IASL 2003 Conference Logo

The 2003 IASL Conference

Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 7-11 July 2001

KEYNOTE SPEECH
Shaping the Future of School Libraries:
What is the Agenda?

Kay Raseroka
President of IFLA 2003-2005
Director, Library Services, University of Botswana

INTRODUCTION

It is a great honour and privilege for me to have been invited to address the International Association of School Librarians (IASL), as it meets in Africa and in this beautiful city of Durban. I am particularly excited by the possibility that our organizations may consider this as an opportunity to explore collaboration in areas of mutual interest. Indeed the IASL conference has already contributed by its presence, in the sub-region, by enthusing its members in Botswana to advocate for the translation of the IFLA/UNESCO School Library Manifesto into Setswana. Of course I am aware that some of the stalwarts of the IASL are also influential members of the IFLA Section on School Libraries. Such links provide an avenue through which partnerships on specific projects may be forged. However, there may be other ways through which the IASL and International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) may form alliances for the benefit of library users and the development of the culture of lifelong literacy.

The title of my presentation was selected as means of exploring opportunities that are on offer to library and information services in general, an account of the emergence of the global information and knowledge age. The convergence of information abundance and availability of information communication technologies as a tool as a tool for accessing and sharing of information swiftly across borders, provides a unique opportunity for all librarians, in their important role of laying the foundation for future leaders of nations, to be capable users of information. However, there are challenges which we as librarians and school librarians, in particular, must address urgently, if we are to attain this major objective. (Reference to librarians, from now on will be used generally to mean school librarians, media specialist and teacher librarians).

At this point it is useful to remind ourselves of the principles we believe in:

The core values of librarianship as articulated by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) include the following statements:

"Freedom of access to information, ideas and works of imagination and freedom of expression".

"The belief that people, communities and organizations need universal and equitable access to information, ideas and works of imagination" and

"The belief that delivery of high quality library and information services helps guarantee that access."

The IASL principles on the functions of school libraries as part and parcel of the teaching and learning process are well articulated in the perception, of the school library being:

Informational -- provides for reliable information, rapid access retrieval and transfer of information.
Educational -- provides continuous life-long education through provision of the facilities and atmosphere for learning cultural, improves the quality of life through the presentation and support of the aesthetic experience, guidance in the appreciation of arts, encouragement of creativity, and development of positive human relations.
Cultural -- improves the quality of life through the presentation and support of the aesthetic experience, guidance in appreciation of the arts, encouragement of creativity.
Recreational -- supports and enhances a balanced and enriched life, and encourages meaningful use of leisure time through provision of recreational information materials and programs of recreational value, and guidance in the use of leisure time.

The IFLA/UNESCO School Library Manifesto states:

"The school library is essential to every long term strategy for literacy, education, information provision and economic, social and cultural development. As the responsibility of local, regional and national authorities, it must have adequate and specific legislation and policies. School libraries must have adequate and sustained funding for trained staff, materials, technologies and facilities. They must be free of charge".

The core values and principles articulated in these instruments indicate that librarians have established frameworks for school library services. Baseline data on the state of school libraries I the world show that for most of the developed world these ideals are being steadily achieved, although it seems that school libraries, in general, are starved of financial resources, even in a leading first world country like the United States of America according to Jay the "Last major infusion of money to support school library collections was in the late 60's, early 70's (Jay). The developing world, especially Africa, has yet to achieve basic infrastructural requirements that avail to children adequate school library services in general and especially in primary schools: Rosenbery notes, in her African study "In Africa, (and developing countries, in general)... The majority of schools possess no library. Where some semblance of school library does exist, it is often no more than a few shelves of outdated and worn out material, inadequately staffed and thus marginal to the teaching learning process". It is ironic that although it is readily acknowledged that the foundation years of learning are the most important for lifelong literacy and learning, primary school library conditions, compared to the other levels, are the most under developed.

In support of long term development of adequate and sustainable school library services in Africa, I suggest that we consider possible roles which the IASL might usefully play in catalysing the development and enhancement of school libraries in the host continent of the IASL 2003.

