A study of newspaper libraries in Sri Lanka (Specifically Lakehouse library)

Abstract

This research is totally dedicated to find out whether the existing media libraries are sufficiently capable of serving this purpose .Throughout the research much effort was taken to study the ways and means by which the libraries can help to reach this goal .One other objective of the research was to look in to both success and failure of the services provided by so called libraries. Questionaires, written reports, interviews, and personal observations were the methodologies used to collect data .A sample of one hundred media personnel who make use of the Lake House Media Library was selected for the research .Various types of needs the journalists have in finding their required information were recognized by analysing the data gathered. Further, the findings revealed that the Lake House Media Library has the strength to satisfy the wants and needs of journalists who seek its services and most of such institutions have not taken steps to provide their users, the media people, with an acceptable media library service. This research paved a clear way to understand the value of providing the journalists with information they need and to recognize systamatic steps to follow . Accordingly, educating the readers by means of sufficient facilities for quick access to sources of information, deploying sufficient numbers of efficient employees at libraries,maintaining a website on each library, using leaflets or some other effective tool to assist readers who visit the place for information, providing the library with internet facility, enhancing the reader educating systems, computerising the photographs with news value and educating the readers through work shops and seminars can be proposed to overcome the existing lapses .