LIBRARY OUTREACH PROGRAMS IN RURAL-AREAS

OUTREACH IS THE ONLY MEANS by library services can be effectively dist ributed over rural areas where the population necessary to provide the public financing of quality information service is so dispersed that a single location facility will not be accessible to large portions of the population contributing to the service. Rural areas are served by national information agencies, stare information agencies, the librar ies of colleges and universities, and by local public libraries-all us ing outreach methods. Particular efforts have been made to support dis tance learning activities and health information needs, and it is in t hese areas that new technology has been most prevalent. Video and elec tronic digital media are beginning to hare some effect on rural outrea ch activities, but most service is still provided by small local libra ries or branches, by bookmobiles, by depository collections. and by bo oks-by-mail programs, The immediate effect of the new technologies see ms to be to support these programs rather than supplant them.