CHILDREN AND PARENTS AS STAKEHOLDERS IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARY

Dike (1993) indicates issues that face school libraries are the same the world over, but differ in the manner in which they are addressed on account of varying contexts. The most influential context for school library development in Africa is the oral culture. Yet it does not appear that school library developments have explored how or exploited it as a base upon which school children may relate and integrate the new ways of communicating to their oral communication traditions and indigenous knowledge systems. This is not surprising since the context of the school library is the educational system, which originates from colonial models of education, that ignored models of learning by doing, i.e. skills based and understanding based on analytical interaction between the teacher and student. The current philosophy of education and policies are determined and adopted and handed over by ministries of education to school managers, i.e. principals, teachers and school librarians:

  • School managers interpret policies, disburse and manage financial resources.
  • Teachers interpret professional principles of their profession and implement these in the actions that provide teaching and learning services.
  • Teacher librarians interpret learned librarianship principles in the provision of reading materials, information literacy for teaching and learning activities.

Each of these professions mostly focuses on their primary responsibility as they see fit. Attempts as establishing synergetic approaches to learning and school library services provided to students are influenced by personal experience, attitudes and the degree to which the importance of enquiry, critical analysis are based on appreciation of the significance of the significance of resource based learning and teaching. Conclusion by various authors is that school libraries in Africa have failed to take root primarily on account of "failure over the years to convince educational planners and administrators and the teaching profession, as a whole, that school libraries are a necessity and not a luxury".

Concern about the state of school libraries tend to focus on governments' role in the creation of services. Advocacy for school libraries indeed must be addressed to these levels, as they have direct influence on school libraries through political commitments, provision of resources and their management.

However, stakeholders that are often omitted in consideration of the operational well being of school libraries are parents and children. Their interest are the most important as they are the users and should be beneficiaries of the service and in recognition of the necessity for libraries to be based on needs assessment, for them to be fully acceptable to users. Their interests have been ignored because of the perceived assumptions of the education system: that parents and specially children are uniformed of modern ways of educating. This approach devalues the knowledge that each child possesses as they enter school, i.e. that learning is an every day activity for a child from the time of birth. It ignores the indigenous knowledge and information systems that enable them to live meaningful lives outside school in the home and among peers. The challenge that school librarians need to face is the oral cultural context in which the lives of African school children are embedded and reinforced in the home situation by regular oral communication with parents, and transfer of useful information through which they cope with life both outside and inside school.

How can this context be regularly considered as a foundation to school learning and be exploited as an opportunity for transferring the skills learnt through oral story telling (for example) to sense making derived through reading? The transition from audible to silent solitary communication with print is not only taxing mentally but also alienating psychologically. The latter accounts for the often-mentioned alienation felt by users on approaching libraries. The potential role of the school librarian in facilitating this transition from face-to-face to print mode by children needs to be explored through the exploitation of communication multimedia. The advent of technology and its derivatives in multimedia offer a window of opportunity. As an example story telling by elders could become a regular school library service and be recorded in any appropriate and affordable technology, thereby may be appropriately incorporating the home environment to that the school library. The envisaged outcomes of such an approach are primarily for the benefit of learners by enhancing listening skills, integrating the different types of communication and easing them into a school culture. Other benefits may relate to the acceptance, of parent and children as stakeholders in the school system, regardless of their level of western education. Such an approach will facilitate their empowerment and appreciation of their stake in the school library and learning benefits in general, as members of civil society whose taxes provide for these facilities. The development of understanding on the role the school library plays in information access whether it be "orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art or through any media of the "child's right to freedom of expression and the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds regardless of frontiers" (U.N. Convention of Rights of the Child, 1998.)

Based on how the school managers envision the importance of the context to the attainment of learning objectives, such projects offer opportunities for children to "re-tell" stories in the classroom and library contexts. This may be in drawing, writing by hand or using the computer, thereby achieve holistic learning. Products of these activities may be a base for relevant reading materials.

Such an interaction between the oral tradition and the written tradition has also the potential to facilitate the interface of committing the oral indigenous knowledge into written or recorded communication of local content, which the children can easily relate to, when read, or heard.

Under this type of interaction the school librarian's positioning as a mediator between home culture and school culture will become influential as the appreciation of parents and children's information needs is enhanced and focused upon. The ease with which parents and children feel able to communicate with librarians will empower these stakeholders to confidently influence local educational planners, administrators and teachers for improvements of financing and quality of school library programmes and services.

