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BASICS OF INFORMATION
DISSEMINATION
5
Structure
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Importance of Information Dissemination
5.2.1 Problem-centered Nature of Adult Learning
5.2.2 Special Nature of Information Dissemination for Adult Community
5.3 Customizing Information for Dissemination
5.3.1 Issues of Relevance to Adult Community
5.3.2 Assessing Information Needs
5.3.3 Types of Information for Communication
5.3.4 Media and language for Communication
5.4 Approaches to Information Dissemination
5.4.1 Model 1: Searching Indexed Resources
5.4.2 Model 2: Non-indexed Sources
5.4.3 Model 3: Establishing Public Platforms for Reaching Out to Community
Members (Nicknamed Choupal)
5.5 Database Creation
5.5.1 The First Step
5.5.2 Record Structure
5.5.3 Software for Creating Database
5.6 Conclusion
5.7 Apply what you have learnt
5.1 Introduction
Unit 5 pertains to acquiring skill and
applying the same to your professional
activities and we hope that Unit 5 will
be of especial relevance to your day-to-
day work at adult learning set-up.
Information dissemination is a proactive
We hope that after going through Unit 5, you will be able to
Form your own understanding of various aspects of information dissemination.
Share your understanding of the basics of information dissemination with
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) organizing adult education projects
and programs.
Facilitate the NGOs efforts to develop skills and techniques required for
organizing information dissemination services for the benefit of the adult
community.
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Learning Objectives
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information service designed to educate
and inform focused groups of users on
social, economic and educational issues,
problems, and opportunities of interest
to them. It requires systematic planning,
collection, organization, and storage of
information for its delivery to the target
It is a fact that survival and self-
development are the major issues
central to several adults in many
communities. The need to raise their
socio-economic status is thus necessary
and urgent. This requires empowering
adults, the under-privileged and
economically weaker sections of society
with technical skills and education.
However, organizing programs meant
mainly for raising awareness, education,
and training are information and
communication dependent. Information
dissemination as such constitutes an
important and critical factor for the
success of adult education and learning
programs.
More often than not, organizers perceive
information dissemination to be a one-
way form of communication, circulating
information and advice mainly through
mass media in a cost-effective and
timely manner. In some cases, the media
are posters and pamphlets, while in
some others reliance is exclusively on
text-based print medium. However,
two-way form of communication is
relatively more relevant and effective
for organizing awareness programs and
activities in adult education.
5.2.1 Problem-centered Nature of
Adult Learning
Essentially, adult learning is more of a
problem-centered rather than content-
centered activity. In content-centered
audience using different media and
communication means.
Let us now discuss the importance of
information dissemination before
moving on to a communitys information
needs.
5.2 Importance of Information Dissemination
learning, the emphasis is on refining
knowledge that already exists, upgrading
existing level of skills, and nurturing and
shaping innate potential and talent of
individuals and groups in a society. In
problem-centered learning, the emphasis
is on applying information/ knowledge
as well as skills for finding solutions to
the problems and issues confronting the
adult community.
Let us look at the special character of
information dissemination for adults in
a community.
5.2.2 Special Nature of Information
Dissemination for Adult Community
In the context of this Unit we have used
the phrase adult community to refer
to the groups of adult people, who have
something in common such as low level
of literacy with a higher level of
knowledge and skills, yet poor living
standards and poor economic conditions.
Special features of disseminating
information to adult community are as
follows:
Information dissemination programs,
organized mainly for adult
community, need not be always one
way such as through mass media
alone.
For vitality and impact, adult
educators need to organize
information dissemination activities
in classroom mode and structure
them around face-to-face
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interactions. One of their aims could
be to offer services such as
counseling, referral, practical help,
advice, advocacy, community
education, etc.
Counseling may be on livelihood issues
such as employment, occupation,
marketing, and new sources of
revenue.
Practical help may mean aids such
as facilitating and liaison with
different government agencies to
address day-to-day problems.
