Journal articles on the topic 'Primary school libraries'

Comic books are becoming increasingly popular in the field of education. In the past, comic books were excluded from school libraries and classrooms. However, with the resurgence in the popularity of comic books and students’ increased demands for them, they are now considered as recreational reading with educational value. In response to this, school libraries have begun collecting comic books and including them as part of their regular collections. This research paper reflects on the current situation of comic books in primary and middle school library collections and examines school librarians’ perceptions towards educational values of comics. The investigation was launched in Hong Kong, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia and Japan – making comparisons amongst different levels (primary school and secondary school), and different types (public school and private school) of schools in five different countries. Questionnaire surveys were sent to selected school librarians and were the main method of data collection. A total number of 683 responses were collected for this study. Research results include librarians’ attitudes towards comic books in school libraries, adolescent readers’ use of school libraries, their reading and borrowing practices, as well as other problems encountered with the on-going maintenance of comic books as part of the school libraries’ regular collections.

Objective -- As a first step in gathering evidence, this study surveyed school libraries and examined the services those libraries provide in relation to the Universal Basic Education (UBE) program at a primary level. The purpose of this paper is to explore these UBE factors in relation to school libraries in Oyo State, Nigeria. Methods -- A questionnaire was sent to the 33 schools which have a library and information centre staffed by a teacher-librarian, in order to examine library services and the views of those providing them. The questionnaire covers library space, categories of library resources, student activities during library visits, mobile library services, and the teacher-librarians’ perception of the adequacy of the collection and the challenges in the use of library. Results -- Questionnaires were returned by 30 teacher-librarians out of 33, a response rate of 91%. Although pupils across each local government area have the chance to visit school libraries, the system of one short visit per week is inadequate for developing a universal interest in reading and in study skills. Staff responsible for the libraries consider many of the resources to be inadequate or outdated and stock is depleted as pupils borrow books, leaving fewer for those who follow. Conclusions -- As a first step to implementing evidence based practice, this paper describes the primary school library system in Nigeria and provides evidence on how it operates in Oyo State. Teacher-librarians who staff the libraries confirm the inadequacies in the system. They perceive collections to be inadequate and confirm that some pupils in the state have only limited access to library resources. Respondents also believe that they need further training, particularly in computer and information literacy.

Libraries are important in supporting the curriculum and educational mission of schools. The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the current status of a private primary school’s library in Istanbul, Turkey, and to formulate recommendations for improvement. This case study was accomplished through a mixed method involving questionnaires and observation. A survey with semi-structured questions was administered to students, teachers, and the librarian regarding their perceptions of the school library and their desires for the school library. Questionnaires administered to teachers and the librarian of its sister school provide a counterpoint. Observations provided information about the current functional level and nature of usage of the library. The survey was administered in 2007 with a follow-up visit in 2008. The research achieved the specific, practical purpose of identifying areas for development and potential challenges to that development in the school’s library, taking into account the input of its constituents. It also provides suggestions for those who might pursue broader research about the needs and future possibilities for school libraries in Turkey.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the curricular development and educational resources of the school libraries in Málaga. The provincial coordination of the Educational Local Office has carried out- since the academic course 2008/2009- an annual evaluation focused on five dimensions related to the actions of the Provincial Network of School Libraries. This Network is formed by the public schools of Primary and Secondary Education of the province.This article presents the most relevant results of the evaluation questionnaire for the 2014/2015 academic year in which 430 educational centres participated, offering a comparison according to the educational centre (pre-school, primary school or secondary school) and the school year. In general, there is progress in school libraries due to its normative regulation, the involvement of teachers in charge of libraries in collegiate bodies, the use of digital tools and social networks. However, there is a need to expand the opening hours of the library, to reinforce the collaboration of teachers who coordinate educational projects and to improve the sections and links of the web portals of libraries.On the one hand, these conclusions are intended to serve as a self-assessment to help school librarians to reflect and identify their strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, they show the development of the key actions of school libraries, both their progress and their deficiencies, in relation to the standards established at national and international level.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the curricular development and educational resources of the school libraries in Málaga. The provincial coordination of the Educational Local Office has carried out- since the academic course 2008/2009- an annual evaluation focused on five dimensions related to the actions of the Provincial Network of School Libraries. This Network is formed by the public schools of Primary and Secondary Education of the province.This article presents the most relevant results of the evaluation questionnaire for the 2014/2015 academic year in which 430 educational centres participated, offering a comparison according to the educational centre (pre-school, primary school or secondary school) and the school year. In general, there is progress in school libraries due to its normative regulation, the involvement of teachers in charge of libraries in collegiate bodies, the use of digital tools and social networks. However, there is a need to expand the opening hours of the library, to reinforce the collaboration of teachers who coordinate educational projects and to improve the sections and links of the web portals of libraries.On the one hand, these conclusions are intended to serve as a self-assessment to help school librarians to reflect and identify their strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, they show the development of the key actions of school libraries, both their progress and their deficiencies, in relation to the standards established at national and international level.

