The Provision of Library and Information Services to Rural Communities in Thailand

Aree Cheunwattana and Shirley A. Fitzgibbons

Abstract

The importance of information for the process of rural development has been increasingly recognized. “For any community to function efficiently and productively, a basic minimum stock of usable information is essential”. Unfortunately, the public information thought to be available to everyone often does not reach the poor, particularly the rural poor. Without addressing the information needs of rural people, other development efforts cannot have their full impact.

The importance of information for the process of rural development has been increasingly recognized. McAnany, for example, notes that many developing countries are realizing that it is crucial “to take control of their information systems and to turn their information resources internally toward promoting the social and economic welfare of their own people, especially the masses of poor people in rural areas” (1980, 3). According to Mchombu, “For any community to function efficiently and productively, a basic minimum stock of usable information is essential” (1995, 87). In discussing the role of information in the strategy for rural development, Aboyade (1987) points out that adequate information is essential for strengthening the link between the initiators and the beneficiaries of development efforts, and for making rural people understand and appreciate the benefits of the development programs to their lives. Information specialists who work in this area (e.g. Menou & Niang 1991; Agha & Akhtar 1992; Zijp 1994) agree that an effective and timely use of relevant information can potentially contribute to development efforts such as those directed at reducing poverty, increasing economic productivity, improving governance, increasing effective participation, and improving natural resource management.

The majority of the rural population in developing countries is the poor and the illiterate who are economically and socially disadvantaged. The frequent assumption about the poor and the illiterate is that they do not need information (Wijasuriya, Lim, & Nadarajah 1975; Horowitz 1988; Correa, 1995). However, a substantive amount of literature (e.g. Quebral 1987; Agha 1987; Aboyade 1987; Suckcharoen 1990; Aina 1991; Mchombu 1995; Lu Wang & Xu 1996) show that rural populations do need information. Kempson (1986), citing several studies, concludes that information needs are very real in rural communities. The information needs of common people largely depend on the type of society in which they live. Generally, they tend to need information which serves functional purposes and helps improve the quality of life either by helping solve an immediate problem, or by helping make decisions which will affect their lives. The main information needs are in the areas of health, occupations, living conditions (e.g., a safe and adequate water supply, electricity, communication, and transportation), employment opportunities, education, religion, recreation, and leisure.

Aboyade (1987) argues that, in any rural development program, it is not enough to merely aim at enhancing the quality of life, but efforts must also be made to mobilize people. The provision of information, therefore, should also be aimed at encouraging local people to become actively involved in creating their own well being. Information should guide them to opportunities in occupations, health, housing, education, employment, as well as to institutional resources, facilities and services. Mchombu (1995), studying the impact of information on rural development in African countries, identifies such common rural information needs as those for income generation, leadership, literacy support, basic economics, government policies on rural development, and soil conservation.

Unfortunately, the public information thought to be available to everyone often does not reach the poor, particularly the rural poor. Zijp (1994) further points out the many problems of “information poverty” in rural areas:

Zijp concludes that, without addressing the information needs of rural people, other development efforts cannot have their full impact.

An Overview of Library and Information Services in Thailand

Library and Information Services

Since its inception in 1905, the National Library has expanded by building 18 branch libraries throughout Thailand. Apart from providing services to the general public, the National Library serves as the national focal point of Thai libraries, the Thai National Information System (Thai NATIS), and international cooperation in library and information services (Chavalit 1989; Kanakamani 1991; (Bhakdibutr 1995).

In addition, Thailand has developed other types of libraries—public libraries, school libraries, college and university libraries, special libraries, and information and documentation centers. Of these, university libraries and special libraries are the more developed. They are the pioneers in using information technology as well as in developing databases and networking. Recently, they have made remarkable progress in applying information technology to a wide range of library operations, to provide efficient and timely information services for research and decision–making (Siripan 1993; Kanakamani 1993; Techadamrongsin & Chiwaganont 1995).

Ironically, public libraries and school libraries, which provide basic library services to the majority of people, are the least developed. The public library system is within a division called the Center for the Promotion of Informal Education, under the Department of Non–Formal Education of the Ministry of Education. Presently, there are 767 public libraries across the country. Services have been considered inadequate in both quantity and quality.