The scope of information
dissemination could as well expand
to training and educational programs
to improve employment potential of
adult-learners.
The two-way form of communication
needs to dominate information
dissemination activity, with focus on
contents relevant to problems of the
adult community.
It is essential that communication
with adult community takes place in
the language that they understand.
It is essential that information
content in verbal and written
communications to the adult
community should be of a type of
interest and relevance to adult
community (Type of information
content as discussed under Section
5.3.2).
Adult educators may also offer
content-oriented services mainly for
the benefit of the NGO staff engaged
in education, research and training
in adult education and learning.
See Box 5.1 on the possible aims of
information dissemination oriented
programs.
Box 5.1 Aim of Information Dissemination Oriented Programs
Information dissemination oriented programs, for the benefit of the adult community,
may pursue the following aims.
To sensitize adult learners on the importance and relevance of information
To give practical information for problem solving
To spread awareness in adult community about their rights and privileges as well
as responsibilities
To assist adult community in identifying markets for their produce, products, and
skill sets, and introducing and publicizing such produce and products in the
identified markets
To supply and popularize among the adult community members relevant market
data on best market prices
To educate NGO staff on the intellectual property rights issues and their
management (Intellectual property rights refer to protection given by law to
intellectual property such as patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets.)
To apprise all NGOs engaged in adult education on recent and major developments
in adult learning
5.3 Customizing Information for Dissemination
For organizing information
dissemination programs for the benefit
of the adult community, the first step
is to assess and understand their
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information needs based on issues of
relevance to adult community, and to
customize the information accordingly
for dissemination.
5.3.1 Issues of Relevance to Adult
Community
As per local community members
choices, needs, aspirations, an adult
educator is likely to arrive at a very
specific list of needs. All the same, we
may say that broadly the issues of
relevance to adult community with
diverse cultural backgrounds, cover a
wide spectrum, ranging from rights and
privileges matters at one end to health,
housing, education, market and
marketing issues on the other. We find
some of the following issues have been
widely reported in literature
(Venkatappiah 2004, Vashishth 1995,
and Kumar 2004).
Community profile including cultural,
civilization of the local area
Redressal of grievances contact
points, government agencies/
departments, etc.
Rights, privileges, duties,
responsibilities, welfare measures,
legal matters
Consumer services, daily necessities,
provisions of grains and foods at
reasonable rates
Environment information, family,
health and safety, government
information
Health care information:
immunization, hospitals, admission
procedures, fist aid, grandmas
remedies, sanitation, hygiene
Housing and schemes mainly
intended for disadvantaged groups
Government welfare schemes for weaker
sections, rural development, etc.
Transport, bus, rail, and other
modes
Sources of finance, banks,
government subsidies, loan schemes,
and other money matters
Privileges of senior citizens, womens
issues and their solutions
Youth problems, citizens rights and
duties
Education, skill development and
training programs, admission
procedures, and costs, grants and
scholarships
Self-employment schemes and
programs, rural development
schemes
Sports information, games, arts
Agricultural information such as new
farming methods, seeds,
insecticides, fertilizers, weather,
vermin-culture,
Recycling of waste material
Market information, product,
produce prices information
Ongoing trends in the field of adult
learning
Content oriented information for
education, research, and training
5.3.2 Assessing Information Needs
You may adopt participatory approach
to assess the issues and problems
confronting the community and to
understand their information needs. The
adult individuals in the community may
not be in a position to articulate their
information needs as clearly as research
and academic communities
communicate. However, by holding
interactive sessions with the community
members, adult educators can identify
topics of relevance to their survival, and
accordingly judge/interpret the kind of
content going to be of use to them,
understand their linguistic concerns and
preferences, and their media
preferences for communication, etc.
You may also use the data in past
reports on adult literacy program,
research papers published on the subject
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to update and supplement findings made
from interactive face-to-face sessions
with adult community. While identifying
information needs, adult educator would
assess what types of information
5.3.3 Types of Information for
Communication
Theoretically, information generated for
communication and dissemination is of
different types as stated below.