The paper explores the roles of school libraries in the rebirth of Nigerian Education system with particular focus on Edo state. The strategies employed at Lumen Christi International High School were carefully examined. The paper employed the document analysis and exploratory approach to gather facts for making conclusions. Very prominent among facts gathered from literature were that: there is a decay in the Nigerian Education system; and that school libraries have crucial roles to play in the rebirth of the education system. The paper concluded that for there to be meaningful development in the education system, the school library must be positioned to contribute to the process, and the school librarian must devise strategies to effect a change in the orientation of the students in the primary and secondary schools.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explain how public libraries have been instrumental in early child school literacy teaching and learning. Most African public schools do not usually afford enough core textbooks and supplementary readers.Design/methodology/approachThis was a qualitative case study in Western Kenya amongst public library staff members, public primary school teachers and parents of library children clients. The following questions were addressed: What is the book situation in public primary schools in the study site? What school-type literacy-related services are offered by the sampled public library? and What are library staff members’, teachers’ and parents’ feelings about the public library services offered? Observations, interviews and document studies were used to collect data. Data were analysed thematically.FindingsPublic schools do not have enough core textbooks and the situation is worse for supplementary readers; the public library branch studied offers critical school-type literacies to school children both at the library building as well as at public schools registered with it; and library staff members, teachers, and parents express positive feelings about the services offered.Research limitations/implicationsThis was a case study whose findings might not apply to the larger situation and the study did not confirm actual literacy benefits of the library services amongst school children by, for instance, conducting literacy tests. The findings are, however, an index to the possible situation in the macro context.Practical implicationsThe relevant stakeholders should find ways of co-opting public libraries as associates of public schools in literacy teaching. This relationship is not straight forward in Kenya.Originality/valueThe findings reported are from original research.

Development of libraries in this case focused on elementary school library. The purpose of this study is to determine the condition of the management of primary school libraries in East Jakarta and to obtain information about the strategic development plan for elementary school library in accordance with the standard of school facilities and infrastructure. This study is a survey research using exploratory and descriptive methods. Descriptive method used to analyze the results of questionnaires from respondents about the real conditions of primary school libraries in DKI Jakarta Province in terms of availability of facilities and utilization of library materials and library management. Exploratory method used to analyze the results of interviews from respondents about the development of elementary school library to National Standard of Education. Results of this study are : First, elementary School Library in DKI Jakarta Province has not been managed well. Second, not all state primary school in the provinces of DKI Jakarta has a school library standards. Third, Schools that have a library was not supported by adequate facilities.

Library is an important element in supporting the success of learning activities. Therefore library management should be maximized. The function of the library in general is as a source of learning because in there available various library materials, but the problem is a lot of libraries especially library school of primary school (SD) which management is less than the maximum. Source of data in this research were principal, librarian, teacher, and student. Data collection techniques through observation, interview and documentation. Data analysis was used the method of reduction and tested with the test credibility. This study aims to determine the various obstacles and efforts that make the school library as Iqro’ Center for students primary state of Bangetayu Wetan 02. Iqro' Center is the concept of Islamic library which aims to make the library as a center of student activities in reading and discussion according to QS. Al-'Alaq verses 1-5. The results showed that the biggest obstacle of this library is the absence of librarians so that circulation services are not running. These constraints can be overcome by fulfillment of librarians. In accordance with the results of interviews, to make the school library as Iqro’ Center for business students that need to do is to adjust the library materials to the needs of students, as well as the need for motivation from teachers to build reading interest in students. Therefore, in managing the library should involve teachers and students because they are the library users.

A survey was undertaken on how libraries are supporting information literacy to primary and secondary school students for a successful transition to higher education. Thirty-five librarians were purposively selected and questionnaires were sent and telephone interviews done to understand the opportunities and challenges that are encountered in imparting information literacy skills to students in preparing them for higher education. The results revealed that there are information literacy programmes in group A schools and universities. It was discovered that tertiary institutions do mentorship programmes and train teacher and school librarians on how to offer information literacy sessions. The greatest opportunity was the availability of information communication technologies (ICTs) in most of the schools and the support that is offered by the government towards the use of ICTs in learning. However, the major challenge is there are few online resources that are locally produced. The author recommends the need to produce more local content online for the primary school students.

