, problems of daily existence, occupation, government and society, recreation and leisure, education, and religion. People in rural areas require information that helps them to identify and prepare healthy meals for their families and how to treat diseases that they encounter. Clean water, electricity, good roads, and living-wage employment are vital to daily living and productivity in their communities. To be successful, farmers require understandable information about strategic planning and how to develop, schedule, plant, and maintain their crops; how to grow and sustain their farms and farmrelated businesses; and how to educate and maintain healthy families. These are basic requirements for building a foundation for effective agricultural occupations that help to sustain families and communities. Parents need to
know how to take care of their families, livestock, and farms as well as how to manage the business affairs of their homes and communities. Culture and leisure activities that include good reading materials about a host of topics in both a regional and global context help to ensure the wholeness of life for the individual and the community. Information is an essential component of the planning and development in rural areas that determines the extent to which these individuals and communities can thrive in the new technological century.
