Browsing by Author "Gunarathna, D.G.R.L."

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The Information Needs and Information Seeking Behavior of Rural Communities: A Study Based on Kannaththota Village
(Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Gunarathna, D.G.R.L.
Developed countries acutely need knowledge and information for the development as well as the development countries. If knowledge and information is not adequately available at people’s hand, it will be a great obstacle for the same people as well as achieving developmental goals. Therefore information need has seen a top most essential need in the context of human needs. Within this context, the main objective of the study is to explore the information needs and seeking behavior of rural communities. Other objectives are to identify how fulfil their information needs, to examine the sources they apply for it, to identify whether new media used for, and to study the problems they face in fulfilling’s their information needs. Survey research method used for the study. Population was the rural communities in five selected villages in kannaththota region. Sample was 100 villagers from there five villages. It revealed that majority use television for getting information. They use it for getting daily news items. The library as a medium of getting information is very low. Female category prefer house hold information like cookery, dress making and clothing. Community living near road side was more used in reading newspaper than the interior villagers. Many people did not use modern media for getting information. Rural communities preferred to update their information. Government must pay more attention to improve the information provision of the public. It is much better to introduce more awareness programs and activities on the subject. The use of modern ICT for getting information should be make available as soon as possible.
Review of Google Scholar-based studies on the use of social media for public relations in libraries from 2013 to 2022
(Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2023) Gunarathna, D.G.R.L.; Kumara, H.U.C.S.; Karunarathna, W.N.P.M.N.N.
A library is a collection of informational resources and related materials that are available to a specific community for borrowing or reference. Public relations (PR) is a collection of tactics and methods for managing how information about a person or company is disseminated to the general public, particularly the media. Social media platforms facilitate the dissemination of information, ideas, messages, and other types of content. Using social media platforms offers libraries of all types a promising opportunity to strengthen their public relations efforts. The study's objectives are as follows: To examine the annual growth of scholarly papers on the use of social media for public relations in library settings, to explore the many forms of publications that were used to convey data, to learn about the various types of libraries featured in social media for public relations publications, and to investigate the distribution of publications based on authorship. The study uses bibliometric analysis as its methodology to evaluate a large volume of scientific data. From 2012 until 2022, the study period lasted eleven years. Only scholarly articles written in English were considered for study. A total of 546 research publications were obtained, with 492 articles chosen. The survey found that most of publications 59 (12%) were published in 2021, and that a considerable majority of the publications were written by a single person 241 (49%). This study suggests that future research investigate the methods and behaviors used to develop public relations (PR) utilizing social media.
ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO KELANIYA, PERADENIYA AND WAYAMBA UNIVERSITIES IN SRI LANKA
(University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2023) Gunarathna, D.G.R.L.
The university library serves as the heart of the organization, housing specialized resources that cater to the specific needs and objectives of the university community. The purpose of a library is to have a high volume of usage; if that volume increases, the result will positively impact society. A well-executed process is required to achieve this, which needs public relations programs. The study's main objective is to identify the existing role of PR in University libraries in Sri Lanka. Core objectives are To examine the importance of the role of PR, To identify possible activities in PR, To identify the role of PR in academic libraries in the world, To recognize the issues, challenges, and obstacles of public relations in university libraries in Sri Lanka and to propose solutions for issues in PR in university libraries in Sri Lanka. The study employed random sampling to select three universities from different provinces in Sri Lanka. Structured questionnaires were distributed to chief librarians, and random user samples from the universities were selected. The sample size for undergraduate library patrons was determined using the Morgan Table. SPSS and Excel were utilized to visualize and analyze data. The research revealed that university libraries in Sri Lanka do not have a permanent public relations officer and have yet to establish a formalized process for public relations. Furthermore, the study found that many users need to be more engaged in library activities and that their perception of library personnel is negative. At the same time, many users prefer to organize seminars, lectures, and forums from the library. According to feedback obtained from both patrons and librarians, the perception of the library by the authorities could be more favorable. The following suggestions pertain to this study: To establish an efficient PR system, it is imperative to notify the appropriate authorities and make every effort to develop and obtain authorization for a specialized PRO position in the library. An exhaustive enumeration of responsibilities ought to be formulated by the official duty list of public relations officers. Designating a temporary specialist with PR oversight for the library is advisable. Additionally, construct a comprehensive public relations plan. Utilize Different Channels of Communication, Organize Special Events and Programs, Provide Staff Training, and Establish Outreach Programs.