an innovative approach to school and community library information

PGI/ASTINF0/92.01

An Innovative Approach to

School and Community Library

Information Services in

Nakhon Nayok (Thailand)

A UNESCO-supported Pilot

Project implemented by the

Thai Library Association

Gi

United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization

Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific General Information Programme and ASTINFO

Bangkok, June 1992

UNESCO. Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. An innovative approach to school and community library

information services in Nakhon Nayok (Thailand); a UNESCO-supportedpilot project implemented by the Thai Library Association. Bangkok, 1993.

24 p. (PGVASTINF0/92.01)

1. INFORMATION SERVICES - THAILAND. 2. LIBRARY SERVICES - THAILAND. 3. SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP - THAILAND. I. Title.

029.7 0

0 UNESCO 1993

Published by the UNESCO Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific P.O. Box 967, Prakanong Post Office Bangkok 10 110, Thailand

Printed in Thailand

The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries.

The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of UNESCO.

Table of Contents

Preface 1

Introduction 3

Objectives of the project 4

The project location 6

Description of project activities 7

Activities 9 Promotion of the information service 9

Acquisition of materials 10

Information packaging 11

Training courses 11

Evaluation of the project 15

Achievements 16

Limitations and difftculties 19

Conclusion 21

Bibliography 23

Working Committee (1989-90)

Khunying Kullasap Gesmankit, Chairman

Miss Supatra Chatngern, Leader of Working Committee

Mrs Boonta Wissawapaisal

Mrs Chuthamat Sawanakroth

Miss Karnmanee Suckcharoen

Miss Rasa Wongyoungyu

Mrs Thara Kanakamani

Mrs Patamaphorn Thamatat

Working Committee (1991-92)

Dr. Prachak Poomvises, Chairman

Miss Supatra Chatngern, Leader of Working Committee

Miss Rungtip Hovanotphayan

Mr. Santithep Silapabanleng

Dr Tassana Hanpol

Mrs Yenruedee Sachukorn

Mrs Patamaphorn Thamatat

Mrs Vorarat Srinamngern

An Innovative Approach to School and Community Library Information Services in Nakhon Nayok (Thailand)

A UNESCO-supported Pilot Project implemented by the Thai Library Association

Preface

The present case study on the development of a community information service in Nakhon Nayok (Thailand) is the.first in a series of case studies, undertaken in different countries of Asia as part of Unesco’s ASTM0 programme. This pilot project has been implemented by the Thai Library Association with a financial contribution from Unesco/PGI .

In each case study, it is intended to highlight how, in different socio-economic and cultural situations, innovative solutions can be found to developing community information services

2 An Innovative Approach to School and Community Library Information Services

and through them contribute to socio-economic development of the community.

One of the innovative features of the community information service in Nakhon Nayok is the way in which it serves as an interface, linking either formally or informally, or both, the resources of the different actors already operating in the community. Thus, starting from an initially small financial input, a large amount of resources have been tapped. At a more general level, this pilot project also shows how the institutional links to national information systems and subsystems can be strengthened in order to provide local communities with a good information resource base/centre.

As a pilot project, it has generated interest and support for launching programmes that would change the image of public libraries in Thailand. A number of such initiatives are now underway.

UNESCO/PGI/ASTINFO

Bangkok, June 1992

An Innovative Approach to School and Communitv Librarv Information Services

3

Introduction

Rural communities in Thailand face many problems related not only to poverty and illiteracy but also to the lack of the necessary knowhow that allows people to improve the quality of their own lives. At the same time, there are however schools with libraries as well as different community information resources that have not been fully used nor coordinated in order to provide the information services that correspond to the socio-economic needs of the people in the community. The Thai Library Association in the implementation of the Nakhon Nayok Community Information Service sets out to remedy this state of affairs.

Following the conceptual framework developed by UNESCO and adapted to the requirements of the Nakhon Nayok Community and some financial contribution from UNESCO, the Thai Library Association, established the pilot project on an innovative approach to school and community library information services, with the active participation of the members of the Nakhon Nayok community and resource centres in Bangkok.

