Search

This study attempts to discover the pattern of rural library usage among rural youth in Malaysia and to determine the problems that are associated with such usage. The findings of this study provide an insight into youth usage of rural library services. The most obvious pattern that resulted from the findings is the connection between library usage and the availability of reading materials. Furthermore, it was found that some of the respondents raised their concern with regard to rural libraries being congested with children. A number of recommendations have been highlighted and it is expected that these can be used by concerned parties to further improve and develop rural library services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Senior citizens play an important role in the development of future societies. It is anticipated that the elderly population in Malaysia will increase by 15 percent to 5.6 million by 2030 due to the progressive advancement in healthcare facilities over the last 50 years, hence leading to longer life expectancy. In line with the development of knowledge networks, literary materials have become more diverse for senior citizens to choose from in order to improve their quality of life. This article aims to identify and analyse the different types of literature reading material and its contents, as well as to propose other literary materials especially for the necessity of the rural libraries in Kelantan. This study uses a quantitative approach: a field study using a questionnaire distributed to 300 senior citizens in Kelantan and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings showed that the senior citizens chose religious literature as their preferred reading materials. In conclusion, the choice of reading materials by senior citizens in rural areas should be considered by the library management and publishing companies to ensure that they can gain better benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]