However, not all types are of relevance
to the adult community. Assessment
about usefulness of a particular type of
information would differ from
community to community given their
diverse social and cultural backgrounds.
It mainly depends upon the level of their
literacy and education, the issues and
problems of relevance to them, and
their preferences for language and
communication media (means of
communication are radio and television,
newspapers, and magazines that reach
or influence people widely). Adult
educators would need to customize
information for dissemination to adult
community or to the team of adult
educators according to their needs. You
may consider the following different
types of information for the purpose.
Bibliographic information
Practical information: markets for
local products, produce, new
employment opportunities, where to
go for addressing grievances, etc
Referral information
Statistical data: adult literacy data
Analytical information: analyzing
quantitative data for discovering
trends
Activity 5.1
Identify the issues and problems of unemployed, literate adults in farmer community
and the types of information content, media, and language you would plan for their
socio-economic development.
Condensed information: concise
picture of thought contents
described in documents such as
digests, abstracts
Consolidated information: literature
reviews/ state-of-the-art reports to
catch with latest developments in
the specific areas of interest
Repackaged information: to educate a
non-technical person on technical topics
such as popular/encyclopedic
information sufficient to understand or
revive ones knowledge in the subject
Let us discuss in brief each of the types
of information contents in the service.
Bibliographic information: It is about
the identity and records of books,
articles, and other published material.
It also refers to listings of bibliographic
records, listings of cataloguing records,
listings of references, listings of articles,
etc. Such information service outputs
are of value and relevance for gathering
and understanding knowledge in the
subject, and generating new knowledge
through research studies and
investigations.
Practical information: It is the
information having value and meaning
in problem-solving situation acquired
through cognitive process of studying,
understanding, and analyzing contents,
or knowledge acquired through learning
experience.
contents delivered in the service are
going to be of interest and relevance to
the adult community in addressing their
issues and problems.
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Referral information: It is the
information about experts, people,
contacts, or institutions that serve as
useful referral sources in gathering
practical information, knowledge, or
even documentary information.
Statistical information: It is about
temporal, spatial, institutional data on
various activities and programs in
different subject areas. For example,
adult literacy data of different
geographical regions spread over time.
Analytical information: It is the
information generated by analyzing
temporal, institutional, and spatial data
for discovering trends. For example,
quantitative data on adult literacy
analyzed on time series basis provide
insight about strengths and weakness
of adult literacy programs on
comparative basis.
Condensed information: It is the
information generated to provide a
concise picture of thought contents
described in documents. Examples
include digests, abstracts, synopsis,
brief summaries, etc.
Consolidated information: It is the
information generated by analyzing and
compressing thought contents from
documents that have appeared on the
subject. It gives a critical and
consolidated overview of the topic,
assessing and reviewing contributions
made in the field over time, presenting
complete overview of trends and
developments in the field, the latest
developments in field, the state-of-the-
art in the field, and the highest level of
achievement in the field, etc.
Repackaged information: It is the
information generated to educate a
non-technical person on a subject of
importance. It gives a complete but
concise picture of the subject easy to
understand and comprehend. For
example, popular articles, like
presentation on the importance and
relevance of right to information Act.
5.3.4 Media and Language for
Communication
The information dissemination programs
and projects, planned for the benefit
of the adult community, cannot be
effective unless the media and the
language used for communication of
contents are meaningful to the adult
community. The media most commonly
used for communication are (i) oral/
verbal communication, (ii) written
communication, (iii) visual
communication, and (iv) multi-media
communication.
i) Oral communication is by word of
mouth when two or more persons
meet and talk directly, face-to-face,
or by telephone. Both these forms
are oral and not verbal.
ii) Verbal communication is through
words, both written and spoken,
such as group meetings and
presentations, and informal talks.
iii) Visual communication (drawings,
photographs, pictures, etc) is more
effective than any number of words.
iv) Multi-media communication
(combining text, visual, graphics,
sound, and motion pictures) is still
more effective.
