1

Promoting Synergic – Focused Libraries in Kenya: Enhancing Linkages,

Advocacy & Lobbying Strategies. ����������� ������ ������ ��� ���� ����������� ���� ���������� ���

�

ABSTRACT

Information is a vital resource for sustainable development. No modern economy

can effectively function without reliable flow of information. As the officially

designated information agencies, libraries play key roles in collecting, producing,

organizing, and disseminating information products as well as facilitating their free

flow to enhance socio-economic and democratic development. A knowledge-

driven society enhances sustainable economic growth through diversification of

economic activities and innovative utilization of untapped resources. Libraries

support this mission by providing technical, intellectual and business information.

Public library systems in Kenya fall short of attaining this position due to a number

of challenges including: under developed human resources; Inadequate

collections; non-access to online information in most library outlets; and, lack of

enabling environment for innovative research, which finally make them to perform

below their core basic functions of: ensuring fee access for all; promotion of

reading culture and eradication of illiteracy; promotion of life-long learning;

effective support to academic curriculums; and, provision of civic education for

good governance.

Free access to information is a basic human right. Public libraries have the

obligation to facilitate this access, regardless of individual’s societal status.

Citizens’ constructive participations in democratic advancements are enhanced

through life-long learning experiences and free access to knowledge. For libraries

to uphold these important values; there is need for a paradigm shift; from libraries

being viewed as government dependant sector to embrace new strategies of

2

networking, advocacy, linkages, lobbying and fundraising among stake holders

including local communities.

1.0 Introduction

For African libraries to be positioned as agents of socio-economic and

democratic advancements leading to good governance, they will need to

undergo real paradigm shift in their structures, operations and service

delivery approaches. Their final entrenchment in this strategic position, as

agencies of democratic enhancement is largely dependent upon their

willingness to diversify their operations; and to adopt new services and

formally engage in linkages with all purported stake holders, as well as

continued innovative research on best practices.

This call for paradigm shift is premised on the need and desire for change,

not just a change within library structures, operations and service delivery;

but also a change in the wider world of which it is part. This will include the

eradication of old perception that libraries are at cross road and on their

way of extinct, plus the illusion that, their positions are rapidly being taken

by robust ICTs based information providers, agencies and brokers.

Such paradigm shift automatically creates a new image of libraries needed

to bring social, democratic and developmental changes through the

provision of imaginative and socially responsive programs that seek to

increase the capacity of individual’s participation in their holistic

developments including the enhancements of their social infrastructures.

It is only through networking among library institutions and deliberate

collaborations with other related bodies like library Associations as well as

advocacy and lobbying among other stakeholders like NGO’s,

Government departments and international bodies that will finally make the

institutions of the library to be strategically placed as real agents of change.

3

Library institutions should never be seen simply as mere warehouses of

books. Rather, they ought to be seen as dynamic information resource

centres meant to recreate new thoughts and lives of people utilizing it.

Simply put, they are champions of memory, and the latter is the real source

of life and the history of the people.

For this new vision of a synergic-focused library system to be realized,

especially in Kenya, this paper calls for joint strategies among stake holders

at least to realize the following two milestones in the Kenya’s information

industry:-

• Formalized collaborations between public library systems in Kenya

and the home-grown Kenya Library Association (KLA), especially on

joint advocacy and lobbying initiatives to address issues on

legislations and quality development of human resources.

• A well developed and competitive lobbying and advocacy

strategies targeting both local and international stakeholders and

ensuring that Kenyan politicians come to terms and be

knowledgeable on the importance of information products in the

success of sustainable development in the country.

2.0 Developing Concepts

The window or gateway, through which one can clearly visualize libraries as

promoters of democracy and as agents of ensuring free access for all – is

blurred until one retreats backward to understand the following related

basic concepts:-

a) Community

b) Community intervention (Social intervention)

c) Synergic focused libraries

4

d) Community development

e) Advocacy & Lobbying

f) Democracy

g) Free access for ALL.

a) Community

This an omnibus term that always changes its meaning depending on

the issue under discussion. Azarya (1985), tells us that by 1955, the

concept had already acquired ninety four definitions. It is therefore

not surprising that, no precise meaning of the term community exist to

date. However, for the purposes of this paper, the author wishes to

pick two definitions out such pools of related definitions as follows:-

� A community is a collectively united group, either on the basis of

shared responsibility, territory, for example neighborhoods, a

village or a city or; on one of the basis of common ideals, social,

ethnic or religious ties.