FINANCING THE SCHOOL LIBRARY THROUGH SHARING OF THE 'CATE'

Chipunza (2000) in summarizing issues raised by participants in a sub regional workshop on school libraries in Africa notes that lack of policy, financial constraint and scarcity of trained human resources are significant barriers to adequate school library development. Notably school libraries compete for financial resources with other school needs.

Indeed, it has been noted that when schools experience increases in student numbers resulting in classroom space shortage, it is not usual that the one common facility, i.e. the school library, where they exist, is the first to be eliminated and the space appropriated for classroom use, in spite of the minimal or short term difference such as a change makes as a coping strategy.

Although it is generally accepted that school libraries are a central shared service, this is rarely translated into pro-rated user linked allocation of financial resources. Librarians need to internalise such relationships and develop negotiation strategies for the library's share of school resources. Where governments allocate funding for books per child these must be appropriately used, as a matter of principle an educational ethics. Librarians must find a way of interacting in neutral spaces with teachers professional associations and share core values as a foundation for collaborative approaches to professional practice.

Librarians need to develop strategies for influencing policy for practical control of the school library budget and portfolio. It is thus imperative that as librarians we develop financial arguments that concretely demonstrate that the school library is by right the "heart" of the school. The IASL has a role to play in developing such skills and the sharing of experience across the economic and context divides. The imperative for such an approach is not only due to the current generally unsatisfactory state of school libraries, but is also on account of opportunities that are being brought about by the changing African educational policy scene.

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad)

The African Union (successor of the Organisation of African Unity) and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) provide a platform on which African governments agree on principles and develop a vision which guide individual country plans and encourage ongoing self-monitoring and peer review of progress. Nepad provides such a framework. Through this mechanism, African governments have established, as some of the objectives of Nepad, the following:

  • eradication of poverty
  • investing in health, education and good security
  • bridging the digital divide

Of significance to librarians are objectives for bridging the education gap which are:

  • to work with donors and multilateral institutions to ensure that the International Development Goals (IDG) of achieving universal primary education by 2015 is realised.
  • To work for improvements is curriculum development, quality improvements and access to Information Communication Technologies ICTs.

The proposed actions for Bridging the Digital Divide, Nepad objectives are develop and produce a pool of ICTs proficient youth and students.... through the promotion and acceleration [of] existing projects to connect schools and youth centres.

These Nepad objectives and actions have direct relevance for proactive librarians to address the following question: "how can school libraries participate in and exploit policies, financial resources and links to donor partnerships accessible through Nepad"? How can attitudes of educational planners administration and teachers be influenced to deeply appreciate the importance of libraries in the development of the information society? What research needs to be undertaken collaboratively with educationalist as a way of developing empirical evidence on the role of libraries in teaching and learning.

Nepad principles are indicated of commitment, at the highest levels of governments, to the kinds of changes Africa needs to reform its education systems and school library development. It is very important for librarians to heed the following Nepad declaration and apply it for the good of library development.

"Across the continent, Africans declare that we will no longer allow ourselves to be conditioned by circumstance. We will determine our own destiny and call on the rest of the world to complement our efforts".

This call poses a challenge to us as librarians especially African librarians especially African librarians. For too long we have been reactive rather than proactive. We have become well known for sitting on the fence or in our technical services offices and emerge to find that the world of information has moved on beyond our reach, then wail "government does not provide resources for libraries" "information communication technologies are usurping the library role" "principals are not interested in school libraries" etc.

The victim approach to challenges and missed opportunities due to lack of awareness of broader contexts in which we operate form the single most important strategic since that we urgently need to review. Our approach needs to be proactive; view challenges as opportunities for change and engagement with other stakeholders and professions. We need to be both alert and attentive to emerging trends that affect information service delivery at all levels: from primary school -- entry -- level children's information needs; those of their parents and/or communities in which they live; to those trends that influence government information policies, nationally, regionally and internationally. At the continent level, it is incumbent upon us, as members of the IASL, IFLA, African national library associations and as individual librarians, to inform ourselves adequately about policies and strategic actions that African governments have committed themselves to: We need to explore how these can be applied for the benefit of user populations and embark upon project proposals that address library development issues. A proactive, but will facilitate the development of partnerships with other professions and donors with whom we share common interest.