In order to implement effectively the project, the Thai Library Association created in 1990 a Working Committee under the Chairmanship of Khunying Kullasap Gesmankit, while the field work was carried out under the able supervision and leadership of Assistant Professor Supatra Chatngern, assisted by Mrs. Patamaphom Thamatat.

4 An Innovative Approach to School and Community Library Infbrmation Services

Objectives of the project

The project aims to show therefore how by establishing the necessary linkages both inside and outside the community and using existing school and public libraries, community information services can become a dynamic resource, responding to the needs of the community they are supposed to serve.

More specifically, the project aims to:

. Set up a community information service to provide the

basic books and information which are relevant to rural communities’ needs and which will improve the quality of their lives. Children’s books and other information material as a supplement to school text books are also to be provided as a means of enriching the curriculum.

. Establish a centre where members of the community and

resource persons can meet and exchange experiences. Such a centre would also serve as a place where information needs can be channelled and met, amongst others, through:

- inquiries - discussions * forums - film shows * exhibitions * demonstrations


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consultations on library materials and other information services

m Provide a place with adequate staff to promote the reading

habit among children, out-of-school youth and adults and to convince people of the value of reading. This is a vital objective since studies have shown that newly literate adults and youths often fall back into illiteracy when there is no stimulation of the reading habit,

. Provide a place where teachers, librarians and community

workers can gain further experience on promoting the local community’s awareness of its cultural heritage.


The project location

The province of Nakhon Nayok, selected as the site for the project, is situated in the. east of Thailand, some 105 kilometers from Bangkok. It has a population of 226 693 of whom 85% live in rural areas.

Although agriculture is the main activity of the population, a number of cottage industries have sprung up, providing employment and income to local people. The main occupations are, in order of importance:

Farming & market gardening: rice, bamboo and fruit

Manufacturing: textiles (t-shirts and clothing), carpets, ceramics and marble

Handicrafts: brooms, bamboo chopsticks, rugs, souvenirs and products made from soapstone

According to official statistics, Nakhon Nayok has: 165 government elementary schools

8 government secondary schools 12 private schools 2 vocational schools

There are also 3 public libraries and 61 village reading centres

An Innovative Approach to School and Community Library Information Services

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Description of project activities

The project was initiated in August 1990 with the establishment of a Working Committee to guide and support the project and with the selection of the school libraries to serve as information resource centres for the project.

The Committee was composed of six members of the Thai Library Association, the Governor of Nakhon Nayok, the principals and librarians of the three schools selected for the project and four community leaders.

The three school libraries selected for the project were:

* Wat Wang-Kra-jom School Library * Wat Yo-Tee School Library * Wat Naong-Thong-Sai School Library

Key government personnel involved in elementary and non- formal education as well as in community development were also contacted to solicit their cooperation and support for the project. These included the Director of the Provincial Primary Education Office, the Director of the Royal Military Academy and the Director of the Non-formal Education Office, and, last but not least, the many community volunteers working at the grass roots level.

An initial survey was made to identify information problems and needs as well as to assess existing resources in the pre- selected communities. The survey was undertaken by interviewing members of the community, teachers and students and from the observations of the Working Committee. The following problems emerged from the survey:

8 An Innovative Approach to School and Community Library Infbmmtion Services

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

The academic achievement of elementary school children is much lower than that of children in other provinces.

Teachers, pupils and local people lack basic knowledge on the systematic use of libraries.

Illiteracy reappears after children drop out of school. It stems from the lack of appropriate reading materials and programmes for the promotion of reading and of related reading services.

There is also a lack of books and materials in most school libraries both in terms of quality and quantity.

Adults on the other hand lack up-to-date information and data on agriculture to keep up with new techniques and latest developments in their relevant fields. This is also true of other income-generating activities, such as handicrafts, already mentioned above.

Nakhon Nayok has a rich, historical heritage. However, people are not aware of its value because of the lack of information centres providing cultural programmes and activities.