� A community may also be understood to mean; a microcosms of

society, a social system in themselves with their own subsystems of

governance, economy, religion and family.

b) Community social intervention refers to agents of change within the

community structure be they institution or personalities whose

contribution lies in the provision organized expertise, services and

solutions to the needs of the community. A library system that does

not position itself as part of this change agent; a system that is

unaware of or ignores the socio-economic activities of a community

in which it is created to serve, cannot create any impact or be

recognized as an important entity in the community development.

5

� The concept of social intervention lies in the notion that resources

of a society should be distributed equally among its members,

irrespective of Individual’s social position or condition; that is, a

need focused distribution rather than the ability to pay as the

deciding factor.

� It’s common knowledge that all individuals in a community/society

need information for their holistic development regardless of their

social or economic status. This is where libraries come in; to

provide free access of this information for all, regardless of

individual’s social status. As agents mandated to fight illiteracy

and ignorance by empowering citizen with knowledge and

information for both personal and national development, libraries

can only achieve this broad objective and hence a lasting impact

in the community if there is a deliberate move, and or, a real

paradigm shift towards embracing a synergistic culture in their

operations, programs and services.

c) Synergic focused libraries refer to libraries that have inculcated the

culture of pooling together with other stakeholders to effectively

address a course at hand. It’s the art of excelling in the activities of

combined or coordinated programs with the intention of working

together as change agents and collectively embracing the real

culture of social intervention. This is encompassing linkages,

networking, and advocacy and lobbying strategies.

� This synergic transactional framework has three identifiable sub-

systems in themselves as:-

� The donor sub-system

6

� The administrative and delivery system and,

� The recipient sub-system

� The donor sub-system are the legislative, executive and funding

authorities that provide the needed resources and lay down

broad national, international and regional policies to achieve

effective social intervention.

� The administrative and delivery sub-system are responsible for

planning; administering; implementing; and monitoring of

programs, services and products including their continued

innovative improvements all for the benefit of the recipient sub-

system.

� The recipient sub-system comprises of the users of the service. That

is, the target population for the service in question, and for this

case the community members in which the library facility exist to

provide access to information for all for them to be able to make

rational decision as well as full participation in their socio –

economic and democratic advancements.

The three sub-systems must be formally engaged to become a

functional networked system through well designed strategies of

collaborations, co-operations, lobbying, advocacy and networking

activities.

d) Community Development refers to the synergic involvement of local

leaders, community residents, professional change agents / agencies

to participate in projects, activities and services intended to benefit

them (Community residents) both collectively and individually in

7

order to enhance the holistic development of such a community. It

should be noted that the grand mission of all collaborators in the

information sector is to participate in the holistic development of their

citizenry by empowering them with relevant and adequate

information for rational decision making in all their day to day

endeavors. This desired holistic community development can never

be achieved by lone ranger Library facilities protruding as apexes

without a base. Rather, it needs systematic and collaborative

approaches with key stakeholders like; library associations, politicians

and the entire government machineries including local government

authorities. Joining forces with the related change agents including

institutions, NGOs, foreign missions and other bodies etc, to build

strong advocacy forums for specific policy changes is the way to go if

our libraries are to be recognized as equal players in the country’s

socio-economic advancements. This will finally enable libraries to be

successful in lobbying for increased funding among both local and

international potential donors. It all calls for an elaborate and

inclusive strategic plan to: -

• Strengthen library Associations. Indeed, the status and capacity of library

services in a country will always be reflected in the overall image of

library Association in that country.

• Bring on Board, politicians and other key government decision makers by

lobbying them to fully understand and hence, realize the strategic

importance of information and library system in the achievement of:

Kenya’s vision 2030; Global millennium goals; and, the country’s general

development.

8

• Strengthening of publishing industry in Kenya by promoting local

authorship as well as subsidizing the publications of non-academic

information materials currently being viewed by Kenya’s publishing firms

non cost-effective.

• Plan for effective fundraising to achieve an increased funding base

beyond the government’s budgetary allocations. This securing of better

funding shall enable libraries to expand and diversify their services and

hence create a real lasting impact in the communities they serve.

• Advocate and promote the development of adequate information

professionals with dynamic skills needed for the Kenya’s ever-changing

information industry.

