Frank, Robyn (author), John, Patricia (author), and Frank: Head, Rural Information Centers Branch, National Agricultural Library; John: Coordinator, Rural Information Center, National Agricultural Library
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1989-05
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 81 Document Number: C04794
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C36719
Notes:
Pages 76-124 in Tim Unwin (ed.), ICT4D: Information and Communication Technology for Development. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K. 386 pages.
14 pages., via online journal., The preservation, management, and sharing of indigenous knowledge is crucial for social
and economic development in rural Africa. The high rate of illiteracy (print-based) in
rural Africa and the exclusion of indigenous knowledge from Western education add to
the information gap experienced in rural Africa. Other challenges facing oral cultures are
the disappearance of traditional knowledge and skills due to memory loss or death of
elders and the deliberate or inadvertent destruction of indigenous knowledge. The
rapidly increasing use of social media and mobile technologies creates opportunities to
form local and international partnerships that can facilitate the process of creating,
managing, preserving, and sharing of knowledge and skills that are unique to
communities in Africa. This article proposes the use of social media and mobile
technologies (cell phones) in the creation, preservation, and dissemination of indigenous
knowledge and discusses the role of libraries in the integration of social media
technologies with older media that employ audio and audiovisual equipment to reach a
wider audience.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 117 Document Number: C12886
Notes:
Papers presented at the 12th Annual Convention and Conference of the Society for Information Science, Hyderabad, India, January 28-30, 1993., Chapter 8 in P.C. Bose and H.C. Jain (eds.), Information management for rural development. Shipra Publications, Delhi, India. 159 p.