The survey revealed the following community needs:

1. A rural information centre providing basic books and information related to the needs of people in rural areas which will improve the quality of their lives, children’s literature and other sources of information to supplement school textbooks and to enrich the curriculum.


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2. A community centre with resource person where people can meet and exchange experiences; it would also serve as the place where information needs can be met through inquiries, discussions, forums, lectures, film shows, exhibitions, demonstrations, consultations on library materials and other information services.

3. A place with trained staff to promote reading and to convince people of the value of reading.

4. A place where teachers and librarians and community volunteers can gain further experience in developing appreciation of the local community’s cultural heritage.

On the basis of these findings and the needs expressed by the community, the Committee prepared a work plan of activities for the project.

Activities

Promotion of the information service

In the first two months after the start of the project, the Working Committee contacted both the potential resource persons/organizations and the targeted users to inform them of the services to be provided.

They also had to negotiate the working arrangements for the information resource centres. This also included the training of the school library staff and the community leaders.

10 An Innovative Approach to School and Community Libraq Infpnnation Services

Since the school libraries were to serve as information centres not only for the school children but also for the community as a whole, it was necessary to overcome the institutional problem whereby only children enrolled in school were authorized to borrow books. In the short term, this was solved by allowing children to borrow books and documents on behalf of members of their family.

Acquisition of materials

One of the first tasks undertaken by the Project staff in Stage 1 was the acquisition of books and materials to supplement existing information materials. These documents -- in Thai -- consisted essentially of:

. basic and general information materials

. documents on Nakhon Nayok * documents providing practical information to improve

occupational skills, daily life and general culture + children’s books

Although some materials were purchased, many were donated locally by publishers, clubs, cultural offices, government and non-government agencies who had been contacted by library personnel and project staff. This highlights clearly the fact that the initiative of library staff can help compensate for lack of monetary resources; it also stresses their role in identifying and mobilizing information resources which although available at the community level are dispersed throughout the community.


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The natural follow-up to this activity was to organize and display the books and materials in the selected information centres.

Information packaging

A certain number of bibliographies and information packages on key topics were prepared for dissemination and circulation.

Publicity and promotional materials as well as the support material to complement seminars and workshops were also prepared for distribution. These included video tapes.

Programmes providing people the opportunity to meet, read and consult on matters of everyday concern were organized. Lectures and talks on different topics relating to day-to-day needs and problems (occupational issues, health and hygiene).

In the above tasks, the project personnel were able to use the expertise of resource persons from offices/institutions at the community level but also from outside the community.

Training courses

Once the school libraries and other resource centres had been organized to function as community information centres, the Working Committee launched a series of training courses/lectures under Phase II of the project. These included:


Practical Training Course on Food Preservation and Food Processing, organized at Piyachat Pattan Primary School, 9-10 February 1991.

The course was given by a group of university lecturers from the Institute of Food Research and Product Development of Kasetsart University. The opening lecture presented the advantages of food preservation and food processing. This was supplemented by a brochure prepared specifically for the course. Practical group work was organized during which the participants were taught methods of preserving and processing food and fruit.

In support of this training course, the project manager had organized books and materials and prepared bibliographies of books and other information sources on the topic. These had been provided before the course to the three libraries participating in the project.

In the evaluation of the course, the different participants, teachers, students and local people felt that the training on food preservation and processing would help increase family incomes.

Training Courses on Breeding and Induced Spawning of Catfish (Clarias Macrocephalus Gunter) by Hormone Injection held in Wat Wang- Kra-Jom School, 5-6 April 1991.

The first course was attended by 80 participants, who included members of the community, teachers, students and the owner of the rearing pond. The resource person who was an expert from the Inland Fisheries Research Institute (Department of


13

Fisheries) described the process of induced spawning by hormone injection of Catfish. Several sessions were devoted to the preparation of the rearing, breeding and hatching ponds. A demonstration was given on how to induce breeding through hormone injections.

This course caught the attention of the many participants who saw it as a possible means of increasing the family income.