Several studies have decried the non-existence of functional school libraries in many primary and secondary schools in Nigeria. This inadequacy in school libraries made it extremely difficult for school librarians to foster the culture of reading in students through school library use and reading promotional activities. Moreover, library hours are not included in the school time table in many of the secondary schools in Nigeria. Thus, reading engagement has been on the decline among secondary school students in the country. Despite these challenges, some studies suggested that students will spend more time reading if they have more spare time. Therefore, this study investigated selected secondary school students’ reading engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic school lockdown. It was assumed that the availability of time during the period would motivate students to read since schools were closed and movement was restricted. The study adopted an online survey instrument (Questionnaire) administered to the students over 3-month period (April - June 2020). This instrument was adopted because there was total closure of schools throughout the country, thus the only means students could be reached at the time was through online. The questionnaire was sent to individual students and school online groups. Thus, the study was limited to students with information technology gadgets and online presence. The result revealed that there was no significant difference in the duration of time students spent reading during the lockdown and when school was in session. It also revealed that students read textbooks to prepare for examinations and to keep sound academically.

Information literacy is a critical topic in contemporary pedagogy and information science, it is ranked among the essential competencies for the 21st century, and in recent years, it has received increasing research interest. The problem, however, is that the research is focused mainly on primary and university (college) contexts and only rarely analyses secondary school settings. This paper, therefore, focuses on a group of high school students and on whether the literature's idea of their needs corresponds to their actual needs. Based on the analysis of 32 documents indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, the paper identifies seven significant discursive areas addressed in the literature, both theoretically and empirically. These are the relationship of libraries and librarians to the development of information literacy, information evaluation, the relationship of information literacy and learning competencies, connection with other competencies, emphasis on constructivist approach, the social dimension of information literacy and its possible use for self-actualization. These topics form a specific research discourse, which they set out. In the second phase of the research, focus groups (8 groups in 4 schools, 41 students) on information literacy are studied through the seven essential discourses mentioned. Although our sample lacked reflections on the relationship between the library and high school students, the remaining six fundamental discourses appeared in the testimonies of high school students (Libraries and librarians, evaluation of information, learning competencies, connection with other literacy, constructivist approach, the social dimension of information literacy, information literacy as a means of self-actualization). The findings show that the main difference between literary discourse and student responses is in the perception of libraries as centres of information literacy development and that students prefer the school or their teachers in their place. Keywords: focus groups, information evaluation, information literacy, media literacy, overview study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of international library materials aid in primary schools and to outline obstacles to effective utilization for maximum literacy benefits among primary school children. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered via interviews, observation, focus group discussions and document analyses. Findings Findings indicate that teachers were trained by Kenya National Library Services Kisii Branch staff on basics of library materials management before literacy materials were sent to the schools; teachers and pupils reported that development of vocabulary and better essay writing are some of the benefits of the donated materials; and culturally distanced materials and school dynamics impact negatively on the effective utilization of the donated library resources. Practical implications The authors recommend that donors work hand in hand with the Ministry of Education and other local stakeholders that it may be possible to address obstacles to proper and highly effective implementation of literacy empowerment projects. Originality/value The findings of this study are from original research and the implications must be treated as such.

The school library is not yet a favorite place for elementary school students. Many factors have contributed to this, among other the types of books available, unreliable library time, non-permanent librarians, even the scorn of friends who think of reading in the library as behavior that pretending to diligent. Many factors have contributed to this, such as the types of books available, unreliable library time, non-permanent librarians, even the scorn of friends who think of reading in the library as pretending to be diligent and smart, which cause students to be reluctant to regularly visit the library. Hence, classroom teachers need to reaffirm the library functions and persuade students to visit and utilize facilities in the library. This article presents the evaluation results of students attitude after receiving information about the library described by the classroom teacher. The method used in this study was descriptive study, with fourth-grade students of an elementary primary school as the object, data collection techniques used questionnaires, and data analysis used a single tabulation based on quantitative data. The results showed that students had a better attitude toward school libraries, from the cognitive aspects were such as knowledge, trust, and assessment, and the affective as well as conative aspects. Therefore, it is expected that schools through the classroom teacher can intensively spread information about the function of school libraries, and improve library facilities and services to the students, so they are accustomed to using the library as a first step in forming the love-literacy generation.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate Enriched libraries, established in schools in Turkey in the recent years. In particular, the study intended to investigate how relevant, effective, useful and functional Enriched libraries have been in real life, regarding students’ and teachers’ opinions. The research was conducted in line with the mixed model approach. In other words, both the quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in the research. Quantitative data was gathered from 469 students from one primary school, two secondary schools and two high schools with an enriched library in Giresun/Turkey in 2017-2018 academic year and the qualitative data was obtained from 18 teachers. Two types of data collection tools were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data in the study. Quantitative data of the research was collected from the students through the Z-Library Student Assessment Questionnaire developed by the researcher. The qualitative data of the study were collected from the teachers by the semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher. Quantitative data of the study were analyzed using the SPSS statistical package program. In the analysis of the qualitative data descriptive analysis techniques were used to interpret the data. The results obtained from the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data were evaluated and interpreted together. According to the results of the survey, students and teachers think that they are appropriate, effective, functional and useful in compliance with the purpose of establishing Z-Library; they meet the expectations.