• Advocate and lobby for enabling infrastructural environment including

good legislations, national standards, physical infrastructures and

adequate resources for Kenyan Libraries to compete favorably with their

counter parts especially those from developed nations.

e) Advocacy and lobbying

Advocacy is influencing for change. It is working with other stakeholders

(building synergies) through a strategy of changing their attitude, opinions,

as well as stirring their participations, interests and commitments in

addressing the issues at hand. It’s about reaching the people who have

the power to change the status quo and influencing them to make things

happen differently.

• The need for library institutions to join forces with their recipient

communities in advocating for more resources from both the central

and local governments cannot gain said.

9

• The need for library institutions to join forces with other related

collaborators (e.g. Kenya Library Association) in articulating for their

rightful position as reputable contributors in national development

calls for well and jointly planned advocacy strategies geared towards

positively influencing decision makers on the importance of

information in national development.

Lobbying is one of the ways in which advocacy work can be done. In particular,

it is a particular kind of advocacy where influencing individuals are booked and

lobbied using strategies like: face to face, persuasive meetings; focus group

discussion; memorandum and appeal notes.

f) Democracy

� Most dictionaries define democracy as government by the people

in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised

directly to them or by their elected agents under a free electoral

system.

� Abraham Lincoln paraphrased this definition to define democracy

as a government of the people, by the people and for the

people.

� For the purposes of this paper, the author prefers the

understanding of democracy to mean: a set of ideas and

principles about freedom specifically highlighting a set of

practices and procedures that have been molded through long,

often torturous history of learned best practices in governance.

10

Two universal forms of democracy

� Direct democracy in which all citizens, without the intermediary

of elected or appointed officials, can participate in making

informed public decisions.

� Representative democracy in which citizens elect officials to

make political decisions, socio-economic policies, formulate

laws and administer programs for the public good in the name

of the people. Such officials can deliberate on complex issues

in a thoughtful and systematic manner that require, an

investment of time; accurate information; and energy which is

often impractical for the vast majority of private citizens.

g) Free Access for All

This paper underlines the meaning and importance of this concept as

follows:-

� Access implies that information will be readily accessible to all

members of a given community/society regardless of their status in

that community.

� Access to information is a basic human right. This is further

confirmed in the following two important international

documents:-

� According to the American Library Association (ALA)

declaration:- “Freedom of expression is on inalienable

human right and the foundation of self-government.

Freedom of expression encompasses the freedom of

11

speech and the corollary right to access or receive

information. Libraries and librarians exist to facilitate the

exercise of this rights by selecting, producing, providing

access to, identifying, retrieving, organizing, providing

instructions in the use of , and preserving the recorded

expression regardless of the form or technology” (ALA,

Library Bill of Rights, 1996)

� This implies that citizens will have free and equal access to the

information they need in order to take control of their own lives for

self-development, self-reliance as well as collective participation in

good governance.

� The UNESCO’s Public Library Manifesto (1994) states that:

“Freedom, prosperity and the development of society and

that of an individual are fundamental human values. They

will only be attained through the ability of well – informed

citizens to exercise their democratic rights and to play an

active role in society (Community). Constructive

participation and the development of democracy

depend on satisfactory and life-long education as well as

on free and unlimited access to knowledge, thought,

culture and information”.

� This same manifesto brands the public library as the local gateway

to knowledge, that provides conducive environment for life – long

learning, independent decision making and cultural development

of the individual including the said social groups (Community).

The Kenya’s legislations governing free access to information are

outdated, disintegrated and grossly falls below the global standards.

12

This has resulted into scattering of information institutions into different

Government outlets, coupled with lack of networked approaches

hence, the need for an all inclusive (all stakeholders) participation in

the development of the dubbed “information access bill 2008”, and

to ensure the passage of the same through effective advocacy and

lobbying strategies targeting members of the august house.

A community will always need information for everything in their lives;

e.g. to get a government scholarship for their children; to apply for a

job; to know which medical services are available in which town; to

start a business; to get licenses to open a kiosk and even to collect a

pension. Thus, information access for all (freedom of information)

matters most to the poor and the vulnerable.

