School Library Policy Research Articles

Macroscopic Analysis of the Postwar School Library Policy in Japan

Macroscopic Analysis of the Postwar School Library Policy in Japan

Principals and Teachers’ Perspectives of Their School Libraries and Implications for School Library Policy

Research has demonstrated that school librarians can make a meaningful contribution to student reading proficiency, learning and academic achievement. This study examines the perspectives of school leaders and teachers in Singapore schools to better understand how they use their school library, their attitudes toward the library collection and environment, and their perception of their library coordinators’ roles. Findings suggest that school leaders and teachers under-utilize the library, perceive it to be mainly a study space for students, feel that the library space and book collection should be improved and were not clear about the roles of their library staff. The study suggests that it is crucial to implement policy and professional development courses to support collaboration between principals, teachers and school librarians.

The Impact of the Prince Edward Island School Library Policy on the Development of School Library Programs Across Prince Edward Island

In Canada's smallest province, Prince Edward Island (PEI), the PEI School Library Policy and its supporting documents have guided the development of school library programs since 1989. With a great number of educational changes as a back-drop, this study explored the impact that policy has had on school library programs in PEI. The researchers designed a comprehensive Survey of School Library Resource Centres that probed five key areas: facilities, resources, personnel, programs and services in the 66 schools across PEI. Following the completion of the Survey, 48 principals and teacher-librarians were interviewed for an hour each. 64 of the 66 schools took part and the Survey data and the interview data were analyzed using exploratory data analysis that resulted in dozens of visual and numerical summaries. Data was reported under each of the five major areas probed and 25 Actions were recommended.
 The study yielded specific detail on the status of school library facilities and resources, and provided a comprehensive look at staffing procedures and problems. The educational concepts of resource-based learning, cooperative planning and information skills that are embedded in the Policy have been well-accepted across the system. New documentation is needed to update learning outcomes and to provide direction for integrating new technologies and the concept of information literacy. Future directions for professional development for teacher-librarians, principals and classroom teachers were outlined and specific needs were identified in the areas of staffing, rebuilding school library collections and connecting technology initiatives and resource-based learning.

Engaging readers through choice

School Library Policies usually include, .”the development of a life long love of reading/literature”. Choosing a good book to read is like choosing an artwork for your house. It is subject to personal taste, artistic preference and personal experiences. The Teacher Librarian can play a pivotal role in supporting students reading for enjoyment, both formally and informally within the school. By personalizing and developing choice as part of formal reading programs, they can assist students to develop their love of reading and indulge their passion for certain types of literature in a supportive and encouraging environment.

School Library Perspectives from Asia: Trends, Innovations and Challenges in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan

In this global, multicultural world requiring greater levels of literacy, independent learning and collaboration, the school library as a learning hub needs to meet the needs of 21st century students. However, more information about how different countries’ school library policies and practices is required for nations to learn from each other. This professional panel brings together three presenters from Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan to engage with the issue of what counts as a future-ready library in their own contexts of reading and learning. Each presenter will focus on the current trends, challenges and innovations in their own contexts, with particular focus on national policies, practices and librarian education. Significant parallels and differences across the different systems will be discussed. Implications for developing future-ready school libraries and librarians at national level will be discussed.

Challenges in establishing and maintaining functional school libraries: Lessons from Limpopo Province, South Africa

Most governments, particularly in poor and developing African countries, are hesitant to pledge themselves through a legislated school library policy to roll out an active and sustainable library and information service for their schools to improve the quality of education. In South Africa, providing schools with a well-resourced and well-staffed library and information service is even more challenging because of the inheritance of the apartheid education system prior to 1994. The article is limited to just one part of a research project which investigated the resource provision in public high schools in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The purpose of the study was to investigate challenges that negatively affect the establishment and sustainability of an active and vigorous library and information service for all schools in Limpopo Province. The study was largely quantitative, blended with triangulation of both quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from the principals or teacher-librarians at schools, while an interview schedule was used to collect qualitative data from education officials through face-to-face interviews. The findings established that there are daunting challenges which hinder effective establishment and maintenance of functional school library and information service. The national Department of Basic Education has a responsibility to ensure that school library policy is formulated, endorsed and implemented as a matter of urgency. The Government should also fast-track rural development to enable teachers and learners, particularly those in historically disadvantaged rural black communities, to access library materials in other amenities.

SCHOOL LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT VS POLICY PROVISION: DIVERGENCE OR CONVERGENCE?