This research aims to know the function of library management to improve the quality of education in junior high schools in Sanggalangi Subdistrict, North Toraja Regency. The method used in this study is the qualitative approach method. In qualitative approaches, the primary data collection tool is a researcher who acts as a full observer of things that concern the management of libraries relating to the quality of education. The data was obtained through observations, interviews, and documentation directly at junior high school in Sanggalangi Subdistrict, North Toraja Regency. Resource persons in this study are principals, librarians, teachers, and supervisors of junior high school in Sanggalangi Subdistrict. Data validation by triangulation is source triangu- lation, technique and time. The results showed that library management in junior high school in Sanggalangi Subdistrict, North Toraja Regency, in general, has shown good things but experienced various obstacles in the field both in terms of infrastructure and from the library staff where the librarians do not have library background. The quality of junior high school education in Sanggalangi Subdistrict, North Toraja Regency, is still limited due to limited human resources and facilities that are not optimal, but in some schools, it has improved. It can be seen that there are students in Sanggalangi Subdistrict who have achievements. The use of the library is very influential on the quality of education because through the library, teachers and students can obtain the knowledge and information needed in the learning process.

The factors which defined what Geological elements and how are being taught in Greek Elementary Schools are not only included in the National Curriculum Programs and in the Textbooks. The very few teaching hours of the subjects in which are included, the poor school-libraries and the absence of specialized training of the Primary schools teaching staff have an important role also. An additional role has the absence of modern thought for the specific problems of the Geological subject matter and the needs of educational process. This study deals with the evaluation and presentation of the Geological subject matter of the textbooks in Primary Education, as it is referred in Geography of the last two years in school. Also, the potentials and perspectives of enriching the Geological matter through the Textbooks "Study of the Environment", which are taught during the first four years of Primary schools are presented. Indicative examples on development and implementation of geological knowledge in practice are suggested, according the principles of Environmental Education, splendidly covering as well, the teaching and learning targets of this subject.

The primary purpose of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)is to promote the use of technology for the sharing of informationbetween libraries and community agencies. To achieve this goal, LSTAfunds are made available to state library agencies, with subgrants topublic, academic, research, school, and special libraries within each state. Secondary goals are to provide extended library services and increased access to information for children and youth within their communities.1

There is a lack of clarity as to the effects of school libraries on children with a non-western background in the Netherlands, an educationally disadvantaged group. Using a longitudinal design involving an experimental and a control school, the present study examined whether an integrated library facility in a Dutch primary school has an effect on the reading attitude and reading behaviour of non-western migrant students ( n = 140). The results showed no statistically significant effect on the degree in which students think reading is fun. On the other hand, over time, students attending the experimental school considered reading more useful than students visiting the control school. With regard to reading behaviour, no statistically significant effect of the school library was found. However, the school library programme was not implemented in the most optimal form, which may have affected the findings. Reading climate at home was found to be an important predictor of both reading attitude and reading behaviour, stressing the importance of parents as partners for school libraries when it comes to reading promotion.

When I first began working with electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs), the conversation in libraries appeared to revolve around open access and publication embargoes. It seemed to me that the primary task for scholarly communication librarians in this area was to broaden access to graduate research while protecting future publication opportunities for individual authors. As graduate students begin to publish earlier in their careers, the relationship between the doctoral dissertation and scholarly publishing is evolving. Many students now include their own previously published work in a dissertation, requiring instruction in publication contracts and copyright transfer agreements at the point of submission to the graduate school.