3.0 Basic Objectives of an Ideal Democratic Government

In its comprehensive report entitled, “Achieving Millennium Development

Goals in Kenya (by 2015). The Government of Kenya through Ministry of

Planning and National Development asserts that; The broad overall

development objectives of any democratically constituted government

and within a specific time frame as per the constitution; may be grouped in

the following major categories as:-

� Reviving and sustaining of economic growth of the nation

� Creation of employment opportunities and the improvement of its

citizens’ standards of living.

� Alleviating poverty, ignorance and common diseases towards a

healthy nation.

� Reducing inequalities in income through equitable distribution of

its resources.

13

� Participatory democratic advancement towards good

governance.

� Applications of appropriate technology expertise and research to

improve productivity services, including the exploitation of

untapped resources.

� Consultative and inclusive development through the full

participation of non-governmental agencies in partnerships,

linkages, collaborations, lobbying and advocacy.

� Preservation, enhancement and promotion of the nation’s cultural

identify.

� Protecting the rights of marginalized citizens including other

disadvantaged groups in the society.

4.0 The Role of Libraries in the Achievements of the Government’s

Broad Objectives.

The theme of this paper is the role of libraries in promoting democracy,

ensuring free access for all. However, democracy is intertwined with other

specific development indicators for real development as has been

highlighted in the above ten broad Government strategic objectives. It

would be therefore suffice to give a summary of such development pillars

for one to be clear of the position of libraries in national development.

First, economic growth requires the diversification of the economy through

the exploitation of all resources including the previously untapped ones. This

leads to the development of new products as well as the establishment of

new industries. In this parameter, libraries provide technical, economic and

environmental data for research and development. Libraries also provide

the information required by both researchers and decision makes to create

14

an appropriate fiscal, legislative, institutional and policy framework for

sustainable economic growth.

When it comes to the creation of employment opportunities, it ought to be

understood that human resources must be fully developed to enable them

participate maximally in various economic activities of the nation. This will in

turn require an elaborate educational infrastructure including environments

that clearly promotes self learning approaches which finally results to

general alleviation of poverty and reduction in inequalities of income

distribution. Libraries are central and key in enhancing quality education.

School libraries, college libraries and university libraries make resource –

based learning and student- centered teaching a reality, which finally

encourages students to be self reliance.

At grass – root level, community libraries empower adult learners and others

deprived of learning opportunities to gain new skills and increase their

occupational mobility. Ngang’a (2000), supports this view in his paper

presented at the partnership forum between Kenya National Library service

(KNLS) and the Association of Local Government Authorities of Kenya

(ALGAK), by summarizing five roles of a typical community library as follows:-

� Provision of information needed to facilitate members of the

community to gain skills, knowledge and confidence for full

participation and democratization of their affairs;

� Provide forums through which the government and other

agencies can be informed about concerns, problems and

reactions of community members to their planned activities and

programs;

� Provide support to extension programs and help extension workers

to effectively coordinate their work in the community;

15

� Strengthen community’s involvement in and appreciation of local

and national culture;

� Supplement formal and informal education through provision of

relevant and supplementary reading materials at appropriate

literacy levels including the sustaining of life – long learning.

The role of libraries for national development cut across all

government sectors. There is therefore no sphere of a country’s life;

no sector of its economy; to which libraries do not contribute,-

information being the life-blood of a modern nation. The richer

nations do not only have rich networks of libraries because they can

afford such libraries. Rather, libraries help to make countries richer.

However, the above roles can only become real on the ground if:-

• Libraries inculcate the culture of buildings synergies with their

stakeholders including the recipient local communities.

• Such synergies are designed to promote networking and

collaborations for increased adequate resources and

diversification of services.

• Such synergies are geared to promote joint advocacy and

lobbying strategies including research undertakings.

• Such advocacy and lobbying strategies are specifically

designed to realize quality human resource development,

increased funding base beyond the government allocations,

passing of favorable legislations to allow the real development

of the information sector, joint promotions of positive reading

culture and self-reading habits and, better recognition of

libraries as important tools for national development.

16

5.0 The role of libraries in promoting democracy

The deepening of democratic processes through a desire to enlarge the

space of citizen’s participation in the democratic advancement of their

respective countries has always been one of the leading agenda of almost

all the developing young economies and the developed nation of the

world including associations and other organized movements of such

countries. Democracy, which is coined from two Greek words demo

(people) and kratos (power) is considered to be an archetype for

governing people in a state of justice.