IASL and IFLA need to facilitate a pool of expertise in project proposal development by region. Hence human resource development should be linked to strategic approaches for financing and advocacy.

Education for All (EFA) and school libraries

One of the most important education policies to which African Ministers of Education have committed themselves is reflected in Education For All (EFA). EFA arose out of commitments made in Jomtien (1990) for the achievement of the goals of education for all by 2015. Underpinning the EFA are the following Dakar Goals (ANCEFA, 2001)

  1. Expand early childhood care and education. Expand and improve comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantage children.
  2. Free and compulsory education of good quality. Ensure that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and are/able to complete primary education is free, compulsory and of good quality.
  3. Promote the acquisition of life-skills by adolescents and youth. Ensure that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life-skills programme.
  4. Expand adult literacy. Achieve a 50% improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults.
  5. Eliminate gender disparities. Eliminate gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieve gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girl's full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality.
  6. Enhance education quality. Improve all aspects of the quality of education and ensure excellence so that all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills, achieve recognised and measurable learning outcomes.

Operational principles of EFA include the expectation by Ministers of Education of contributions for the realisation of these goals from civil society. The latter consist of non-governmental organisations, operating at national levels. Civil society is with national ministries of education and thus influence policy implementation and distribution of resources to support the strategies for the support of EF operations.

The operational framework is local ownership of identification of barriers to the attainment of the EFA objectives and in the development of strategic actions and evaluation, in order to facilitate long-term sustainability. Civil society is thus expected to bring to the attention of government priorities for EFA, from the "ordinary persons" perspectives. Are we, as librarians participating in civil society at national levels to ensure that library issues and priorities as part EFA strategies are addressed?

In 2002 Africa's civil society participates in and contributed its perspectives to the Eighth Conference of Ministers of Education of African Member States (MINEDAF VIII).

The role and contributions of school libraries and libraries, in general, in the attainment the Dakar Goals that underpin EFA were not addressed. Librarians' inputs had not been made. Indeed, librarians were not part of civil society representatives.

Each of the five sub regions of Africa has a network of civic society committed to campaigning on education for all. The five networks form the African Networks Campaigning on Education for all (ANCEFA). Enquires on membership of librarians in the sub regional networks of civil society have indicated their absence in such advocacy forums. Given the relevance of issues being discussed, to development of school libraries, such as those that concern "free and compulsory education of good quality" and "promotion of acquisition of life skills by adolescents and youth" it is imperative that the IASL, through its structures or national explore the chapters, ways in which it can provide expertise in meaningful contributions in such continental advocacy structures.

There is an urgent need to, analyse the state of African school libraries at all levels and produce empirical evidence on the basis of which IASL can set the agenda and convincingly propose actions that will address the objectives of EFA. On the basis of these outcomes strategic decisions on useful partnerships with other associations may be taken. However, it should be noted that no international advocacy platform can successfully address the national level issues, without the active involvement and identification of strategic points of entry into the advocacy dialogue. The role of the international associations (such as IASL, IFLA etc) is dependant on the invitations for support emanating from national library associations.

The strengthening of local chapters and national library associations thus is a priority which IASL and IFLA ignore at their own peril and weakening of their advocacy role internationally.

African Information Society Initiative

P> Challenges which face the school library and its information services and contribution to life long learning have become opportunities, on account of the interest of governments in ICTs and their use in schools.

There are several policy documents and movements which school librarians must engage, in order to influence the status of school libraries within education systems for the better.

The African Information Society Initiative (AISI), the vision of which has been endorsed by the African governments through the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), has established a framework which recognizes information as the fuel for development in all sectors. It seeks to create a sustainable information society in Africa by 2010: it aspires that:

  • Every woman, and men, school child, village, government office and business can access information and knowledge resources through computers and telecommunications.
  • Access is available to international, regional, national "information highway", providing off camps in the villages and in the information area catering especially to grass-root society.
  • African information resources are available which reflects the needs of government, business, culture, education, tourism, energy, health, transport and natural resources management.

