Abstract:
Access and use to the right kind of information and possession of correct and relevant
information resolves various problems faced by individuals in the slum and also helps
them in decision making. Limited access to the right information at the right time
deprives the slum dwellers the right to development. The information needs of the slum
dwellers are not adequately identified and therefore the limited information resources
they access and use are usually based on the assumption of information provided, through
the public, from among themselves, NGOs, CBOs, the churches and the private sector.
Therefore the aim of the study was to evaluate access and use of community information
services to Kibera slum dwellers and to suggest the ways in which these services could be
enhanced. The research objectives were to: identify the information needs of slum
dwellers in Kibera; examine Information seeking habits of the slum dwellers in Kibera;
assess the existing information resources and services; establish the extent to which
information resources and services meet user needs ; identify the format in which
information is repackaged ; find out Challenges faced by accessing and using of
information and suggest how access of information services by slum dwellers can be
enhanced. The study was guided by Niedzwidzka‘s Information behaviour model and
Wilson information behaviour model .The research was qualitative in nature and adopted
survey research design. The target population was 71,000 from five Kibera slum villages.
The study sample size was determined using Krejcie and Morgan sampling table to get a
representative sample from each of the village.52 respondents were purposively sampled
for a focus-group discussion and five key informants were purposively sampled and
interviewed. The data was analyzed by organizing it into themes from which
generalizations were made. The major findings of the study were that Kibera slum
dwellers faced various challenges which include high cost of information materials,Poor
knowledge of existing information resources, poor marketing of information, lack of
internet access, distance, language barrier, inadequate and outdated information sources
that inhibited effective access and use of information. Recommendations were that the
Kenya National Library service Kibera branch and other resource centres within Kibera
should carry out information needs assessment ,re-examine the existing information
sources and system and decide whether it is necessary to redesign and adjust them to
correspond to information needs of the slum dwellers then they market the library
services, improve internet connectivity and repackage information in relation to the
information needs of the slum dwellers.The information officers within Kibera should be
more innovative and think of ways to encourage slum dwellers access information for
example the use of mobile libraries ,kindles or other appropriate devices to different
villages and this could be part of the library‘s regular outreach service.