Direct democracy, which is the most ideal democracy, is more less an in-

house democracy which can only be practiced by few groups of people

and can instantly prove futile if tried to a larger community. This leaves one

viable democratic process as representative democracy to be practiced in

large public environments.

Thus, representative democratic system has all along been adopted to be

the best approach in the democratic process in the present modern

countries. However, in such systems, democracy has become more

susceptible to the danger of strong lobbies, persuasion and even blackmails

because many people do not have influence on the political decision

making process regardless of whether the system is actually open to all.

Decisions are made by very few people (politicians and their advisers), who

do not very often consult and communicate with their electoral bases

except during electoral campaigns. Worse still, their information seeking

behaviors is bluntly dormant. They are never careful in seeking relevant

information to enable them make rational decisions neither are they

17

knowledge focused personalities. They make irrational decisions out of

perceptions, uninformed judgments, wrong influences and selfish attitudes.

Dutto (1990), proposes a new paradigm shift to help save the structure of

representative democracy. He proposes an increased participations of the

civil society in the democratic process; strong lobbying and advocacy by

librarians and other information providers to prevail on the government to

recognize information as an important asset to aid in rational decision

making by empowering the development of information agencies

including libraries; and a change in the political media, where this change

refers to agenda setting by the political media so that those who controls

the distribution of the information equally set the course of the debate. In

this case, the political media perpetuates a top-down model of political

discourse in which those at the top of the information business hold control

over the information provided to the public.

However, the best approach in promoting a representation democracy

system; that in which the society is governed by the people as a whole is to

limit the democratic activities or positions as enjoyed by powerful groups in

the society and to spread this power to smaller groupings as well as the

isolated disadvantaged citizens by empowering them with relevant,

accurate and adequate information through instruments like state of the art

library facilities, community resource centres, and the engagement of other

information agencies through a synergic focused library approaches.

The aim here is to effectively inform the ordinary citizens (who constitute the

greater population in a society) so as to enable them fully participate in,

and to influence the decision-making processes in all sphere of their

environment including democratic advancements - so as to realize real

community development in their neighborhoods, city, region or country. To

18

this end, the citizens should finally become an integral part of a system or

instrument for democratic advancement and informed evaluation of

multiple options and alternatives of development in their society.

This paradigm shift desire for inclusive democratic participations by

community members calls for an elaborate advocacy and lobbying

strategies among various stakeholders that include and not limited to: Civil

societies and pressure groups; information providers; government of the

day; faith – led institutions; human right institutions; professional associations

(e.g. Kenya Library Association), and with an enabling infrastructural

environment that can effectively facilitate the process. Public libraries, by

virtue of their mission of providing access for all, possess unparalleled

potential to ensure effective and inclusive participation all citizens on issues

concerning their welfare.

6.0 ICT Integration Enhances the Reality of Direct Democracy

The possibility of a break through in the practice of direct democratic

system is envisaged by the electronic democracy concept which allows the

creation of new virtual markets with open, free and extensive discussions

and with an overall aim of making optional decision regarding the

development of a given local set-up. Libraries and other information

agencies must be seen to integrate these potentials of ICT in increasing

access to developmental information beyond the capabilities of a manual

library system.

An ICT compliant library facility has the capacity of facilitating easy and

free access to public information in a wider population and linkages. In a

direct democratic set up, the approach greatly enhance free expression of

views, extensive discussion for better understanding and finally, approval of

19

measures to be taken regardless of whether their implementation will be

delegated to the executive power directly or whether there will be a formal

vote before a decision is taken.

In this respect, the cardinal role of selected representatives (representative

democracy) will be somehow enlarged to take different dimensions, e.g.

instead of being the only decision makers; they become guarantors of the

democratic process and in a way, process arbitrators, facilitators and

managers. This trend might in the end lead to an evolution of the current

parliaments and governments across the globe and hence, a real

paradigm shift that places libraries and other information agencies in their

rightful position for the desired holistic development.

Effective integration of ICTs applications in library and information service

provision therefore has the potential to play an important role in the

realization of the vision of direct democracy because they (ICTs solutions)

remove constraints of space and time. Through appropriate networks and

user-friendly interface tools on the internet, it will allow the opportunity of

access to free debates and exchange of thoughts and ideas as well as free

and direct access to public information from government sources leading

to more advocacy, lobbying and effective participation in the democratic

processes. With the realization of ICTs compliant library systems towards the

enhancement of direct democracy, there will also be need for real

restructuring of the current political set-ups and organizations structures to

put in infrastructures that would facilitate continuous innovations in ICT

solutions and advancements.