Likewise, the development of school libraries has been slow because of inadequate funding, the shortage of books in the Thai language, and over reliance on an oral method of teaching which does not promote the use of libraries. Currently, although every school receives an annual book budget from the government, only about half of the 34,000 primary schools in Thailand have a library. Most of these schools without libraries are in rural areas (Chavalit 1989; Thailand. Office of the National Education Commission 1997).

Library and Information Science Education

In regard to library and information science education, the first library school was founded at Chulalongkorn University in 1951 under the support of the Fulbright Foundation. In 1988, 10 graduate programs in library and information science were offered by six universities both in Bangkok and other provinces. Undergraduate programs are also offered in most universities and teachers colleges. There are altogether approximately forty colleges and universities which provide library education at undergraduate and/or graduate levels (Atthakorn & Nandhivajrin 1988).

Other organizations involved in librarianship training are the Thai Library Association and some international organizations, such as UNESCO, International Development Research Center, and the International Federation for Library Associations and Institutions.

Thai Library Association (TLA)

TLA was founded in 1954, as a non–profit organization, by a group of librarians who received training under the Fulbright program. The main objectives of the TLA are to promote librarianship, library development, and library education in Thailand. It strives to enhance the prestige and status of the profession as well as the exchange of professional information and ideas. The TLA’s activities include:

National Information System

The Thai NATIS, first proposed by the National UNISIST Committee and the Thai Library Association, was established in 1986. The committee provides guidance through the National Committee for Direction and Coordination; its members are appointed by Thailand’s Cabinet. Responsibilities include policy formulation, planning, and directing and coordinating the national information system. The committee has identified six subsystems or networks that need to be developed according to the National Economic and Social Development Plan. These six subsystems are science and technology, agriculture, economics, medicine, social sciences, and humanities. Subcommittees were established for these subsystems to design policy, plan, develop databases for specific disciplines, and cooperate with other subsystems (Kanakamani 1993).

The problems encountered by the Thai NATIS include (1) a lack of funds or the purchasing of information technologies; (2) inadequate training of information personnel; and (3) the high expenses of hiring experts with the insufficient support from the government (Kanakamani 1993; Bhakdibutr 1993).

Book Production

In Thailand, there are about 200 publishers who are registered members of the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand. Major publishing groups are commercial publishers, governmental agencies, non–governmental organizations, scholarly or non–profit organizations, and individuals (Wattananusit 1996).

There are approximately 2,200 printing houses that are well equipped and can produce good quality publications; about 60% of them are in Bangkok. However, the number of titles published is still limited due to high costs of production, lack of demand due to lack of reading habits among the populations, limited markets, and inadequate book distribution systems. Approximately 10,000 titles published each year (Bhakdibutr 1995; Wattananusit 1996). Statistics show the following figures for other types of publications: 35 newspaper titles with a 2,700,000 circulation; and 280 periodical titles with 1,850,000 circulation. These figures reflect a low consumption of print, i.e. 46 copies of newspapers and 32 copies of periodicals per 1,000 inhabitants (UNESCO 1997). While the production and consumption of print materials is low, the use of other media is much higher. For example, there are 320 television sets and 189 radios per 1,000 habitants (International Telecommunication Union 1995; UNESCO 1997).

According to Varavarn (1994), there have been efforts from both governmental and non–governmental organizations to make quality books available for rural populations; e.g., the National Book Development Center, the Teachers’ Council, the Book Donation Center, the Foundation of Good Books for Villagers, and the Foundation of Creative Media. These organizations have attempted to:

The above brief overview shows that, despite the existence of a basic structure of library and information services in Thailand, there is an uneven pattern of library development. Service for the educated minority appears rather well–developed, but that for the rural uneducated majority is in need of great improvement. A networking system that will establish an integrated national library system has yet to be developed under the Thai NATIS. The production, distribution, and consumption of print needs to be promoted to increase availability of and access to information. It is also obvious that the libraries must work to integrate their print resources with other media such as television and radio.