Analysis of AISI policy and framework by librarians is urgently needed, in order for the financial resources and political will to be harnessed for the development school libraries. The framework's emphasis provides an opportunity for development of local reading materials at all levels, but specifically for school children. It is a vehicle for the enhancement of information literacy skills development to extend beyond print to electronic data. It provides possibilities for partnerships in the development of curricula that embrace the centrality of information seeking and use as a learning method.

Process on AISI policies and programmes is reviewed biennially through committees. The appropriate forum for library issues is the Committee on Development Information (CODI), which includes Information and Communication Technologies, Information systems and libraries. The recent CODI III (2003) reported on objectives for developing strategies for greater access to the information society by various groups including women, youth the poor and disadvantaged.

It is out of this area of interest that partnership with movements concerned with delivery of information to various users have developed. These are the telecentre and Schoolnet movements. Whilst telecentres generally are community based, Schoolnet operate in schools and usually under the aegis of ministries responsible for education.

The Schoolnet movement is a pioneering attempt to apply ICTs to resource poor environments as means to enhance development in general and education access and quality in particular as part of bridging the digital divide. (School Networking in Africa Mkusanyiko: 2003). http:/www.schollnetafrica.net/IAS2003

An analysis of countries in Africa that have Schoolnet indicates that thirty countries have Schoolnet activity. This means that a minimum of five schools are in regular communication and interaction on learning initiatives using information and communication media and technologies. The purpose of Schoolnet is to enhance learning opportunities for learners, teachers and the community as well as share learning resources. This objective coincides with the purpose of school libraries. The question then is: in those countries where Schoolnet is operational, is there any relationship with libraries, if they exist? If the latter do not exist how may the Schoolnet movements, IASL and ministries of education establish consultative forums, based on shared objectives and common customers (students)? Before ministries of education are involved is essential that baseline data on both Schoolnet and school library facilities, services, and quality thereof as well as status on access to ICT be the starting point. Exploration of sustainability issues for both services is imperative, if these services are to nurture the emerging information society practically.

Enquiry from the Schoolnet coordinator on whether in recent Pan African workshop, there was any reference to a Schoolnet relationship with school libraries, the answer was negative. If we can win, join them, "partner promiscuously".

It is interesting to note the follow-up agenda issued by Schoolnet Africa and their partners:

  • Policy on ICT in education with baseline studies
  • Building capacity in human resources
  • Information clearing via a clearinghouse.
  • Advocacy
  • Research-development of a baseline evaluation
    • .

What can we apply to school library services and librarianship in general?

CONCLUSION

In concluding this presentation, it is important to pose questions to ourselves, as a challenge to review professional successes, lamination, threats and opportunities. With the exception of large national associations who have paid staff national and regional library associations, experience in strategic planning advocacy and marketing is limited.

This presentation sought to draw the attention of the IASL its leadership role and to opportunities that:

  • The advent of technology as a basis for bridging the digital divide in oral societies and enhancing the development of an information society from bottom-up, the challenges that host continent faces;
  • The framework provided by the African political platforms on the shared vision on governance, accountability and efforts for sustainability;
  • The commitment of African governments to the development of an African Information Society through Education for All and exploitation of technology for providing access to information.

These opportunities give rise to questions which may help us focus our energies as we shape the future of school libraries are:

  • What proactive long term plans and actions have been developed by school librarians and their associations to advance the school library agenda towards influencing the emerging information and knowledge society?
  • What is the state of school libraries in Africa and other developing countries, based on empirical data, rather than anecdotal evidence?
  • Given the promising information communication policies embedded in AISI, NEPAD, EFA what viable joint activities can the IASL community and national library association embark upon proactively?
  • What are the professional associations or movement with which we share common goals that it is in over interest to form partnership with?

The World summit on Information Society offers an opportunity for librarians and their associations to analyse advocacy processes and cut their teeth through active participation in the WSIS advocacy forums. It is important, however, to note that involvement of librarians in WSIS has been limited up to now. Required preparatory consultative process among librarians at national levels have been thwarted by lack of readiness on common issues of concern. However, it is encouraging to note that librarians advocacy afoot, is at the fore as it were. But there is room for better coordination.

Last Updated 24 September 2003 (LAC)