A second course on the same subject took place in Wat Naong-Thong-Sai School from 3-4 August 1991.

Practical training on the preservation and processing of sandorica and jack fruit, Wat Naong-Thong-Sai School, 25-26 May 1991.

This course was run by teachers from Rajamangala Institute of Technology, Office of the President. It was attended by 63 participants, who included housewives, as well as students and teachers.

Sandorica and jackfiuit grow abundantly in the region and can be processed in a variety of ways. During the course, different processing methods were demonstrated.

Following the theoretical and demonstration sessions, the participants separated into groups where they were given hands-on practice of the methods they had learned.

The promotion of literature (books, leaflets) that had been prepared beforehand by the library staff was an important component of this course and the participants requested that more books be acquired on the subject of food preservation.

14 An Innovative Approach to School and Communitv Librarv Information Services

As an outcome of this course, students and teachers could process the fruit grown in school garden, and, following negotiations by the project staff, were able to market their produce through the channels used by the “Queen’s Project”. The revenue from sales was used to provide meals for school pupils.

Practical training course in Paper M&h6 Production, Wat Wang-Kra-Jom School, 29-30 June 1991

This course attracted 102 participants, mainly teachers and students from rural areas. The project team had been able to recruit as lecturer/resource person Mr. Kavee Na-Lumphung who had been nominated “the Best Paper MachC Craftsman” by the Ministry of Industry. After a lecture on the history of paper mache production and a review of the different types of products, the lecturer gave a step-by-step demonstration of paper mache production. This was followed by a “hands-on” training which ended with an award for the best product. The participants were encouraged to develop their skills, since there is a potential export outlet for paper m&he products. This is another means of increasing family income.

As a result of the impact evaluation, the following additional seminars and lectures are being organized:

= Environment and quality of life: recycling of used materials

. Design of packaging for preserved fruits


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. Workshop on cooperatives and mini-companies for small communities

m Workshop on repackaging of information for developing local curriculum (for project staff and community leaders)

Evaluation of the project

After having conducted the activities in three selected communities between February and November 1991, an evaluation exercise was made, involving end-users but also resource persons. The persons interviewed were :

150 adults 70 pupils 75 teachers

3 school librarians 4 community leaders 5 educational administrators

The findings could be summarized as follows:

. All participants recorded their satisfaction with the different activities since they were able to acquire knowledge which they have used in their occupations

n The subjects which were mentioned as being of most interest to the people in community are: * Food preservation and food processing especially

ma-prang, mangoes and jack fruit l Breeding and induced spawning by hormone

injection of catfish

16 An Innovative Approach to School and Communitv Library Information Services

l Design of packaging for fruit preservation l Cooperatives and mini-companies

. Participants are interested in further training in the following areas:

l Designing of packaging for preserved fruits l Food preservation (especially of ma-prang) * Environment and the quality of life . Cooperatives and mini-companies

n They want to be provided with more varied forms of information in the selected school libraries. For example, videos, posters, etc.

l They feel more satisfied with gaining knowledge from simple relevant reading materials

n They feel that the project school libraries should provide the following services:

. the school libraries to give permission to family members enrolled in school to borrow books for other members of the family

. each community leader to become a centre of information

Achievements

An innovative aspect of the Community Information Service in Nakhon Nayok is the way in which it introduces the notion of “brokering”. Thus, information staff not only provide


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Figure 1. ORGANUATIONS AND RESOURCE! PERSONS PROVIDING lNPUlS TO THE PROJECT

Bangkok Metropolitan A-on

Training Division Environmental Health Division Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Division Department of public cleansing

n brochures/information sheets n documents . documents

m documents and expertise on waste treatment and recycling

Ministry of Agrhlture and co-operatives

Dept. of Fisheries Co-operatives Promotion Dept.

