Authors : Roziya Bte Abu, Wan Fadzli bin Wan Haron and Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri
Abstract: Presently, community public library models that have been applied around the world is said to be a model that appears to offer the best prospect of sustainability, viability and a suitable emphasis on user’s service quality and needs. Nonetheless, various studies found that a library authority-led community library (also known as ‘community managed library’) offers a better range of alternative in assisting community knowledge and economic development. The term ‘community managed library’ emphasis on maintaining community private individual libraries that is designated for community intervention and management of different types. In theory such arrangement exists in a very formal basis. Meaning, a library authority should be able to include the services offered by such community [managed] libraries for such members of the community [users]. This study will enlighten the pragmatism of the ‘community managed library’ notion in Malaysian setting and values. Several current Malaysian existing community managed library will be put forward as the foundation of the investigation on this ‘new’ community library model. The successfulness and challenges faced by current Malaysian community library will be discussed. Most importantly this study will show that a library managed and funded by a community (community managed library) can support a local community development.
Roziya Bte Abu, Wan Fadzli bin Wan Haron and Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri, 2018. Malaysian Community Managed Library (CML): An Unconventional Community Knowledge Hub. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 13: 5334-5338.