Library and Information Services in the Rural Communities in Thailand Today

The Problem

A developing country in Southeast Asia, Thailand presently has a very large rural population of approximately 43 million (71% of the total population) (Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) 1997, 23). As a consequence of past development strategies, which mainly focused on general economic growth and national security, Thailand has made overall progress, but nevertheless faces serious problems. The present context is characterized by an unequal distribution of benefits from economic growth, rural–urban disparities, poverty, illiteracy, inadequate public services, deterioration of environment, and depletion of natural resources (e.g. EIU 1997; Phongpaichit & Baker 1995; Minamiguchi 1995; Ahuja, Bidani, Ferreira, & Walton 1997).

Although a recent report shows that the poverty rate in Thailand has been rapidly declining over the years, it has become increasingly concentrated in rural areas, particularly among agricultural workers and uneducated dwellers. Between 1975 and 1992, the proportion of the poor living in rural areas has increased from 89% to 94%, while poverty in urban areas has declined from 10% to 1% (Ahuja, Bidani, Ferreira, & Walton 1997).

As is the case with other basic public services, access to educational opportunities is limited in rural areas. Despite provision of basic education (94% in 1994), over 400,000 children did not enroll. They were mostly children living in remote rural or poverty–stricken areas. Of the children who enrolled in school, very significant proportions leave without completing schooling. Reasons for this include societal indifference, lack of parental and community interest and support, irrelevant curricula, poor quality of teaching, and an unattractive school environment (UNESCO 1995). The government has recently extended primary education from six to nine years; still, for rural children, the chances of furthering their education beyond grade six are much slimmer than those of their urban peers. A report shows that only 20% of children from farmers’ families were fortunate enough to pursue secondary education (Thailand. Office of National Educational Commission 1997a).

Despite the impressive overall literacy statistics in Thailand (93 percent in 1996), a recent survey by Thailand’s Department of Community Development reports that the number of Thai illiterate children is over 800,000 (“More than 800,000” 1995). These figures suggest an even higher number of illiterate adults.

In such a situation, there is an urgent need for adequate information services as an integral part of rural development strategies. The libraries of Thailand, particularly the public libraries, ought to play greater educational and social roles in rural development. At present, the crucial challenges for these libraries are maintaining and promoting literacy, supporting education (both formal and non–formal), raising each community's awareness of the potential benefits of information for rural development, and serving the specific information needs of rural communities.

Public Library Services

The provision of rural library and information services in Thailand is a direct responsibility of the public library system, which is a unit under the Department of Non–Formal Education in the Ministry of Education. The public library system was formally established in 1926, as a sector in the Ministry of Education to provide services to the general public. By 1940, however, public libraries had deteriorated due to lack of funds and qualified personnel. Later, improvements made in the adult education system in 1949 revived public library services. Public libraries were now regarded as a means of supporting the adult education system and promoting literacy. Plans were made to expand the public library system by establishing public libraries throughout the country. “Regulations of the Ministry of Education on Public Libraries” were formulated in 1952 and updated in 1986, to direct the work of the public library system. But no legislation has yet been enacted. In 1965, standards for public libraries were developed, and many training programs for library personnel had been organized. Further reform in the adult education system in 1973 helped expand and improve public library services. (Varatorn 1988; Khemachai 1992; Thailand. Department of Non–Formal Education 1996).

Presently, the public library system is still organized under the Department of Non–Formal Education of the Ministry of Education. Within that Department, the Center for the Promotion of Informal Education is responsible for the policies and planning of public libraries. At the local level, each public library is under the jurisdiction of the District Non–Formal Education Center, which in turn reports to the Provincial Non–Formal Education Center.

Public library planning focuses on the provision of services and activities that meet the target groups, local needs and environments, and also on the promotion of self–education through the use of public libraries, learning centers, and village reading centers. An emphasis is placed on such issues as families (e.g., family planning, parenting education, sex education, care of the elderly, health education, drug prevention); community development (e.g. community capacity, self–sustaining communities, indigenous culture and knowledge); environmental conservation; and a democratic political system. Target groups include:

Before 1992, each public library at the district level was managed by a librarian or an appointed non–librarian staff member, under the direction and supervision of the Provincial Non–Formal Education Center. In 1992, the Department of Non–Formal Education established “branch centers” in districts throughout the country. The main idea behind this development is to decentralize educational management in order to reach out to a greater number of people and provide them with appropriate educational services. Since then, each public library has been under its District Non–Formal Education Center (DNFEC). To maximize the use of available resources, a DNFEC is usually located in a library building, sharing working space, budget, and staff.