Given their low literacy level, yet higher
level of language and communication
skills, communication to adult
community may limit to oral, visual, and
multi-media. Adult educators may of
course adopt written means of
communication when the target
audience reaches the requisite level of
competence in reading and writing. The
community would be able to receive and
comprehend the message conveyed only
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if it understands the language used in
communication. The language used in
oral communication is, therefore, of
great significance. It has to be the one
5.4 Approaches to Information Dissemination
Activity 5.2
Using information sources available within the library, prepare one-page write-up on the
importance of right to information act can help improve living conditions in the village.
5.4.1 Model 1: Searching Indexed
Resources
This model is more suited for collecting
content-oriented information. Here we
capture information from indexed
information resources such as
multidisciplinary and specialized
databases, library catalogues,
repositories, digital libraries, web
resources. Information captured from
such resources is first stored in the
database created for the purpose before
it goes to the target audience (see Figure
5.1).
The indexed information resources
Information dissemination requires
systematic collection, organization, and
storage of information relevant to the
needs of adult community. There are
several approaches to capturing relevant
information both content-oriented
information and problem-oriented
information. Some approaches are
traditional while some others are
innovative. Adult educators can generate
a series of services after gathering
information through such approaches.
Unit 10 will discuss the how or application
aspect of information dissemination
services. Let us here look at different
models of collecting information.
that the community understands and is
comfortable with it in face-to-face
interactions.
Figure 5.1: Information Dissemination
Model 1: Library Services Generated using Indexed Resources
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useful for searching content-oriented
information are of the following types.
Electronic databases and Online
bibliographic services
Local library catalogues
Digital libraries and repositories on
the Internet
Web resources
We will now discuss each of the types of
sources for content-oriented
information.
Electronic databases: Electronic
databases mainly index primary sources
of information such as journals (including
scholarly journals, review journals, and
popular journals), conference
proceedings, and research reports. Such
sources of information generally engage
in publishing original work in the subject.
Journals publish wide variety of papers
such as general, review, theoretical, and
developmental papers focusing on new
developments, economic and
commercial information, practical
applications, new tools and products,
etc. Conference proceedings contain
original and unpublished research,
covering case studies, and state-of-the-
art reports of topical interest. Research
reports are institutional reports
reporting findings of research projects
of social, economic, and cultural
relevance. Such sources are excellent
sources of information for discovering
latest trends or understanding the
impact of new measures in the field.
Evidently, primary information sources
are more useful for updating knowledge
in the subject, understanding overall
trends in the subject, but not for
searching and collecting problem-
oriented information.
Consequent upon electronic publishing,
multidisciplinary and specialized
database have become available online
for searching. Some are bibliographic
databases (with or without abstracts)
while others are full-text offering access
to the original articles in the archives
dating back to say 5 to 10 years. By
entering in the database search menu,
search terms related to a topic,
individuals are able to retrieve
information about articles of interest.
The search outputs from databases
categorized as select listings of articles,
bibliographies, and full-text articles and
papers. Such outputs form the basis for
generating analytical information,
preparing state-of-the-art reports for
latest developments in the subject, etc.
Databases are largely commercial
products and are available for online
access on subscription basis. However,
some databases offer free access online.
We have listed below only some of them.
You can obtain additional information
on free databases by searching the
Internet.
Ingenta
Findarticles.com www.findarticles.com
ERIC- Worlds largest digital library of
educational literature
http://www.eric.ed.gov/
POPLINE - Worlds largest bibliographic
database on population, family planning,
and related health issues.
http://db.jhuccp.org/ics-wpd/
popweb/
Online Bibliographic Service: Online
bibliographic services such as DIALOG,
OCLC, BLAISE, ESA-IRS, and Silver-
Platter offer online access to commercial
bibliographic databases, cataloging
databases, trade catalogues, standards
and patents on fee basis. Such services
are of immense importance to libraries
that do not subscribe to electronic
databases but do need to access them
on occasional basis.
