provision of school library resources in a changing environment
DESCRIPTION
In South Africa, after 1994 education was completely restructured with the aim to provide quality education for all. Funding for school library resources has been a financial challenge.TRANSCRIPT
The provision of school library resources in a changing environment:
a case study from Gauteng province, South Africaprovince, South Africa
Busi Dlamini and Anna Brown
Diversity Challenge Resilience: School Libraries in Action - The 12th Biennial School Library Association of Queensland, the 39th International Association of School Librarianship Annual Conference, incorporating the 14th International
Forum on Research in School Librarianship, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 27 September – 1 October 2010.
Content
1. Education in transition
2. Schools and school libraries in South Africa at present
3. The Gauteng Department of 3. The Gauteng Department of Education and school libraries
4. Developing school library catalogues
5. Challenges experienced and lessons learnt
6. Conclusion
Education in transition:Before 1994
� Education divided according to race
� Better education for Whites� Better education for Whites
� White schools had libraries and librarians
Education in transition:1994
� Democracy
� Educational restructuring� Educational restructuring
� Curriculum transformation
Education in transition:Since 1994
� Disappointed hopes for school libraries
� Demands of curriculum not � Demands of curriculum not appreciated
� Unrealistic expectations of Internet
� Teacher-librarian posts abolished
� Libraries closed
School libraries at present
� Still wide differences
� Quite a number of ex-white schools fund school libraries themselves
� Some schools in Black areas set up libraries with part-time staffwith part-time staff
� Very poor reading levels a wake-up call
� Reluctance at national level to support school libraries
� Situation in Gauteng poor but better than national average
Ex-white school
Black school
Crowded classroom in black school
Temporary classrooms at overcrowded black school
Rural school
New school: space but no library
Older school: library in process
Library set up by initiative of the school
Library set up by school in half a classroom
GDE and school libraries: LIS Unit and Districts
� Manages an Education Library
� Responsible for school libraries in Gauteng public schoolsGauteng public schools
� Low priority in the department
� Post for library facilitator at districts
Education library in 19C school building
Education Library
GDE and school libraries: Funding
� No school library funding 1994 to 2006
Two ad-hoc allocations for central � Two ad-hoc allocations for central provisioning
� From 2007 10% of LTSM budget for school library resources
Developing school library catalogues: need
� Teachers responsible for school libraries have no relevant training or experienceexperience
� Need support when buying resources
� Central acquisition for non-self-managing schools by service provider
Developing school library catalogues: pilot project 2009
� Resource guide for foundation phase
� Resources classified and catalogued
� Too time-consuming� Too time-consuming
� Wrong format for service provider
� Decision to generate spread-sheet catalogues
Developing school library catalogues: call for submissions
� Resources for all school phases called for
� Small fee for submissions to � Small fee for submissions to remunerate evaluators
� Very large number received
� Some useful resources for teachers also received
Developing school library catalogues: process
� Receipt, checking, recording and acknowledgement of submissions
� Identification and appointment of � Identification and appointment of evaluators
� Evaluation on Saturdays
� Catalogue entries
� Checking of catalogue
Evaluation
Administration
Developing school library catalogues: utilization
� Catalogues completed end February
� Exhibitions in April� Exhibitions in April
� Catalogues distributed end April
� Requisitions placed in May
Challenges and lessons
Challenge:
� Volume of submissions
� Shortage of space
� Finding specific titles� Finding specific titles
Lessons:
� Call only for latest resources
� More systematic record-keeping and organization
Challenges and lessons
Challenge:
� Finding suitable evaluators for all eleven official languages
Lessons:Lessons:
� Database of evaluators
� Source evaluators for scarce languages well ahead of time
Challenges and lessons
Challenge:
� Inadequate training of evaluators
� Some evaluation reports not useful
� Evaluation of content mostly good but � Evaluation of content mostly good but not always of aesthetic quality
Lessons:
� Adequate time for training evaluators
� More thorough training
Challenges and lessons
Challenge:
� Too few books for reading pleasure received
� Quite a number of resources that are � Quite a number of resources that are too advanced/academic received
Lessons:
� Clear guidelines in call for submissions
Conclusion
� Progress in spite of rapid change and lack of understandinglack of understanding
� Catalogues assist with school library development and acquisitions