In 1992, a nationwide campaign was carried out to expand and revitalize public library services. This resulted in the construction of many new public libraries in rural districts. This campaign project marked the commemoration of the thirty–sixth birthday of Her Royal Highness Princess Mahachakri Sirindhorn, the patron of public libraries and the literacy movement in Thailand. By 1997, more than 70 new public libraries had been built. According to the project’s goals, these libraries should be equipped with basic reading collections, in diverse formats—for children, young adults, and the general public. This project “has heightened awareness and concern for public libraries so that a much greater proportion of the government’s budget has been allocated to libraries” (Thailand. Department of Non–Formal Education 1997a, 9). As of February 1997, there were a total of 767 public libraries under the Department of Non–Formal Education.

Learning Centers

The concept of a “learning center” was introduced to Thailand in 1991. The implementation of this concept resulted from the adoption of the Framework for Action to Meet Basic Learning Needs, derived from the World Conference on Education for All, convened in Jomtien, Thailand, in 1990 (UNESCO 1992). "Learning center" refers to a non-formal education center established at the sub–district level, which provides educational opportunities to the unreached or disadvantaged groups, particularly those who live in remote rural areas. Apart from providing and facilitating educational activities, a learning center is also a community resource center. The establishment of learning centers also aims at decentralizing educational management and at promoting self–sustained communities. The strategy used in establishing learning centers is mobilization of resources from the existing institutions and organizations in the community, such as schools, governmental agencies, non–governmental organizations, private businesses, and religious institutions.

A District Non–Formal Education Center (DNFEC) is responsible for

A revised version of A Guideline on Setting up Learning Centers was published in 1997 (Thailand. Department of Non–Formal Education 1997b). It covers such topics as the rationale, objectives, and benefits of learning centers; the process of establishment, management, and promotion; and the provision of services. The guidelines were distributed to all local organizations and institutions involved in non–formal education activities in order to promote these grassroots initiatives and the expansion of learning centers. The number of learning centers across Thailand totaled 1,018 in 1997.

Village Reading Centers

“Village reading centers,” originally known as village newspaper reading centers, a project initiated by the Department of Non–Formal Education in 1972, were established to provide current news and information for villagers, to help retain literacy for new literates and school dropouts, and to instill good reading habits in the rural population. The current number of such centers throughout the country is 35,541, approximately one center for every two villages. Such centers are usually built and run by communities; they could be stalls, shacks, or rooms, usually located at the center of a village, and can serve 10–20 users at a time. They are generally equipped with newspaper stands/racks, tables, chairs, benches, and bookshelves. The quality of services varies. The government provides each center with two daily newspapers and other reading materials mainly received through the Book Donation Center (“Tee an nangsue...” 1996; Varavarn 1995; Thailand. Ministry of Education 1995). Newspapers were provided as the primary reading material for villagers for the following reasons:

...regularity in production and delivery which ensures continuous flow of information, the interest–value for the villagers, their relatively low cost and finally the opportunity to strengthen the commercial network of distribution into the rural areas (Varavarn 1995, 40).

A number of studies (e.g. Chooprasit 1983; Boonwong 1984; Boonsook 1988; Nakthong 1994) suggest that village reading centers have a significant impact by helping rural users develop reading skills, increase information awareness, and improve the quality of life. As has been noted in a study of this impact,

the villagers gain much more knowledge from reading at the village reading centers. The knowledge thus gained could help raise their standard of living such as upgrading of agricultural techniques, land fertilizing, improved health care, improved livelihood as well as better understanding of democracy ... villagers in some remote area went to cast ballots at the highest percentage in the recent general election (Suckcharoen 1992, 194).

During their 25 years of existence, village reading centers have had their “ups and downs” as Varavarn reports:

During the first few years of operation the centres tended to be badly kept and the newspaper rarely reached or remained in the centres. At present, the majority of the centres are well looked after, with comfortable reading facilities and well supplied with other reading materials. Several thousands centres have grown into learning centers with radios, television and public broadcasting systems (1995, 40).