Indeed effective ICTs integration in library services, automatically increase

the capacities of public libraries to excel in their linkages, collaborations,

lobbying and fundraising strategies through easy access to on-line

20

information. This will finally enable such libraries to embrace synergic

culture as they will be definitely overwhelmed by the power of ICTs

application in realizing effective linkages, networking and sharing of

information resources

7.0 Libraries as a Bridge to Narrow Knowledge Divide Phenomenon

Synergic- focus libraries, with well established networks remain one among

the leading approaches for narrowing of the existing knowledge divide

phenomenon in the world today. Information and knowledge are now

crucial assets in the today’s global economy. Libraries are indeed the true

gateways to this information and knowledge. There is therefore need for

nations of the today’s modern world to develop rich information based

institutions with effective links to one another to ensure that relevant and

adequate information are readily available, utilized effectively, shared

equitably and made accessible to those who need it regardless of their

societal status. Such information and knowledge must be available at all

spheres of human development including; scientific information and

discoveries, business and economic information; cultural and leisure

information as well as civic and political information.

In this era of information age, there is now more than ever, a need to equip

citizens with skills and means to enable them become information literate

leading to the realization of information driven society and hence

knowledge based society. Public Libraries are strategic in this drive, for they

create and make available for access, information for holistic development

including democratic advances. This is the basis of enabling citizens to

effectively participate in their socio-economic and political environment by

being able to make informed choices and rational decisions hence

minimization of knowledge divide.

21

8.0 Literacy as a Basic Tool for Effective Democratic Advancements

In today’s global information society, non-literate people are at a

permanent disadvantage in their socio-economic underpinnings. They are

unsure of their rights and unable to fulfill their potentials in the environments

they live in, including participation for their democratic rights. Public libraries

create literate environments where people are surrounded by information

and reading materials that supports life long - education among all the

categories of citizens in a community as well as facilitating research

undertakings and support for other skills necessary for realizing their socio-

economic potential including effective participation in their democratic

advancements.

These strong literate environments requires a thriving local publishing

industry and other developed media industries, which help to ensure that

citizens can get hold of locally created information materials, including

those in local languages as well as local information that reflects local

culture, traditions and local governance set-ups. Indeed, this is where the

concept of community based libraries has an important role to play. With

majority of local communities still living in poverty, it is crucial not only to

provide access to them, but also to ensure that the access is free and

universal for all.

Unfortunately, Montagnes (2001), observes a rather sad scenario on the

ground as far as the Continent of Africa is concerned. While it’s common

knowledge that both public libraries and school libraries have a vital

function in supporting schools and life-long learners to acquire, maintain

and develop their literacy, most poor communities in Africa do not have

access to a library and those that do exist are almost always poorly

resourced. This greatly damages both life-long and formal education to

22

many citizens in Africa. In his report on the availability of books and learning

materials in Africa for all; Montagnes commented that:

“…As the decade came to a close, school libraries were said to have the

lowest or even non existing priorities on budgetary allocations across the

continent. The majority of schools have no library facilities and, where some

semblance of a school library do exists, it is often no more than a few

shelves of outdated and worn out materials at most or some few curriculum

based text books enclosed in a cup-board in the headmaster’s / Deputy

headmaster’s office; with no qualified staff to provide the service, except

one or two underdeveloped personnel.”

9.0 Promoting Democratization Culture through Free Access for ALL

Access to information is a basic human right. Article 9 of the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights declares that “Everyone has the right… to

seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media.”

Access here implies that a particular information product will be readily

available to the person who needs it. This access as a basic human right is

further comprehensively articulated in a statement by the American Library

Association Bill of Rights, 1996. The implication to this is that all citizens have

free and equal access to the information they need to take control of their

lives for self-development and self-reliance.

For citizens to participate constructively in government affairs, they have

the right to access government information. The holdings of libraries,

archives and other information centers which are funded directly or

indirectly by the government form a national public information resource,

on which organizational structures and well as effective infrastructure must

23

be put in place for such important national resource to be accessible to all

citizens regardless of their status in the society. In particular, every citizen has

an equal right to public library information services regardless of age, race,

gender, language, disability, geographic location, social status, economic

status and educational attainment.

