TITLE:
The Utilization of a Small Town Community Library in Africa by Its Community: A Survey
AUTHORS:
Kaeri Mukora, Ngugi Mukora, Mary Wanjiru
KEYWORDS:
Africa, Library, Literacy, Community, Utilization, Small Town, Community Library
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.11 No.11,
November
28,
2024
ABSTRACT: Background: Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest literacy rates of any world region. Public libraries have been noted to contribute to a community’s general literacy. Aim: To assess the utilization of a small town community library in sub-Saharan Africa by its community. Findings: The library was mostly used by young adults around 21.6 years old with 95% of the participants reporting use of the free Wi-Fi and 66% reading the library books. Conclusion: The study indicates a high utility level of the free Wi-Fi in a community library, especially by college-age patrons and indicates the need for the establishment of more libraries to further serve the sub-Saharan African population and contribute to literary growth.