DIGITAL EXTENSION

SERVICES
CHAPTER 8
DIGITAL E.S
• Extension Services (E.S) is a system or service which provides people or a community having
access to beneficial service or facility which under normal circumstances they would not have
been able to avail themselves of the services.
• Digital Extension Services, electronic delivery of extension services that provide more efficient
alternative to a traditional extension services in Information Agencies.
• Maximizing the use of Information Communication Technologies
• Form an electronic and interactive bridge that connect Information Agencies and users, thus
increasing the productivity, usage and comply with the last Law of Library Science, "Library is a
growing Organism..."
 COMPONENT OF DIGITAL E.S

E- Online
LEARNIN Offline • Assist in Learning and
G Blended Teaching

• Provide digital reference

i.e material/ platform E-reference
• Consultation services via Online / realtime E-
consultation ADVISOR
social media apps Y
E-mail

Databases
E- Online Customer Services
SERVICE
Reservation
S
Etc.
SOCIAL MEDIA
• These are digital networks that are used to share and discuss user generated information -
opinion, video, audio, and multimedia. (Andres and Woodard, 2013.)
• Social media are web based tools of electronic communication that allow users to
personally interact with others individually or in groups for the purposes of exchanging
information, sharing thoughts and opinions, influencing and facilitating decision-making
by creating, storing, retrieving and exchanging information in any form (text, pictures,
video, etc.,) by anyone in the virtual world. (Suchiradipta and Saravanan, 2016.)
• Social media is basically digital technologies facilitating communication of user generated
content through constant interaction . (Terry, 2009; Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010.)
SOCIAL MEDIA COMPONENT
Content

SOCIA
L
MEDI
Communit
A
ICT
y
DIGITAL E.S TOOLS
• Social networking sites and apps (e.g. Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn)
• Video and photo sharing websites (e.g. Flickr, YouTube, Pinterest)
• Blogs and Microblogs (e.g. Twitter, Tumblr)
• Forums, discussion boards and groups (e.g. Google, Yahoo Groups)
• Video on demand and podcasts
• Video conferences and web conferences (Hangouts, Meets, Zoom, etc)
• Email and instant messaging (Gmail, YahooMail, LotusMail, etc)
• Socially integrated mobile text messaging (e.g. Whatsapp,WeChat, Telegram,
Messenger)
• Websites with social plugins and layers (onlice chat supports)
FEATURES OF SOCMED

TRANSPARENT

INTERACTION
AND
USERS
COMMUNICATI
ON

COMMUNITY

NETWORK
DIFFICULTIES IN DIGITAL E.S
• Creating awareness
• Encouraging stakeholders to access resources through social media links.
• Skilled to maintain social media interactions and application.
• Internet and IT infrastructure issues. (IT growth issues)
• Security Issues (Information and data safety)
• Satisfying heterogeneous users.
• Measuring the affectiveness.
• Continuous engagement / future planning
OPPORTUNITIES OF DIGITAL E.S
• Forming networking interest groups (Organization/ State/ National and
Global).
• Can act as medium for resource mobilization (technological, organizational,
and financial)
• Few social media apps are available without Internet connectivity.
• Reaching one to many at one time.
• Reaching beyond geographical boundaries
• Save time, budget, and manpower
• Maximize the resources/ materials usage
IMPACTS AND IMPLICATIONS
• Impacts
• Increasing statistics of people in rural and sub urban areas sharing information using
Social Media Applications
• Increment of IT literate community
• Information Searching, Research, Teaching and Learning grow beyond boundaries.
• Information Agencies cater wide range of users
• Emerging of Information Literate Society
• Reduce in numbers of patrons coming to Information Agencies
• Reduce in usage of printed materials in Information Agencies
Implication
• The reach for users at rural and sub urban area will increase exponentially with the
usage of appropriate social media application (Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp,
Telegram etc.)
• Maximizing the usage of electronic resources in an Information agencies i.e databases
• Meet the needs of todays trends (globally digitals)
• Less face to face interaction (less human touch)
• Daily patrons coming to information agencies will decrease
• The usage of printed materials will shrink
• Reduce in budgets
• Networking, sharing ideas and opinions, even conducting research can ultimately help
in career.
• Advancement of extension professionals and they become competent to serve the clients
better.
FUTURE PLANNING
• There is a need to create awareness among extension professionals and build
their capacities to share more information via social media.
• Institutionalizing use of social media for sustained momentum and for better
sharing and networking.
• Encouraging self publication and collective collaboration.
• Research on social media is still needed for Information Agencies