SCHOOL LIBRARIES WORLDWIDE

Volume 7, Number 1, 2001, 82-102.

Theme: Information Literacy

School Libraries in Netherlands [PDF file]
Albert K. Boekhorst and Maarten J.P. van Veen
Recent developments in education in The Netherlands have emphasized the role of school libraries in the learning process. This paper reports research conducted to gain insight into the position of school libraries in secondary education. An inputoutput model of research design provided for an analysis of the distinct elements that constitute the system (input) in relation to the products of the system (output). The input factors included: organisational structure, library staff, financing, technical infrastructure, collection, and collaboration both within the school and with other organisations. The products of the school library were the output: access to the collection, facilities, and instruction. The infrastructure of the school libraries differed greatly; the person of the school librarian seemed to be the most important factor in the success of a school library. However, in more than half of the schools, none of the staff members had any library training, and many school libraries relied heavily on volunteers. This lack of professionalism often led to the exclusion of the school library from policy making decisions and from integration into the educational system.

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Last updated 19 August 2007 (KSB)