IASL Research Abstracts: 105

Findings: The Library Practice for Young Learners (LPYL) project is a collaborative venture between South Africa and Sweden. On the local, project school level, it has had many effects. It is believed to have regional effects on future school library development as well as effects of professional interaction both nationally and internationally.

Abstract: The Library Practice for Young Learners (LPYL) project focused on human resource development rather than on the provision of material resources such as computers, books and shelving. The project was designed to explore some of the untested innovations in the South African draft Policy Framework for School Library Standards among a sample of school librarians in all of South Africa's nine provinces. The project was also designed to provide mutual exchange of knowledge and expertise between Swedish and South African library personnel. Ideas from a conference in 1995 and the planning of the South African Policy Framework for School Library Standards formed the important bases for the strategic direction of the project. The two phases involved South Africa's national and provincial education departments and two South African and one Swedish non-governmental organizations. See:

Hell, M., Engstrom, C. and Lundgren, L. (2003). Library practice for young learners (LPYL). Developing school library services for primary and secondary schools in disadvantaged areas in South Africa 1997-2002: A Swedish-South Africa project. In S. Zinn, G. Hart and E. Howe (Eds.) School libraries: Breaking down barriers (pp.227-234). Seattle: International Association of School Librarianship.

Subject Categories: 1, 3