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Library catalogues are the tools for
accessing library holdings comprising
books, journals, reports, etc. Digital
libraries on the Internet and Web
resources are also useful sources of
information on books.
first in the databank created for the
purpose and later applying it for problem
solving, educating, training, and
enlarging the choices of the target users
(see Figure 5.2).
Activity 5.3
List ten online databases in health and medicine using the Internet.
5.4.2 Model 2: Non-Indexed Sources
This model is more suited to meeting
needs for problem-centered
information. It entails browsing non-
indexed sources of information for
capturing and storing the relevant data
Figure 5.2: Information Dissemination
Model 2: Library Services Generated using Non-indexed Resources
You can categorize non-indexed
information resources in the following
heads.
Grey literature
Reference sources such as product
directories
Capturing data about intellectual
assets of the local community
Grey literature: You can refer it as
non-conventional literature. It
comprises documents, not published
commercially such as census,
statistics, government reports,
legislations, patents, conference
proceedings, theses, preprints,
research reports, newsletters,
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pamphlets, annual reports, and
technical reports. Grey literature also
comprises newspapers even though
they produced commercially. Such
documents are often original and
comprehensive sources of
information and provide access to
the latest research in a particular
area. However, these sources of
information are difficult to search
and access compared to traditional
sources for two reasons: (i) typically
not collected and acquired by
libraries systematically and (ii) not
well indexed for retreival. Agencies
such as government, academia,
business or industry, usually produce
them both in print and electronic
format.
Activity 5.4
List information sources on Indian patents using the Internet.
Reference sources: These are
typically comprehensive information
sources compiled mainly for
reference purpose rather than
reading them cover to cover. These
works are informative in nature and
emphasize the documentation of
statistical data. Examples of
reference works are: almanac,
atlas, concordance, dictionary or
lexicon, thesaurus, directory,
encyclopedia, gazetteer, and
handbook, etc.
Local cultural wealth: The local
communities in several areas are rich
in traditional knowledge, traditional
art and artistry, cultural resources,
natural resources, agro biodiversity
wealth, etc. The knowledge about
such wealth and resources generally
remains undocumented. There is
need to capture information about
these resources and preserve them
for posterity. One can the data
needed for the purpose from process
documents produced by NGOs,
published sources of information,
and supplementing this data by field
surveys of the area. Procedurally, it
is better to first document
information about local cultural
wealth and resources in the database
and later use for information
dissemination to support awareness
programs, and education and
training programs.
5.4.3 Model 3: Establishing Public
Platforms for Reaching Out to
Community Members (Nicknamed
Choupal)
This is an innovative model for
establishing communication links with
the community for education, learning,
and addressing issues of importance to
the local community such as right to
information, product marketing, health,
job opportunities, etc. The basis of this
model is on the philosophy of
community-based participation, wherein
the people from within the locality come
together at designated venue for
discussion and exchange information.
Even this model is novel, but
conceptually this approach in not new.
Village Choupals have traditionally been
the instruments of communication.
What is new is the application of the
information technology for giving wider
reach to the participating communities,
enabling them access to new markets
over Internet. Secondly, the
contemporary Choupal model has the
involvement of facilitators such as the
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Non-Governmental Organizations
playing their role as link between the
village community on one hand and
government and private agencies in the
marketplace on the other. States like
Tamilnadu, Madhya Pradesh, and
Rajasthan have put this conceptual
framework into practice. (World Bank
Report 2006). See Box 5.2 for some
case studies pertaining to practical
application of model 3.
Activity 5.5
Search the Internet to find out information five ICT based projects on poverty alleviation
in India.