In recent years, however, many of these centers have deteriorated. Many have been completely deserted and many others have been poorly managed. Criticism from those who have experienced the declining state of village reading centers has been brought to the attention of administrators. Problems identified include an unreliable newspaper delivery system, and the lack of good management. Under the present administration of the Department of Non–Formal Education (since 1996), efforts to improve village reading centers have been underway.

Despite the policies and efforts to extend public library services to rural communities, the services are in 1998 still inadequate, due to the following problems:

University Library Extension Programs

In addition to the public library system, some universities, which operate under the Ministry of University Affairs, have initiated library extension service programs in order to offer various forms of outreach services to disadvantaged groups in different rural communities (Gesmankit 1987; Cheunwattana 1991; Suckcharoen 1992; Boonyakanchana 1993; Khon Kaen University 1996). Examples of such efforts include:

Chiang Mai University (in the North):

Mahasarakham University (in the Northeast):

Srinakharinwirot University (in Bangkok):

Khon Kaen University (in the Northeast):

Combined School and Community Libraries

Another pattern of rural library services is a combined library, usually with a school and community library. This concept was introduced to Thailand by UNESCO in 1992 as a strategy to maximize scarce resources in developing countries. A pilot project has been implemented in one Thai rural community by the Thai Library Association, with financial contributions from UNESCO. The project is aimed at (1) setting up a community information service which is relevant to the needs of the community; (2) providing a center for exchanging experiences through inquiries, discussions, film shows, exhibitions, and demonstrations; (3) promoting reading habit among children and adults; and (4) promoting community awareness of local cultural heritage (UNESCO Principal Regional Office 1992). Despite the apparent success of this pilot project, little is known about how this new service pattern is being diffused in Thailand.

Conclusion

This article reflects some efforts currently made in providing library and information services to rural Thai communities. That services are still far from adequate is evident from a reading survey which shows that only 17% of the rural Thai people had an opportunity to read newspapers (Thailand. Department of Non–Formal Education, 1993). A recent survey reporting how female leaders in rural Thailand obtained information also support this fact. According to this survey, 89% of female leaders received only a primary education, 54% never received any information through newspapers, and 71% never used magazines for information. Television was a source of information for 94% of these leaders, interactions with people for 76%, village radio stations for 73%, radio for 55%, and promotional materials for 46% (Chakkrapongse 1996).

In the present decade, efforts to improve access to library and information services in Thailand have continued. However, very few empirical studies have been conducted to explore in greater depth the present state of library and information services for the Thai rural population, which is fundamental to the planning and design of more effective services. Being aware of the significance of research in this area, the first author of this paper is presently conducting a multiple–case study of library and information services to the rural communities in Thailand*. The study will explore the present status of library and information services in five rural Thai communities in relationship to current Thai information policies including information resources, services, and systems, and in context of the information needs and use of Thai rural populations. The five case studies have been designed to represent a cross–section of the existing structures of services to rural communities. Three cases represent the public library system, another represents a university library extension program’s mobile service, and the last represents a combined school–community library. A qualitative cross–case analysis will be used to produce a rich array of themes and categories, which will offer insights and understanding of how library and information services are provided to these rural communities.

Preliminary findings indicate a lack of adequate services to rural populations. Although the government has come up with some policies that are beneficial to the provision of library and information services to rural communities, these policies are not at present well implemented at the local level, due to infrastructural, financial, and social constraints. In particular, under the current organizational structure, each district public library, along with learning centers and village reading centers, are dominated by educational needs and use, and thus leave various rural constituencies underserved or unserved.

* Cheunwattana, Aree. Information for rural development: A multiple–case study of library and information services to the rural communities in Thailand. A dissertation–in–progress. School of Library and Information Science. Indiana University, USA.

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About the authors

Aree Cheunwattana received her PhD from Indiana University, SLIS in 1998. Currently she is on the faculty of Humanities, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand. email areech@psm.swu.ac.th.

Shirley A. Fitzgibbons is Associate Professor, School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University. President, Association of Library and Information Science Education (ALISE), 1998 and 1999. email fitzgibb@indiana.edu.