A policy and legal framework for school libraries is a guiding framework for the provision, development and management of school libraries. Similarly, it is a lever that standardises school library development, management and practice. Although the existence of a policy does not guarantee the development of efficient and functional school libraries, its inherent value cannot be overemphasised. It is widely documented that in South Africa, only 7.2 per cent of public schools have functional school libraries, which are crucial to enrich the quality of teaching and learning and support learners and teachers. The aim of this study was, firstly, to analyse the legal and policy provision for school libraries in South Africa; and secondly, to examine the state of school libraries in Limpopo province, South Africa. The study further sought to establish whether there is divergence or convergence between policy provision and the status of school libraries in Limpopo. The study adopted a quantitative research paradigm and triangulated utilising questionnaires and document analysis as instruments to collect data. The study established that there is a regime of policies related to school libraries, most of which are still in draft form. Furthermore, the study confirmed that provision of policy does not necessarily translate into an efficient school library system. The distinct divergence means that there is no correlation between policy provision and practice. The study recommends that the existing school library policies should be streamlined, adopted and implemented to scale up the development of efficient and functional school libraries in Limpopo.

Progress and Problems in Korean School Library Policies

Progress and Problems in Korean School Library Policies

A LEGISLATED SCHOOL LIBRARY POLICY: CAN FUNCTIONAL SCHOOL LIBRARIES BE ENVISIONED WITHOUT ONE?

Although school libraries are important resource centres that support curriculum delivery and important pedagogical matters, it is disturbing that, in South Africa, only a minority (7.2%) of schools have well-stocked functional school libraries. A legislated school library policy is crucial for a country to roll out effective school library and information services (LIS). This is particularly true in South African schools, which are characterised by enormous disparities in the provision of resources because of the legacy of apartheid. Grounded in the literature review, the fact that the national Department of Basic Education (DBE) does not have a legislated and approved school library policy is a stumbling block to developing and sustaining an active and dynamic school library service for all public schools in South Africa. The purpose of this article is to help relevant stakeholders understand the importance of a legislated school library policy in championing the establishment and development of an active, vibrant and dynamic functional school library service to support the progressive, constructivist and resource based curriculum in the country. The study recommends that the National Guidelines for School Library and Information Services (SA DBE 2012) be amended to a legislated school library policy to resuscitate indeterminate and non-functional libraries in the majority of schools.Â

Information access in high school libraries in the Limpopo Province, South Africa

Researchers agree that information resources are imperative for curriculum support. Equitable access to information resources by teachers and learners is absolutely essential to enable them to execute their curriculum-related tasks. However, only a few schools have functional libraries in South Africa making accessibility to the information resources a major challenge to the majority of the teachers and learners. Where school libraries are inadequate, other information services become significant. The purpose of this study was to investigate information access by teachers and learners in high schools in the Limpopo province. The study was largely quantitative blended with triangulation of both quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from the principals and teacher-librarians whilst an interview schedule was used to collect qualitative data from the education officials. The findings established that access to information by teachers and learners is a daunting challenge in the majority of the schools. The study recommends that the National Guidelines for School Library and Information Services document (2012) be converted into a legislated school library policy to ensure functionality of the different school library models to improve information access for curriculum support.

School library policy in South Africa : where do we stand?

The absence of national school library policy guidelines is of great concern to the school library profession as this has an adverse effect on the provision of school library services and curriculum reform initiatives in South Africa. The purpose of this article is to present a review of school library policy initiatives since the report of the National Education Policy Investigation (NEPI) up to the present time, and to provide a perspective on the relationship between school library policy development and the provision of school library services and curriculum reform. The implications for the LIS profession are discussed. It is suggested that the LIS profession make a combined effort to form a partnership with educators, other stakeholders and government to engage in school library policy development based on realities on the ground and financial constraints for the benefit of curriculum reform, meaningful school education and a democratic society.

The KwaZulu-Natal School Library Policy and its feasibility for implementation

This academic peer-reviewed journal consists of articles related to information literacy, library management, information management, knowledge management, children's literature, ethics, globalisation, impact of the digital divide, technology, scholarly comminication, indigenous knowldege systems, open scholarship,etc.

Editorial

This final issue for 2012 includes contributions on the use of academic libraries by undergraduate students, libraryleadership in the digital age, information literacy among specialist professionals, exposing first-year university students to creative writing using a virtual learning environment, and school library policy in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

학교도서관 정책 평가모형 개발과 적용에 관한 연구

본 연구는 학교도서관 정책을 평가하기 위하여 정책학에서 제시한 기준을 토대로 평가모형을 개발하고 이 평가모형에 '학교도서관 활성화 종합방안'을 적용하여 학교도서관 정책에 대한 평가를 진행하였다. 학교도서관 정책을 평가하기 위한 기준은 여러 학자가 제시한 이론 중에서 교육정책과 학교도서관 정책에 관한 선행 평가모형을 근거로 하였다. 선정된 평가기준은 평가자에게 배부한 설문지와 전화인터뷰를 통하석 검증하였다. 학교도서관 정책에 대한 평가결과는 대체로 긍정적이었나 일부 정책개선 노력이 필요하다는 내용이 제기되었다. This study is to develop school library Policy model in accordance with guidelines suggested in policy science theories and to evaluate school library policy with application of "Activation Agenda for School Libraries". The guidelines on the evaluation of school library Policy were based on the models suggested in education policy and school library Policy theories. Selected guidelines were examined through survey distributed to evaluators and telephone interviews. Although overall evaluation results on school library policy were positive, it is suggested that more efforts for Policy improvement are needed.

