Partnerships for Success: Proposed Collaboration between the Public Library and Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) for delivery of Information Services to Jamaican Farmers

Abstract

As part of fulfilling its mandate, the public library has always been at the forefront of information delivery to a wide cross section of the population including farmers. This study investigated the dissemination of information by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) to a select group of farmers in rural Jamaica, and propose strategies that the public library can implement to enhance information delivery to these farmers. The study examined the types of information disseminated to farmers by RADA, the methods used to communicate this information, as well as how farmers used the information provided. The study adopted a qualitative approach, utilizing the purposive sampling technique to recruit ten participants from a population of fifty farmers for an in-depth focus group discussion. The major finding was that the RADA extension officers were fulfilling their mandate of enhancing knowledge, skills and practices of farmers in the study area by disseminating different types of information to them. While the majority of the participants were satisfied with the service received from the RADA, a few were not always satisfied. Farmers indicated the need for more information in print. The RADA could collaborate with public libraries to work jointly to minimize barriers such as lack of internet access that affect farmers’ access to agricultural research information. Public libraries could also conduct one–on–one training on the use of computers and the internet as well. They could also collaborate with the RADA to provide needed print information to farmers, as printed information is usually one of the strong points of public library service.