R]Evolution in reading cultures: 2020 vision for school libraries

Abstract

Igniting a passion for reading and research is core business for school libraries. Today, the learning ecology of schools is as complex and changeable as the multiple channels and formats that now shape the reading environment for students. Reading is shaped by a diversity of texts, interfaces, devices and experiences. In response to ALIA's 2013 statement (Australian Library and Information Association [ALIA], 2013a) that book collections would establish 50:50 physical to digital equilibrium by 2020, the authors sought to understand the current context and state of play in school libraries. A survey on ebooks, titled 50:50 by 2020 Ebook Trends in Australian Schools, resulted in 450 responses from schools from all states and territories across government, Catholic and independent sectors. Collections are changing in response to the need to contextualise ereading within the learning and teaching experiences in schools. While the benefits and pedagogical rationale of ebooks are recognised, their adoption and use thus far seem to be less about pedagogical innovation than about the practicalities of collections and services offered by school libraries. Analysis of the survey data and other research supports the conclusion that Australian school libraries will not reach a projected balance of 50:50 in the school library collection by 2020.