Objective – To examine the human resources environment in Canadian libraries in order to assess readiness to accommodate change and to identify opportunities for human resources planning. The “8Rs” of the study were defined as recruitment, retirement, retention, remuneration, repatriation, rejuvenation, re-accreditation, and restructuring. Design – This study was undertaken in three phases over nearly three years through the use a variety of methods including literature review, analyses of existing data (Statistics Canada and library school graduate data), telephone interviews (with senior library administrators), focus groups (with representatives from Canadian Association of Research Libraries, Canadian Urban Libraries Council and Alberta Association of Library Technicians), print surveys (library institutions) and web-based surveys (of professional librarians and paraprofessional library staff). Setting – Canadian libraries that are not component branches of a system, and that employ professional librarians. Subjects – Stage I: 17 senior library administrators participated in telephone interviews and three focus groups were conducted. Stage II: Surveyed library administrators representing institutions. A multi-stage stratified random sampling technique was used to ensure geographical representation from each of Canada’s provinces and territories. Full census participation was conducted for members of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries and the Canadian Urban Libraries Council. The print survey instrument was distributed to 1,357 subjects; 461 completed surveys were returned (response rate of 34% with results for the total sample accurate within plus or minus 3.8 per centage points, 95 times out of 100). Stage III: Surveyed professional librarians and paraprofessional staff. Multi-stage random sampling was used to ensure representation of library staff from all library sectors and sufficient sub-sample sizes. Of the 12,472 individuals in the sampling frame, 8,626 were notified of their selection to participate in the web-based survey. Corrections were made to e-mail addresses and 7,569 e-mail invitations with the survey URL were sent successfully. Of the 8,626 potential respondents, 3,148 librarians and paraprofessionals participated (for a response rate of 37%). A non-random Canada-wide call for participation was distributed to library staff who had not been represented in the sampling frame via the listservs of 56 library associations. This provided an additional 1,545 respondents and the total sample size increased to 4,693 for a confidence interval of plus or minus 1.2%, 95 times out of 100. The non-random data from the Canada-wide call was kept in a separate dataset file. Methods – Stage I began with a literature review and analysis of existing Statistics Canada and library school graduate data. Three focus group sessions with representatives from Canadian Association of Research Libraries, Canadian Urban Libraries Council and Alberta Association of Library Technicians were held and in-depth telephone interviews were conducted in May 2003 with 17 senior library administrators. Transcripts were thematically coded and summarised. The interview guide is available as Appendix E of the report. The results of Stage I were used to inform the design of the two survey instruments (Stages II and III). Stage II was a 17-page print survey informed by insights gathered in Stage I and was sent to library directors in the summer of 2003. The print mail-out of the institutional survey was sent to libraries that employed at least one librarian and were not a component branch of another system. A copy of the institutional survey is available as Appendix C of the report. Stage III was a web-based survey of librarians and paraprofessional library staff undertaken in the summer of 2004 using random and non-random sampling methods. This survey was developed from insights gathered in Stages I and II. A copy of the individual survey is available as Appendix D of the report. Main results – The analytical focus of the 275-page report is on the broad Canadian library sector. Data and analysis are provided by type of library, type of staff, and by geographical regions where sufficient response rates have allowed reporting. Although the role of the paraprofessional is examined in many sections of the report, the principal focus is on the professional librarian. Nine sections of the report present results, analysis and strategic human resource planning implications. Highlights for the broad Canadian library environment are briefly described below. Each section of the report provides further breakdown by library sector, type of position, career stage and other variables that provide significant insight. Workplace Demographic Characteristics (Section C) This section provides demographic information about those in supervisory or management roles (62% of librarians), union density (67% of librarians and 79% of paraprofessional staff), longevity in career, part-time employment, and gender, along with other characteristics. Results conclude that visible minorities and Aboriginal staff are under-represented across all types of libraries and that few libraries recognise the credentials of immigrant librarians. Recruitment to the Profession and to the Organization (Section D) Positive exposure to libraries and librarians is the best predictor of librarianship as a career choice and there were no significant differences in the original motivations for choosing the professional librarian career between new professionals and senior librarians. In response to the open-ended question about motivation for choosing librarianship, none of the librarian respondents (n=1,823) indicated leadership, managing libraries or supervising others as their reason (p. 52). Many respondents indicated reasons for choosing the profession that are in alignment with the values of librarianship, but few indicated reasons that reflect the real nature of the librarians’ role. The average age of new librarian recruits is 37 (with little variation between sectors). Thirty per cent of paraprofessionals are interested in pursuing an MLIS degree; 29 per cent are not interested because they are satisfied with their current role. The major barriers for paraprofessionals wishing to pursue the MLIS degree are inadequate or unrecognised credentials (21% - although 45% of paraprofessionals have an undergraduate degree), geographic distance (33%), lack of money (48%), and lack of time (49%). Eighty per cent of libraries report that the major barrier to recruiting is budget constraints; other barriers include small size of library (60%), organizational hiring freeze (54%), inadequate librarian pay (54%), geographic location (52%), inadequate pool of qualified candidates (51%), and inadequate pool of interested candidates (50%). The ten most important and difficult-to-fill competencies when recruiting varied significantly for each sector: leadership potential, ability to respond flexibly to change, and ability to handle high-volume workload were the three highest-ranked competencies across all libraries. Retirement (Section E) Canadian libraries experienced librarian retirements (11% of total current workforce) and paraprofessional retirements (7% of total current workforce) between 1997 and 2002. During this period, 79 per cent of librarians retired before age 65. Forty per cent of librarians over age 50 estimate that they will retire between 55 and 60. Only 9 per cent of libraries have a succession plan. Staff Retention: Inter- and Intra-organizational Mobility (Section F) Librarians are satisfied with their work and stay in their organization because they like the job (85%), co-workers (84%), and workplace (79%). Seventy-seven per cent of senior librarians and 87% of senior paraprofessionals have been at their current library for more than 10 years. Sixty-nine per cent of librarians believe they are qualified to move to higher level positions, but 69% of institutions state that limited librarian turnover contributes to a lack of promotional opportunities. Education (Section G) Seventy-five per