Box 5.2 Case Studies Reflecting the Application of Choupal Model
Case Study 1 - Information Village Research Project
Information Village Project is the initiative of the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation,
a non-governmental organization founded by Prof. M S Swaminathan. (http://
www.iimahd.ernet.in/egov/ifip/feb2006/article3.htm) This project employs technology
as a tool for empowering the poor for reaching the unreached, who need access to
information that they can immediately use to their advantage Local volunteers collect
information from the markets, weather office, government departments, etc.
Transmission of this information goes to the nine villages over the local area networks.
In villages without steady power supply, the villagers use the substitute of solar energy
and charged batteries. The volunteers and representatives of the community meet at a
designated place regularly for sharing and exchanging information. The project is known
for innovative use of technologies for reaching the so far not-reached communicating to
them the information they can use to their advantage and helping them to realize their
innate potential. Local volunteers, mostly women, operate the knowledge centers, and
gather the locale specific information. It is an example of bottom up approach, demand
driven and need-based program for empowering the poor some of them still below the
poverty line.
Case Study 2 Warna Wired Village Project
This project is the initiative of National Informatics Centre undertaken in collaboration
with the Government of Maharashtra, and Warna Vibhag Shikshan Mandal. This is an
example of top to bottom approach in information dissemination for educating farmers,
cultivators, and others on latest crop cultivation practices in respect of major crops,
pest and disease control, marketing information, dairy and sugarcane processing practices.
(http://www.apdip.net/projects/2003/in/cases) The NIC has set up village kiosks in
the Warna area, computerized and networked for access and sharing of information.
Since the people in the area are not literate, kiosk operators lend help to disseminate
information to the villager visiting the kiosks. Each kiosk has 8 to 10 computers linked
to VSAT for network connectivity through NIC. The project was initiated is 1998 and is
jointly organized by the Government of India through the National Informatics Centre
(NIC), the Government of Maharashtra and Warna Cooperative Society.
Case Study 3 E-Choupals and Choupal Sagars
It is an excellent example of private sector participation in marketing services to the
farmers for marketing using information technologies. ITC has opened up business model
e-choupal telecenters covering 30,000 villages in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Rajasthan. (http://www.apdip.net/projects/2003/in/cases) It is also
planning to extend its e-choupal models to cover 100,000 villages across in the next two
years and is looking at investing Rs 50 million (or 5 crore) per 50 e-choupals. It was in
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June 2000 that ITC began its e-business operations with six e-choupals in Madhya Pradesh.
The company plans to set up Choupal Sagar, a multiple service centre for every cluster
of 50 e-choupals. This multiple service centre will accommodate warehouses, retail stores,
a fuel station, a training and health centre. ITC does not employ any marketing or
advertising to promote its e-business model. The companys field teams directly go to
Indian villages to create awareness for its e-choupals. With the help of audio-visuals,
they show the benefits of the project of mutual interest to villagers. After selecting an
operator (sanchalak) in a particular village, ITC trains him or her to run the Internet
centre. However, the real work still lies in educating villagers to use Internet centers
effectively.
Case Study 4 Gyandoot Project
Gyandoot project in Madhya Pradesh is an example of grassroots level participation of
local people at village level for socio-economic development. Under this project, twenty
information centres (soochanalayas) have been set up in five blocks of Dhar district.
(http://www.apdip.net/projects/2003/in/cases) These are located in the premises of
the office of village panchayat (panchayat ghars) for availing of their technical and physical
infrastructure such as power, furniture, equipments. The librarian in the centre (called
Suchak) provides technical and information support for running activities such as computer
literacy, desktop publishing. Interestingly, nearly half-a-million people in Dhar district
are using these services.
Activity 5.6
Search the following website for information on impact of e-information village.
http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/egov/ifip/feb2006/article3.htm
5.5 Database Creation
Libraries supporting adult education and
learning programs would need to create
a database for organizing and storing
the data/ information they capture for
the purpose of dissemination. Such a
database could come handy for
disseminating the same information
repeatedly, if so required.
