Role and Importance of public libraries in sharing the cooperative activity of managing indigenous knowledge with special reference to Sri Lanka: A framework for the advancement

Abstract

Indigenous Knowledge (lK) is the knowledge, experience derived and existed upon for the wellbeing of a parlicular community or culture, and its special characteristics are the sustainability, envirorutrental friendliness and the practical validity. Indigenous knowledge contained in palm leaf manuscripts, with aural traditions, practices, belief systems, printed and non-printed sources, folk norms and virlues. It is diverse in the areas of religion, indigenous medicine, myths, agriculture and farming, language and literatute, alt and crafts, rite and rituals. The principal objective of this paper is to study the role and importance of public libraries in sharing the cooperative activity of managing indigenous knowledge with special reference to Sri Lall<a and to suggest a framework the advancement of this subject. Managing indigenous klowledge is a cumbersome and multiparty task which need more cooperation within the stakeholder communities like the government, ministries, universities, relevant government and private organizations, expert persons, bureaucrats, policy makers and policy planers, the communities involving IK, educational establishments. Howevel, the libraries specially the public libraries can be a stakeholder in the sense of managing IK particularly the selection, iollection, organization, packaging and the dissemination of information. In this respect, public libraries have a leading role to play and to serve as the center of excellence of sharing a cooperative role in managing IK. Method used was a mix approach with participatory observation, literature review, and expert group discussions. IK is not available island wide. It is located in cerlain places in the country. Since there is a good public libraly system in Sri Lanka, it is much suitable if the librarians in concerned libraries where IK is situated amply can involve with managing IK with otlier' stakeholders. The concerned Public Librarians can identify the type of IKs available and should take the direct and indirect support from the Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabha's. The Library development Committee and the Readers' Club or Society can play a leading role in this context, With the support of Grarna Sevaka Niladharis and Community Developmelt Officers the Librarians can do a very cooperative role in this context. It is much better to identify what are the most essential and fitting type of IK for the region at first and secondarily the other types of II(s. In this respect, the Librarians can maintain a list of IKs in the area, list of local IK owned persons like indigenous medicinal practioners and, so on, The possible fi'amework should consist with the Natiolal Library of Sri Lanka Q\LS), relevant ministries, govemment and NGOs all concerned public libraries. The NLS should be the central coordinating agency of this framework.