Abstract:
The objective of this research is to study the operations of local information centers in public libraries in terms of administration, information resources, acquisitions, storage, services, and activities on community information, and their operational problems. The results of the research revealed that the staff in most of the local information centers were librarian. Most of the local information centers employed one staff whose responsibility covered both the local information center and the public library. Most of them were located in public library building as a separate unit, and shared the expense with the public library government grant. The information resources in most of these local information centers were printed materials in the forms of book, journal, and pamphlet with the content on generality of the locality. Most of the local information centers received information resources from various government offices; namely, Provincial Culture Centre, Provincial Office, and Provincial Non-formal Education Centre. Most of the information resources were arranged on open-shelves, categorized by content, and accessed through the online Public Library Services. Every local information centers provided reading service, and most of them offered reference and lending service to public. Activities provided by most of the local information centers were exhibitions on community’s culture. Statistics showed that the significant problems of the local information centers were an insufficient numbers of personnel and a lack of its won librarian duty.