Evaluation of Extension Activities and Their Influence on User Satisfaction in Rural Public Libraries: A Study
Author : Sathivel Murugan BO
Abstract :
Public libraries are playing a key vital role in the social transformation by extending information, educational, and career-oriented services to the community developments. The present study examines the extension activities of the Thookanaiyakan Palayam Full-Time Branch Public Library in Erode District, Tamil Nadu, and evaluates users’ satisfaction with these services. The library, managed by two qualified Library and Information Science (MLISc) professionals, and provides a range of extension activities in addition to routine library services like circulation, newspapers, and magazine display services. Extension activities include special coaching lectures for competitive examinations such as TNPSC, banking and railway recruitment, motivational programmes for job seekers, invited talks by subject experts, assistance in filling online application forms, employment information dissemination through notice boards and WhatsApp, and systematic organization of competitive examination resources.
A simple random sampling technique was employed, and data were collected from 144 respondents of the total respondents, 61.81% were male and 38.19% were female. Based on the Occupational analysis of the respondents revealed that 27.08% were students, 33.33% were employed, 18.75% were job seekers, 11.11% were self-employed, and 9.72% were farmers. The study highlights the effectiveness of WhatsApp-based job alert services, with 60 registered job seekers actively utilizing the facility. User satisfaction analysis shows that 78% of respondents were highly satisfied and 22% were satisfied with the job alert services.
The findings further indicate that the library’s extension activities have contributed positively to employment outcomes, with several users securing positions in government and banking sectors during the period June 2020–May 2021. Currently, 80 users are registered and continuously benefiting from the job alert services. The study concludes that extension activities, particularly employment information and career guidance services offered by rural public libraries, significantly enhance users’ socio-economic development and contribute to sustainable national development.
Keywords :
Public Libraries, Extension Activities, Job Alert Services, User Satisfaction, Rural Development, National Development
