The State and Conditions of School Libraries in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

School libraries or media centres are an essential element of quality in education and learning for all the South African learners. The objective of this paper is to assess the state of library materials and resources obtained in school libraries. It is therefore important that schools should have a library or a media centre for the provision of materials for the purpose of conducive learning and reading for learners. This study investigated the state and conditions of school libraries in rural areas of Vhembe District in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The method used in this study is a qualitative research approach through face-to-face interviews with foundation phase literacy teachers and teacher librarians in eight schools, which were purposely selected for being known to have a school library or media centre buildings in their premises. The conclusion from the findings is that school libraries and media centres in these rural schools do not provide a suitable and conducive learning environment to learners.