A public library serves its community through the provision of access to

knowledge, information and all other related information contained

documents. It does this by providing citizens with access to information

materials in any format in order to meet the needs of individual’s and

communities’ holistic development. This positions public libraries as

important role players in the development and maintenance of a

democratic society by providing individuals with access to information,

ideas and opinions. Besides, public library instruments do have special

responsibilities to monitor and analyze the changing democratic

characteristics and trends of their communities so as to meet their ever

changing information needs of an increasingly diverse society. To this end,

public library institutions must ensure that they have policies in place to

respond to such dynamic changes in the communities they are created to

serve.

It may be helpful to re-stress at least three points why information should be

available and accessible to all:-

� First, information is essential for democracy building, assuming we

want a democratic and open society that does not leave all

decisions to politicians or the so called experts.

24

� Secondly, availability and free access of information for all creates

a competitive environment of scientific and innovative information

needed for a healthy growth of our society.

� Thirdly, it is essential for education, whether this is education for

jobs, leisure or life-long learning practices.

Stand alone public library entities may not have the capacity, means and

infrastructural set-ups to be able to make readily available, all the developmental

information needed by the citizens. This demands building of synergies with all the

related stake holders including government agencies to fully access all the

developmental information being generated from government departments.

Besides, the successful development and final passage of the Kenya’s dubbed

“proposed draft on Freedom of Information Bill 2008” requires consultative,

lobbying and advocacy strategies that brings on board, contributions of all stake

holders and interested agencies for its effectiveness to be realized in the citizen’s

domain.

10.0 Relevant Development of Human Resource

For library facilities to effectively contribute in the citizen’s democratic

process including the provision of access for ALL, this paper calls for an

urgent comprehensive review of training curriculums for Kenya’s Information

Workers. It is important to create a critical mass of library and information

professionals in Kenya; who have the knowledge, skills and commitment to

offer innovative information services to the rural and the urban poor, as well

as the marginalized communities across the country.

This is a call for appropriate curriculum and syllabi that not only create

knowledge based expertise on print based literate environment but also

25

those with skills to harness indigenous knowledge bases and successfully

integrate the latter with the so called modern knowledge databanks to

achieve appropriate development and sustainable economic

development. In order to remain relevant in this competitive and dynamic

society we now live in, such training review for librarians and other

information professionals will also have to be diversified into other

knowledge areas that have links with synergy building including:-

� Community needs assessment skills;

� Advocacy, lobbying and fundraising skills;

� Indigenous information re-packaging and delivery skills; and,

� Participatory approaches to community development.

11.0 Partnerships and Linkages Initiatives is the way to go

As the effects of the world’s global village becomes a reality day by day

even with young economies like Kenya, libraries need to position

themselves more than ever before, to be a leading player in this fast

tracking information society. Effects of political, social and economic

challenges are becoming more similar across countries, and the agents of

their interventions are spread across almost all the countries of the world.

This calls for libraries to strengthen their links, partnerships and networking

initiatives across their communities and geographical boarder countries to

establish benchmarks and embrace best practices for survival and effective

participation in the democratization of their societies. Strengthening formal

links and partnerships with other development agencies (both local and

international) including effective networking with other organization having

similar objectives is the safe way to go, if such libraries desire to be

26

strategically placed in their community’s socio-economic and democratic

advancements.

Such links with development agencies not only enable libraries to acquire

and utilize the widest possible range of development information and

literacy materials but also offer mutual benefits on both partners as well as

the access to other resources (including funding) that are necessary in the

underpinning of specific interventions as outlined in such libraries’ plans and

strategies.

11.1 Linkages with Government Agencies

In this to day’s complex society, libraries that still ignore to engage

government departments and other related agencies in a formalized

cooperation and collaborations may only do it at their own cost of

being rendered irrelevant. Such initiatives will enable libraries to

effectively access government information products and avail the

same to be accessed by the rural and urban poor. The initiative will

also uplift the corporate image of library institutions in the government

planning forums for the latter to finally find its strategic place in the

government’s planning’s, implementation strategies and programs.

Under this cordial inter-relationship, the government in the developing

economies will finally realize the necessity to create and implement

information policies that ensure that all sectors of the society benefit

from the full utilization of services provided by their libraries for the

realization of their holistic development, including literacy advances

and full participation of their democratic affairs.

