Digital Storytelling, Podcasting, and New Format of Messaging in the Libraries

Introduction

Library users are becoming more and more technology savvy and library services are simultaneously emerging to suit the information needs of the ever-changing society. To keep abreast of its traditional role of information provision and preservation for posterity, libraries have to metamorphose its hitherto traditional methods of information dissemination to digital formats. Some of the traditional services being provided in the library are gradually and systematically being phased out particularly in African libraries due to the antediluvian method these libraries still rendering such services (for the few who still does), making it to be boring and uninviting to the library users and as well strenuous to the librarians who render such services. Some of such services are storytelling, oral information, oral communication, oral archiving and information generation and dissemination.

Storytelling is one of the primitive services rendered by libraries. The main aim is to pass on the culture, values, ethos, philosophy, beliefs, and ethics etcetera of a community from generations to generations. Libraries play the institutional role of being looked upon to the training support needed for every child to develop and be useful for himself and the society at large. Thus, storytelling becomes one of the services rendered by libraries to support child upbringing and as well a means of recreational activities even for the adults and the general public. Libraries have also and still playing the role of community information centre where the librarians are seen as gatekeepers of information.

In addition, oral information, history and archiving are also a means by which the library collects, process, preserve and disseminate a variety of indigenous knowledge. These are the basis for local-level decision-making in many rural communities. It has value not only for the culture in which it evolves, but also for scientists and planners striving to improve conditions in rural localities. Ola and Adegbore (2015) reported that most indigenous knowledge generated by course programmes in the Department of Library, Archival and Information Studies and the Institute of African Studies of the University of Ibadan as well as the University’s museum were not adequately preserved, conserved and disseminated. Therefore, the traditional means of oral information dissemination has evidently been overwhelmed by the amount of numbers of resources being generated which are to be disseminated for access and utilisation.

In this information age, libraries are expected to carve a niche for themselves in the generation and dissemination of timely and adequate information needed by clients to make informed decision. In so doing, they need to get ahead of users and other media platforms in order to remain relevance in the comity of information organisations. Libraries traditionally generates information ranging from but not limited to current awareness services, selective dissemination of information, public announcement, new arrival notices, book list generation for resource verification exercises, conference and workshop information, call for paper (academic publications) announcement etcetera.

However, decline is evident in the confidence people have in the library nowadays. Libraries are now being deserted as its services are no more appealing to library users due to the primitive style of rendering such services. According to Kwanya (2011), there have drastic change in the environment in which libraries currently operates. The emergence of new information and communication technology, particularly the internet has changed the information behaviour (i.e information seeking, communication and collaboration) exhibited by people. People who were hitherto primarily relying on the library to quench their information thirst now majorly look towards the internet for instance.