Dept. of Agriculture Royal Forestry Dept. I

Ministry of Education

National Library of Thailand Dept. of Non-Formal Education Rajamangala Institute of Technology Book Development Centre Centre for Educational Innovation and Technology Office of the National Culture Commission

Resource persons

Owners, managers of factories n expertise on development of or home industries small-scale industries

m expertise on catfish farming m expertise on small busfness /cottage

industries; access to markets n documents on: conservation and the

environment

n documents n documents n expertise n documents n design for solar dryer for next

project m expertise on basket weaving from

bamboo

conventional information services in the school libraries but also play a vital role in identifying and bringing to the users expertise from a wide range of agencies operating, often in an uncoordinated way, at the community level. One of the project’s successes has indeed been its ability to bring together

--

18 An Innovative Approach to School and Community Library Infbrmation Services

these agencies who usually work separately, thus maximizing available resources and avoiding overlap and duplication of efforts. Fig 1 shows the institutions participating in the project and the type of inputs they provided.

A concrete example of this is the course on fruit processing. Following this course, pupils and teachers were able to process the sandorica and jack fruit (produced in the school), and sell their produce. The outlet for the produce was found by the District Officer through the “Queen’s Project”.

Similarly, one of the outputs of this course was the production of a video and accompanying written documents. This material was produced by the National Primary Education Commission Office in Nakhon Nayok for dissemination in schools, but the Department of Non-Formal Education has also decided to use the material in its own programmes in other provinces and districts.

Another positive result of the project is the changing view of the role of the school/community library. This has become a focal point of the community, a forum where members of the community can meet to discuss and exchange experiences and to acquire knowledge to upgrade improve and develop occupational skills and generally speaking to improve the quality of daily life (health, culture, . ..). Such an opening-up of community libraries is important for out-of-school youth and new literates. When appropriate reading material is not available to stimulate the reading habit, many new literates lose their recently acquired skills.

The community leaders who participated in the project showed much initiative and were able to come up with ideas


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for follow-up activities to ensure provision of information and sharing of knowledge which is relevant to the daily lives of rural communities. For instance, the provincial education officer singled out information dissemination activities for replication in the curriculum of schools. Lecture and demonstration activities were recorded on videotape for use by teachers in the classroom and for future community workshops. The district officer was able to see how the continuing acquisition of new ideas and “know-how” through information resources and services brings in products of better quality and variety for the village cooperatives.

Limitations and difficulties

Among the obstacles encountered in carrying out this pilot project, the following were recognized as being most pressing:

. Books and other information resources on the reading and comprehension level of the community people were not easily available. On a long-term basis, it will also be necessary to review the present borrowing scheme in the school libraries. At the present time, school policy/regulations only authorize pupils to borrow books. Other members of the community have to rely therefore on a school pupil to borrow books for them.

. The preparation of simple hand-out materials required time and more staff with subject and writing expertise.

. Subject specialists were not always available when needed.

20 An Innovative Approach to School and Communitv Libraw Infohnation Services

There were difficulties in scheduling the use of the selected schools which served as community information centres because of national holidays, or because school staff were not free to participate in the activities, etc.

The community volunteers still need to develop the reading habit in order to develop enthusiasm and interest in reading among the people they serve.

There is difficulty in getting the community to focus interest and .appreciation on their cultural heritage since people are more concerned with obtaining information on how to develop or improve income-generating activities.

The job of campaigning to get the community to join in the activities of the project required much effort, time and different techniques to convince them of the importance of the programmes and services of the project.

There are still many more libraries and information centres centres to be identified for developing linkages. Moreover, if the project is to continue successfully beyond the pilot stage, it is also essential that the necessary functional linkages be formalized/institutionalized to ensure continuing supply and dissemination of information. In particular, some kind of formal agreement has to be established between the different agencies mentioned in Fig 1. and the CIS, to procure their continuing involvement in the service.


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Conclusion

An analysis of the project’s implementation and the evaluation suggest that the impact of the project can be summed up as follows:

. The success of such a community information service lies to a large extent in the ability of the information personnel to identify, mobilize and coordinate resources and expertise both in the community and outside it (at the provincial and national levels). This results in a new perception of the information specialist as a skilled negotiatior and coordinator - a kind of “broker”. In this changed role, the prestige of information personnel increases in the community.

n Throughout the project, linkages were established with different agencies and institutions and networking activities were developed. Some of these linkages will serve as the first step towards integrating community information services into the national information system.