27

12.0 Conclusion

Libraries and other knowledge based resource facilities are critical and

strategic assets in the achievement of human’s socio-economic and

cultural development; including literacy acquisition and poverty

eradication. This in the overall shall improve the democratization processes

among societies and hence the realization of good governance. The

establishment of libraries and information centers that are rooted in the

communities they serve is one way of ensuring that the poor and the

marginalized people have access to affordable information for rational

decision making and democratization of their communities as well as an

assurance of life long learning. In addition, their children will also have

access to relevant information materials to support their formal education.

For the full realization of the above goals, Kenyan libraries need to embrace

a new paradigm shift; by formally establishing effective linkages,

collaborations, networks and co-operations with other agencies, including

external donors, government agencies, professional bodies especially

Kenya Library Associations, NGOs and local communities in the

development and delivery of their information services and products that

targets all community members regardless of the latter’s societal status.

The resultant effect to this synergic – focused library development shall at

least yield the following three milestones:-

• A coordinated advocacy and lobbying shall make the institution of

the library to be recognized in other sectors viewed to be influential,

including recognition by politicians. Hence the contribution status of

libraries shall be respected in the government development

initiatives.

28

• By networking, collaborations and co-operations among library

entities including other related stakeholders: The quality and

broadness of services and products shall be enhanced and not

forgetting the strengthening of Kenya Library Association through the

emergence of one forceful collective voice. and,

• There will be a surprise emergence of favorable competitions

internationally through development of local professionalism,

benchmark settings, and adherence to international standards.

Kenya Libraries must think synergic, and must focus on effective linkages. This is

the only way to go if we have to remain relevant.

29

References

Azarya, V. (1985). “Community”. In. Adams and Jessika Kuyper (ed.). The Social

Science Encyclopedia. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul

Berleur, J. and Whitehouse, D. (1997). (eds.). An ethical global information

society: Culture and democracy re-visited. London: Champman & Hall

Drucher, P. F. (1994). Post – Capitalistic Society. London. Bulterworth – Heinemann

Dulton, W. (1990). The Political implications of information technology: Challenge

to power in information society. In: The Ethical Global Information

Society: Culture and Democracy visited. Edited by Jacques Berleur and

Diane Whitehouse.

Esquivel, A. P. (2004). The walls of information and freedom. In: IFLA Journal. Vol.

30(4)

Huttemann, L. and Nganga, S. K (1990). (Eds.). Coordination of Information

Systems and Services in Kenya. Papers of the seminar held in Nairobi

(31st Oct. to 9th Nov. 1990) sponsored by German Foundation for

International Development and Kenya National Library Service.

Information for Self-Reliance and Development: A policy framework for libraries

And allied information agencies for Namibia. By the Government of

Namibia, 1977.

Kionge, H. A. S. (2008). An analysis of the effectiveness of Community Based

Library Service in providing information services to rural communities in

Kenya. A thesis work for Masters of Philosophy in Library and Information

Studies, Moi University Eldoret (Unpublished)

Kionge H. A. S. (2007). Integrating Indigenous Knowledge Practices in Library and

30

Information Service provisions for good governance. Paper presented at

Kenya Library Association Conference. Nairobi, 2007 (Unpublished)

Kionge, H. A. S. (2007). Knowledge Management and the attainment of MDGs:

Challenges and Opportunities. A paper presented at the Moi University 3rd

Annual International Conference held on 31st June – 3rd August, 2007 at

Margaret Thatcher Library, Eldoret, Kenya (Unpublished)

Martin, W. J. (1989). Community Librarianship: Changing the face of public

Libraries. London: Library Association Publishing Ltd.

Mchombu, K (2006). Libraries, literacy and poverty reduction: a key to African

Development. A research paper looking at librarians in Africa

Commissioned by Book Aid International and sponsored by the

Commonwealth Foundation. London: Book Aid International.

Montagnes, I. (2001). Education for All 2000 assessment, Thematic Studies: Text

Books and learning materials. UNESCO

Republic of Kenya (2005). Achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Report prepared by the Government of Kenya in collaboration with

UNDP, Kenya.

UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 1994 English Version. Available at

http:/www.ifla.org. Retrieved May 25, 2008.

What is Democracy? By United States Information Agency, 1991.

White, B. (ed.). (1087). Information For All: Access and availability. London: Taylor

Graham