cent library administrators agree that MLIS programs equip graduates with needed competencies, but 58% recommended that the programs provide more management, business and leadership training. Seventy-six per cent of administrators believe that they have little or no input into curriculum content of MLIS programs. Overall evaluation of MLIS education by recent librarian entrants is not positive. Only forty-four per cent indicated that the program provided a realistic depiction of the job, while only 36% said the program provided a realistic expectation of work in their library sector. Recent librarian entrants (67%) were satisfied with the overall quality of their MLIS program, but few indicated that their program provided them with the necessary management skills (25%), leadership skills (20%), or business skills (12%) for their position. Recent library technician entrants were more satisfied (81%) with their programs’ success in providing general skills (87%), and providing a realistic depiction of the job (72%). Continuing Education (Section H) New librarians (72%) need a significant amount of ongoing training, but only 56% believe that their institution provides sufficient training opportunities. Only 30% of libraries have a routine method for determining training needs of librarians and fewer (13 %) have an evaluation method for training outcomes. In most cases, about half of those who received training reported that it improved their job performance. Quality of Work and Job Satisfaction (Section I) Librarians and paraprofessionals are satisfied with their jobs (79% for each) and librarians (72%) and paraprofessionals (61%) agree that their salary is fair. Most libraries offer a wide range of benefits to their employees, including life insurance (95%), pension plan (92%), and medical benefits (88%). Librarians (80%) and paraprofessionals (70%) are satisfied with their benefits. Although a low percentage of librarians agreed that they have little job stress (24%) and only 39% found their workload to be manageable, 62% of librarians agree that their work allows work, family and personal life balance. The statistics are slightly more positive for paraprofessionals. There is a gap between the desire to be treated with respect (98% for all workers) and the perception that respect is conveyed (77% of librarians and 75% of paraprofessionals). A similar gap exists between desire to be involved in decision-making and actual involvement. The two most important factors for job satisfaction for all library workers are respectful treatment and a job that allows them to learn new skills and grow. Numerical Librarian Demand-Supply Match (Section J) Libraries hired more librarians than they lost in 2002, for a net three per cent increase. Many library administrators believe that there will be a five-year increased demand for librarians (77%) and paraprofessionals (81%). The short-term supply (next 5 years) of new librarians to replace departures due to retirements is predicted to have the capacity to fill 98 per cent of the current librarian positions; the capacity to replace library technicians is 99 per cent. The long-term supply (next 10 years) of new librarians to replace departures due to retirements is predicted to have the capacity to fill 89 per cent of the current librarian positions; the capacity to fill technician positions is identical. These predictions are based on no growth in the number of positions in the future. Match Between Organizational Job Function Demand and Individual Staff Supply of Skills, Abilities, Talents, Interests (Section K) Libraries report that increased use of information technologies (87%) and re-engineering (61%) have contributed the greatest change in the roles of librarians. Libraries report that more librarians have been required to perform a wider variety of tasks in the past five years (93%) and that this trend will continue over the coming five years (94%). A high percentage of libraries (86%) reported that over the past five years librarians have been expected to perform more management functions and 56% of mid-career and senior librarians believed this had occurred. Libraries (88%) believe that this trend will continue; only 44% of librarians indicate interest in performing management functions. Mid-career and senior librarians report that job stress has increased over five years ago. Requirements to work harder (55%), perform more difficult tasks (56%), perform a wider variety of tasks (69%), and perform more managerial functions (56%) are the contributing factors. The performance of a wider variety of tasks and more difficult tasks was significantly related to the assessment by librarians that their jobs were more enjoyable, interesting, rewarding and challenging. Institutions (78%) reported the increased need for paraprofessionals to perform librarian tasks over the past five years and believe that this will continue (77%). Only 28% of paraprofessionals believe they are currently required to perform more librarian tasks. Conclusion – The need to confirm the existence and magnitude of the crisis that will be created by upcoming retirements in Canadian libraries was a primary motivator for this study. Conclusive results were obtained that should inform each sector and geographic area in Canada. The percentages of staff over the age of 55 (librarians: 25%; paraprofessionals: 21%) is much greater than that of the Canadian workforce (11%). If there is no growth in the number of positions needed, there will be no short-term supply-demand crisis to fill the gaps left by retirements. There will be a librarian and technician shortage in ten years (a shortfall of 11% of the current supply) and a more significant crisis if the predicted growth in staffing is factored in. Recruitment to the librarian and technician professions is critical and the paraprofessional staff may be a potential pool of future MLIS candidates if the accessibility issues associated with the programs are addressed. Only nine per cent of organizations have a succession plan in place. There is great opportunity for the development of strategic solutions. In response to the open-ended question about motivation for choosing librarianship, no respondent indicated leadership, managing libraries or supervising others as their reason. This is of concern when 62% of librarians today work in a managerial role. Management and leadership skills are a significant concern for recent graduates, administrators, and librarians, with all indicating that the workplace needs are greater than the current preparedness. More cooperation with MLIS programs and professional associations is essential to ensure that leadership and management skill development are supported through the curricula and continuing education planning. Organizations must also develop and support a culture where leadership is encouraged and expected, and recognised. There is a need for further development of continuing education opportunities, and training needs assessment and outcome assessment programs may be beneficial. Paraprofessionals and new librarians are less satisfied with the workplace training opportunities available to them than librarians in later stages of their careers. Role change will continue in libraries and planning will be essential to ensure that restructuring reflects the competencies that will be needed in the new mix. Workload and job stress appear to be rising and will require careful monitoring. There may be opportunity to define roles for “other” professionals in libraries. Library staff have a tendency to stay in their institution for much of their career, making decisions in the recruitment and hiring processes of critical importance. Loss of employees due to turnover is not a problem for most libraries, but the lack of turnover has affected the promotional opportunities for those who desire upward mobility. An interesting recommendation was made that two or more libraries may realise both cost savings and benefits through the sharing of staffing resources. If issues surrounding credentials can be addressed, there may be a potential pool of future immigrant librarians.

