A Model for Community Participation in African Libraries to preserve Indigenous Knowledge

Betsie Greyling (eThekwini Municipal Library, South Africa) [BIO]

Email: greylingb@durban.gov.za

 

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Africa and African libraries and information centres are poorly equipped to make a meaningful contribution to the current global digital knowledge economy. The lack of management systems for indigenous knowledge perpetuates the low local content on the Web, retards buy in from local communities into digital resources and inhibits digital skills development. Libraries and Information Services should include provision of indigenous knowledge resources. The paper discusses a model for community participation in establishing a digital library of indigenous knowledge. It focuses on public libraries and aims to create a virtual resource that is in step with the global information society while at the same time empowering citizens through skills development and preserving indigenous knowledge.

Methodology

The model creates a platform using existing library infrastructure from where the project is carried out to communities. In the multi-pronged approach community champions collect oral and visual material while members from the community are taught how to add local content to the World Wide Web at the libraries. The library acts as moderator and custodian of the indigenous knowledge resource. A proviso of the model is free public Internet access at libraries and the use of social Web 2.0 technology. People of all social and age groups are employed to steer the programme at ground level while volunteer contributions to the database is encouraged. This provides the potential for collaboration from the whole community.

Results

The model will provide a virtual library resource of local indigenous knowledge, freely accessible to all members of the community. Availability of local content on the Web will enhance use of digital resources. Improved digital skills will result in economic empowerment of communities and progress in poverty alleviation.

Conclusion

Ultimately the model will enable communities to manage their own indigenous knowledge in an economically viable manner. Global exposure of local communities will attract international economic, scientific and cultural interest. Virtual indigenous knowledge resources in African Libraries will play a pivotal role in the current global digital knowledge community whilst democratisation of the societies will progress through provision of knowledge.