The Role of Kenya National Library in the provision of information for Youth Empowerment in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

The whole world is beginning to appreciate the place of youth empowerment in the development of nations, regions and people groups. Empowerment programmes organized at national and international level are increasingly targeting the youth. In a nation where young people are not empowered with positive and virtuous skills and attitudes, they will engage in more anti-social behavior. Libraries need to provide information services that are relevant to the needs of the youth and which can be used to enable them fulfill their aspirations. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the Kenya National Library Service in provision of information to empower the youth towards holistic development, and propose a framework to improve information provision for youth empowerment. The objectives of the study were: to analyze the role KNLS is playing in providing information for youth empowerment; to determine information needs of youth in Nairobi County and examine how these needs are met by KNLS; to determine sources of information and channels used by youth to access information; to establish the mechanisms, programmes and activities put in place by the government towards youth empowerment; to establish the challenges youth face in accessing relevant information that can empower them and propose ways of improving information provision for youth empowerment. The study was informed by the Uses and Gratification theory which focuses on what people do with the media and also Wilson‟s general model of information seeking behaviour. Case study research method has been used. The study population was the library users of Buruburu Knls library in Nairobi County aged between 15-30 years. Non-probability sampling method through quota sampling was used to get the required sample. The study population was categorized into three that is youth in secondary school, youth in colleges and youth who are non-students and the samples picked purposively. The main data collection method was face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions. Data collected was analyzed using various qualitative techniques and presented in descriptive and narrative forms. The study established that the public library played a significant role in empowering the youth through the information it availed to them. The information the youth accessed had tangible impact on their lives and thus it empowered them. The youth, however, face various challenges in accessing information in the library which showed that there were gaps that public libraries needed to fill to enhance their information services to youth. This study recommends that public libraries aim for youth-friendly programs/services, provides information literacy, strengthens online information service provision, non-book materials and provides space for group discussions. It proposes a framework where the library first conducts a needs assessment of targeted users to establish their needs and expectations, then selects resources and media that matches those needs, followed by awareness creation as well as information literacy and finally assesses the impact of the services provided through monitoring and evaluation in order to know if the users‟ needs have been gratified. It is hoped that the study will be of theoretical and practical significance to information professionals, researchers and policy-makers in the country