9 In the community information service as developed in the Nakhon Nayok, the school is not dissociated from other aspects of community life. It becomes a focal point where people go to obtain information and knowhow which allows them to embark upon income-generating activities and to improve their daily lives.

. The project clearly demonstrates the importance of providing relevant information in productive activities. In improving income-generation by providing information and training, it is also essential however not to overlook


other aspects such as negotiating access to the necessary marketing channels and outlets. Here again, the project personnel played an important role.

n If such information services are to serve as a resource base for literacy activities, it is vital to ensure that information and reading materials correspond to the participants’ needs and aspirations. This was clearly requested by participants in the evaluation exercise.

. At a national level, one measure of the impact of the Nakhon Nayok pilot project has been the launching by the Non-Formal Education Department of a programme for the creation of public libraries to save reading skills. On the occasion of the 36th birthday celebrations of Crown Princess Sirindhorn, resources for 51 public libraries have been mobilized under this programme, with funding coming from individuals, private entreprise and local government. The first two-storey library building was inaugurated by the Crown Princess on 22 February 1992 at Bang Konthi District in Samut Songkhram .

This ambitious project, called the National Chalerm Rajkumari Library Project, has been inspired by the UNESCO-promoted concept of innovative community information services anchored in existing school and public libraries, and patterned after the Nakhon Nayok pilot project.

To conclude, the project demonstrates the power of information which allows people to take control of their own lives and helps them to achieve their aspirations.


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BIBLIOGRAPHY ’

Thai Library Association Working Committee, Handbook on preservation and processing of sandorica and jackfruit, Bangkok, TLA, 1992,8 p.

National Primary Education Commission and Thai Library Association Working Committee, Video tape on preservation and processing of sandorica and jackfruit, Bangkok, 1992

Thai Library Association Working Committee, Handbook on paper mlch6 production, Bangkok, 1991, 8 p.

Bangkok Metropolitan Authority, Handbook on school garden management, 1991

Bangkok Metropolitan Authority, Report on recycling waste, 1991, 24 p.

Bangkok Metropolitan Authority, Report on household waste and the environment, Bangkok, 1991

Bangkok Metropolitan Authority, Pamphlets on: . Dangers of pollution . Plastics and foam . Household waste . Drug abuse: prevention and treatment

Centre for Educational Innovation and Technology, Solar dryer for fruit drying (blueprint and manual), Bangkok, 1991

Department of Agriculture : Pamphlets and brochures on : Basket weaving

. Bamboo growing

. Tree growing methods

. The friend of the farmer

1 All documents in Thai unless otherwise specified.


. Mango growing

. 50 uses of lemons

. “Beautiful school gardens” (periodical)

Department of Culture, Thai Culture

Department of Culture, Children’s games in Thailand

Magic Eyes, Paintings for the Campaign to Clean Chao Praya River, Bangkok, 1991

National Culture Commission, Thai Culture (periodical)

National Culture Commission, Basket weaving (brochure))

Non-Formal Education, Pamphlets on : AIDS (Quiz) What to do in an Emergency Health Advice Careers

Panya Nanta Bhiku, Environment problems (Cremation ceremony book), 1991

UNEP/UNICEF, Children and the environment, Bangkok, 1990, 80 p.

Kasetsart University, Institute of Food Research and Product Development, Food preservation and processing, 1991 (brochure)

Kasetsart University, Institute of Food Research and Product Development, Handbook for breeding and induced spawning of fish. 4 Volumes, 1991 (Vol 1 - Fish farming in rice fields; Vols. 2-4 - Catfish farming)

Dept of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Handbook for breeding and induced spawning of fish. 2 Volumes, 1991 (Vol5 - Pla Sawai Farming; Vol. 6 - Catfish farming)

an innovative approach to school and community library information

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