Exploring status of library management technical aspects in Indian schools

PurposeSchool library is regarded as the heart and soul of the school. It acts as learning resource centre and support the school curriculum in all possible manners. The main aim of this paper is to document the factors associated with library management in selected school libraries in Varanasi, India.Design/methodology/approachSurvey method is used to conduct this research in which close-ended questions were provided to the school librarians. Simple random sampling was used to collect samples from secondary schools of Varanasi.FindingsIt was found that 34% school libraries affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education are managed properly and they are termed as first class library. Rest of the schools are not managed as per rules and regulations of school librarianship. Some librarians themselves are not properly aware of the significance of the library and hence the management is suffered accordingly.Practical implicationsThis research will help in exploring the existing status of library management in school libraries. The work is designed specifically for school libraries. Simple ranking system for school libraries will be helpful to make an exhaustive school ranking based on library management.Originality/valueThis research will bring on record the ground reality of school librarianship in India and the way they are managed. Simple ranking system for school library is given in this paper that will help to find out which school library is functioning properly or not.

The Information Literacy Movement of the School Library Media Field: A Preliminary Summary of the Research

The authors summarize the proceedings of two major conferences, the Treasure Mountain Research Retreat VI and the International Association School Librarianship conference. In addition, the authors look at the entire history of information literacy and bring together the theory development, the research, and practice in school libraries since the late 1980s. Information literacy and critical thinking ideas from the fields of education, cognitive psychology and educational technology have been included.

Challenges in Training Teacher-Librarians at the Department of Information Studies, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg

The paper raises problems which are experienced by the Department of Information Studies in running the Diploma in School Librarianship (DSL). These problems relate to obstacles which interfere with attracting students into the program and getting them committed to school librarianship as a profession, and also relate to inadequacies which students bring into the program. The problems, which are outlined from observations made by faculty members in the Department, are reinforced by some literature findings. A few solutions, as attempted by the Department, are also discussed.

Information Literacy and Outcomes-Based Education in South Africa in the 21st Century: The Challenge of Disparities

In the six years since South Africa's first democratic election, there have been fundamental changes in our educational policy. An outcomes-based approach to education was introduced to Grade I in 1998. This paper will sketch some of our progressive, timely educational policies and the challenges of implementing them. It will examine the multilingual nature of South African society and its effects on publishing learning support material for outcomes-based education. This paper purports that information literacy as a cognitive concept was an idea ahead of its time in South Africa. With the low percentage of school librarians, how can we be positive for the future of school librarianship? The possibilities are there, and we have to grasp them with both hands. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are making inroads into our sites of learning. Information literacy is, in fact, emerging with strong links to the ICT world. Where are school librarians in all of this?

School Libraries Online: Exploring Issues and Developments Through the IASL Web Site

In Internet terms, the origins of the Web site of the International Association of School Librarianship are shrouded in the mists of antiquity. Way back at the beginning of 1995, I established IASL-LINK as an Internet listserv for the Association. Dr Jean Lowrie, a founder of IASL and then retiring as Executive Secretary, wanted a home page for IASL. I, too, thought we should have a home page and probably a full Web site. Others doubted that the Association had the resources to do this - or even that it should be done at all. Those of you who know Jean will know that she is persistent, and in this case she focused that persistence on me. I felt that establishing a Web site was a job for a bright young member of the Association, and so I kept hoping that "someone else" would do it. In the end, I lost patience just at the time Jean became very persistent. In November 1995 I created a home page for IASL, with eleven supporting pages, just to prove that it could be done. Thus it was that I found I was the Webmaster.

Evaluating your Collection to Facilitate Literacy

How can we evaluate a library collection to facilitate literacy? Before we can effectively answer this question we first need to look at the terms "collection" and "literacy." The meanings of both of these terms, particularly as they relate to school librarianship, have evolved in the past several years.

Behind the Inspiring Connections: Research and Researchers in School Librarianship

The international study of research and researchers in the field of school librarianship that is described in this paper has two main areas of focus. The first broad aim is to provide an overview of the current (as of 2000) state-ofthe-art of research in school librarianship, and to compare it with the results of similar work undertaken in 1995, in order to identify trends and developments. The second broad aim is to identify current active researchers in the field of school librarianship internationally, as the basis for a survey. The survey (using interviews and a mailed questionnaire) will investigate issues associated with research in school librarianship, identified through a review of the literature and other methods. A progress report and preliminary results will be provided in the conference session.

Developing the Knowledge Base of the Profession: Research in School Librarianship

This paper reports on one aspect of a wider longitudinal study of "Research and Researchers in School Librarianship". Research articles and conference papers published in English over the ten-year period 1991 to 2000 in the field of school librarianship were analyzed to identify the country of the research, the type of publication in which the research was reported, the research methods used, and the aspects of school librarianship that were investigated. Changes and trends in the research through the decade are described and emerging issues are discussed. The methodology draws on studies that looked at aspects of research in the broader field of library and information science generally, in an international context.