School Library Policy and the Legal Opinions of Texas Public-School

This study involved a survey of Texas public-school principals and certified librarians’ attitudes, perceptions and experiences with regard to school library policy for media selection and procedures for responding to complaints against library media. Analysis of the data included a methodology of mixed-methods explanatory design. Selection of the principals and certified librarians was proportionate and stratified according to the state’s 20 Education Service Center regions. Of the 1,036 Independent School Districts that employed the state population of 10,014 principals and certified librarians, 275 Independent School Districts (26.5 percent) allowed participation in the survey. Though random sampling of the state population had not been possible, the demographic and employment characteristics of the study sample were comparable to those of the state population. Two key findings were (a) that the legal opinions of principals and certified librarians were useful predictors of their opinions of library media selection policy and complaint procedures and (b) that the principals’ appreciation of selection policy and complaint procedures sometimes differed from the librarians’ because of the principals’ different legal perspective of library selection policy and complaint procedures.

The School Library Policy: The Foundation for a Professional School Library Service

This article stresses the importance of the school library policy for the management of secondary school libraries in England and Wales. It identifies the guidelines for best practice on producing a policy, key elements of the policy, and why the policy is so important for the management of an effective school library service. The theory of the school library policy is assessed against practice in individual school libraries using research carried out by the author as part of a master's thesis and other surveys of secondary school libraries that have addressed this issue. The article concludes that many schools in England and Wales have not embraced the guidelines on the school library policy as a key management tool in the operation of the library.

Adoption of a District-Level School Library Policy: A Case Study in Change

A case study approach what's used to examine the processes in a small school district in Alberta, Canada that led to a district policy adopting a cooperative integrated school library program model. The model adopted by the district was that recommended by the Alberta Ministry of Education in the document, Focus on Learning. The adoption process was facilitated by the innovation capacity of The District, by the active leadership of the Superintendent and the Board of Trustees, by the existence of a provincial policy and program model, and by access to new funding. Evaluation of libraries in The District played a key role in changing the understanding of the nature of the school library, from that of the facility and a collection isolated from the curriculum and operating under the responsibility of support personnel, to that of an instructional program integral to the curriculum and directed by teachers. Four propositions about the nature of the adoption process emerged from the case study, related to the time involved, a problem-solving orientation, understanding the innovation, and school board leadership.

National School Library Policies: An International Survey

L'article decrit les differentes etapes (consultation, preparation, diffusion) du lancement d'un questionnaire sur les politiques nationales menees en direction des bibliotheques scolaires, questionnaire realise sous l'egide de la Bibliotheque nationale du Canada ou l'auteur a occupe plusieurs annees un poste de chercheur associe. Il explique les raisons a l'origine de cette enquete et decrit la preparation et le controle, en anglais et en francais, de ce questionnaire adresse a cent pays tous membres de la CDNL, etablissement affilie a l'IFLA. Les reponses envoyees par cinquante et un pays y sont analysees et comparees avec d'autres etudes a visee similaire. L'article s'accompagne d'une liste de documents qui detaille les diverses politiques en vigueur dans les pays de certaines des bibliotheques ayant repondu a l'enquete, ainsi que de la liste des cinquante et un pays qui y ont participe.

Policy for secondary school library provision in England and Wales: an historical perspective

Considers the roots of policy development in secondary school library pro vision in England and Wales, assesses the current policy context, and iden tifies possible future models for school library policy making. Comments on the fact that a lack of lobbying at national level for the adequate funding of school libraries has been a continuing theme throughout their recent histo ry, despite evidence that school libraries are significant assets which merit nationally co-ordinated investment and statutory recognition. Discusses the role of the teacher librarian and the professional recognition of school librar ians. Concludes that nationally led policy has consistently failed and a more pragmatic, incremental approach to school libraries is timely. There is a need to accept the reality that school libraries are more the concern of the local community than national government, and to acknowledge that the history of school libraries in England and Wales favours such a model. While not denying the importance of nationally accepted professional standards and minimum performance indicators, it does free schools and their librarians from the tyranny of a nationally accepted norm at a time when schools are increas ingly defining their own policy priorities.

Managing Overdues in the School Library

The article examines the overdues procedures of a high school library that uses a microcomputer to assist in the process. School system regulations and library policies are outlined. A microcomputer is used to maintain lists of students with overdue materials. Through automatic sorting and updating of files, the time required to maintain overdue files has been cut in half.