Information literacy is a skill needed to search, analyze and utilize information. So that information literacy is a very important ability that is owned by a person, especially in the world of education, in this case elementary school teachers because at this time all people are faced with various types of information resources that are developing very rapidly, but not necessarily all the information that is available and created can be trusted and in accordance with the information needs of information seekers. Based on direct observations made by the team proposing the Community Partnership Program (PKM) in partner primary schools found data and information that the information literacy skills of elementary school teachers are still below the standards of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). This information literacy standard lists a number of abilities used in determining a person's ability to understandinformation. Seeing the problem of information literacy ability of partner elementary school teachers is still below the ACRL standard, the proposer team will utilize multimedia as one solution to improve information literacy skills of partner primary school teachers. The advantage of using multimedia the most prominent is interactivity which means that this media inherently forces users to interact with the material. This interaction varies from the simplest to the complex. This program will be implemented for elementary school teachers in Aceh Besar District. The objectives of this program are (1) through this mentoring activity it is believed that it can increase the repertoire of knowledge of primary school teachers regarding information literacy capacity building programs, (2) Through mentoring activities will improve elementary school teacher information literacy skills based on the standards of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) through multimedia utilization. (3) Develop the skills of elementary school teachers in designing simple information literacy media that are easy to make and applicable to the learning presented. Abstrak Literasi informasi merupakan suatu keterampilan yang diperlukan untuk mencari, menganalisis dan memanfaatkan informasi. Sehingga literasi informasi merupakan kemampuan yang sangat penting dimiliki seseorang terutama pada dunia pendidikan, dalam hal ini guru sekolah dasar karena pada saat ini semua orang dihadapkan dengan berbagai jenis sumber informasi yang berkembang sangat pesat, namun belum tentu semua informasi yang ada dan diciptakan tersebut dapat dipercaya dan sesuai dengan kebutuhan informasi para pencari informasi. Berdasarkan observasi secara langsung yang dilakukan oleh tim pengusul Program Kemitraan Masyarakat (PKM) pada sekolah dasar mitra ditemukan data dan informasi bahwa kemampuan literasi informasi guru sekolah dasar masih dibawah standar Association Of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). Standar literasi informasi ini berisi daftar sejumlah kemampuan yang digunakan dalam menentukan kemampuan seseorang dalam memahami informasi. Melihat permasalahan kemampuan literasi informasi guru sekolah dasar mitra masih dibawah standar ACRL tersebut, maka tim pengusul akan memanfaatkan multimedia sebagai salah satu solusi untuk meningkatkan kemampuan literasi informasi guru sekolah dasar mitra. Keunggulan dari pemanfaatan multimedia yang paling menonjol adalah interaktivitas yang artinya media ini secara inheren memaksa pengguna untuk berinteraksi dengan materi. Interaksi ini bervariasi dari yang paling sederhana hingga yang kompleks. Program ini akan dilaksanakan pada guru sekolah dasar di Kabupaten Aceh Besar. Adapun tujuan dari program ini adalah (1) Melalui kegiatan pendampingan ini diyakni dapat menambah khasanah pengetahuan guru sekolah dasar mengenai program peningkatan kemampuan literasi informasi, (2) Melalui kegiatan pendampingan akan meningkatkan kemampuan literasi informasi guru sekolah dasar berdasarkan standar Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) melalui pemanfaatan multimedia. (3) Mengembangkan keterampilan guru sekolah dasar dalam mendesain media literasi infromasi sederhana yang mudah dibuat dan aplikatif dengan pembelajaran yang disajikan. Kata Kunci: Literasi Informasi, Standar ACRL, Multimedia