5.5.1 The First Step
The first step in creating a database is
to create bibliographic records
conforming to established bibliographic
standards such as the i) standards for
bibliographic description, and ii)
standards for record format
Standards for Bibliographic
Description
There is International Standard for
Bibliographic Descriptions (ISBDs),
created for different types of
publications and media. These include
ISBD (M) for monographs, ISBD (S) for
serials, ISBD (NBM) for non-book
materials, ISBD (ER) for electronic
resource (IFLA Committee on
Cataloguing. ISBD(G)). These ISBDs
prescribe the common way for
presenting data elements in the
bibliographic record, a pre-defined
order separated by prescribed
punctuations. The need for establishing
standards for bibliographic description
had arisen from the fact that without
common standards libraries would not
be able to exchange bibliographic
information. You will find a detailed
discussion on these standards in Unit 9.
Bibliographic description is also about
syntax for describing the contents of
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bibliographic elements. For example, it
helps to learn the skill of rendering the
name of personal author or corporate
author in author field or of writing the
statement of responsibility. I may also
tell you about the filing elements in a
cataloguing record. You can control such
syntax related issues by using cataloguing
code: Anglo-American Cataloging Code-
2 (AACR-2) (American Library
Association. 2002).
Standards for Record Format
The term record format first came into
being when user computers sought it
for cataloguing and cataloguing
database. Essentially, record format is
a standard for representing bibliographic
data in machine-readable form for
exchanging data between the libraries.
Standards provide a common way of
organizing machine-readable records so
that they users can easily exchange
records. A number of standard formats
schemes have been created. These
include USMARC, CANMARC, UKMARC,
MARC21, CCF, and UNIMARC. (Saur
1994, Simmons and Hopkinson (Eds).
1998, MARC 21 Manual http://
www.loc.gov/marc/) Such standard
record formats comprise prescribed
bibliographic data elements as well as
prescribed codes to identify data
elements. The importance of standard
record format lies in the fact that
libraries can exchange such records
without any loss of data and thus
libraries can benefit by sharing their
cataloguing or bibliographic resources.
You will find a detailed description about
these standards in Unit 9 on Standards.
5.5.2 Record Structure
The term record structure often implies
record format. However, record format
is generally the broader term and often
refers to a combination of record
structure, content designation, and
content of the record. The record
structure specifies the structure of
bibliographic/ cataloguing record. It
consists of
A record label consisting of 24
characters,
A directory consisting of a 3-digit
tag of each data field, along with
its length and its starting character
position relative to the first data
field, and
Data fields of variable length, each
separated by a field separator.
ISO 2709 further specifies that the
data in fields may optionally be
preceded by indicators and
subdivided into subfields.
5.5.3 Software for Creating
Database
The libraries need to acquire software
for creating records in machine-readable
format. This could be either an
integrated library management software
or single module software exclusively for
database creation only. The software
acquired and used by the library for
record creation must support the
standards for bibliographic exchange
format, and standard record format.
5.6 Conclusion
After completing this Unit, the learner
would come to understand the
importance of informationdissemination
and the role that such a proactive service
can play in addressing the social,
economic and educational issues and
problems of interest to adult
community. They would also come to
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58
learn of issues and problems confronting
adult community and how could they use
information dissemination services for
raising awareness about opportunities
in the marketplace for improving their
socio-economic status. The learners
would also come to learn what type of
information is useful in planning
communication to the adult community
for addressing their day-to-day
problems, improving their employment
potential, or developing their innate
potential. The learners would also learn
about different models available for
planning and organizing information
dissemination services. To make impact,
they would have place greater emphasis
on offering proactive information
services, and opening avenues for
interactive sessions with the target
community, such as E-Chouplas and
Choupal Sagars and deploying all such
innovative means that interest and
benefit the target adult community.
5.7 Apply What You Have Learnt
If you have completed all the activities,
given in the various sections of Unit 5,
you would have learnt to apply the
information provided. Further to this
input, you may write a short account
of how you plan to augment your efforts
to disseminate information received at
your end among those connected with
your adult learning set-up.