Paper presented to the Special Libraries Association, 83rd Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA., on June 9 1992. Focuses on understanding cultural differences and school learning in minority groups from a comparative perspective. Looks at conventional explanations as to why some groups adapt better than others. Defines and emphasizes the need to recognize the different types of minorities, i.e. autonomous, immigrant or voluntary minorities and non-immigrant or involuntary minorities. Explores primary cultural differences existing before immigrants arrived in United States and secondary cultural differences arising after a group has become a minority. Concludes that, generally, immigrant minorities tend to be more successful in school than involuntary minorities but that both types of minorities can benefit from additional help in school to manage their different cultural problems. Recognizing these differences is the key to better school adjustment and performance.

Abstract Clean water provision remains a serious problem in low- and middle-income countries. In 2017, about 30% of the world population relied on unimproved water sources located outside of the dwellings. Often women and children are occupied in fetching water. This situation increases the prevalence of water-related diseases such as diarrhoea and reduces children's study time. School attendance may decrease due to the combined effects of diarrhoea and time spent on fetching water. We investigate the effects on school absenteeism and primary school enrolment in Indonesia, using a panel data set for 295 districts over the period 1994–2014. Districts with higher diarrhoea prevalence are found to have lower school enrolment (B: −0.202, sig p < 0.01) and higher school absenteeism (B: 2.334, sig p < 0.001). Districts where more households have access to private water facilities have higher school enrolment (B: 0.025, sig p < 0.01) and lower school absenteeism (B: −0.027, sig p < 0.01). More use of piped and bottled water in a district is associated with a lower diarrhoea prevalence (B: −0.004, sig p < 0.05). Policy-makers should take the benefits of improved water supply into account when making cost–benefit analyses regarding investments in water infrastructure. This article has been made Open Access thanks to the generous support of a global network of libraries as part of the Knowledge Unlatched Select initiative.

This paper aims to explain the development of promotional products in Library elementaryMuhammadiyah Condongcatur, through the creation of library bulletins.In this study, the authors aim to explain the six stages in the implementation of thisprogram: 1) analyze user needs, 2) build partnerships, 3) develop activities and resources,4) implementation of promotion, 4) evaluation. The results of this study isa bulletin product that can be used as a library promotion tool and as an activity toincrease interest in reading and writing for all school civitas. The program in this studyneeds to be addressed as there are many other elementary school libraries to developpromotion at the primary school level.

To address the shortfall of the outcome system of education (8-4-4) that is currently underway and to improve quality of education by making it more relevant to the need of the society, the Kenyan government embarked on yet another educational reform. This was the implementation of the competence-based curriculum which was rolled out in January, 2019 in pre- primary and lower primary levels of basic education. The purpose of this study was to assess the capacity to implement competence-based-curriculum by Isiolo County Primary Schools. Descriptive research design was employed. The study sample comprised of 48 head teachers, 48 pre-school teachers, 13 parents with children in lower primary who were picked using snowballing, and 2 Ministry of education and County education officials who were picked using convenient sampling. Questionnaire and interview were the main tool used for data collection. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis for qualitative data. The findings of the study revealed that the teaching and learning materials are not adequate, the learning environment is not appropriate, inadequate teachers for competence-based curriculum delivery. Whilst most of the schools are connected to electricity, the schools had no computer labs, computers or libraries, which are key resource in the delivery of the competence-based curriculum. The study further revealed that the pre-school teachers are still ill-equipped to implement the new curriculum despite being trained and lacked computer skills. Majority of parents are also not sensitized on the content and their role in competence-based curriculum implementation hence not able to contribute positively. The study recommends provision of adequate learning and teaching materials, improvement of learning infrastructure, recruitment of additional teachers, enhancement of capacity of pre-school teachers through further training on CBC as well as computer skills, sensitization of parents as well as provision of additional finances to schools to ensure successful implementation of competence-based-curriculum.

Purpose To design effective task-responsive search systems, sufficient understanding of users’ tasks must be gained and their characteristics described. Although existing multi-dimensional task schemes can be used to describe users’ search and work tasks, they do not take into account the information use environment (IUE) that contextualises the task. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach With a focus on English primary schools, in four stages a multi-dimensional task scheme was developed that distinguishes between task characteristics generic to all environments, and those that are specific to schools. In Stage 1, a provisional scheme was developed based upon the existing literature. In the next two stages, through interviews with teachers and observations of school children, the provisional scheme was populated and revised. In Stage 4, whether search tasks with the same information use can be distinguished by their characteristics was examined. Findings Ten generic characteristics were identified (nature of work task, search task originator, search task flexibility, search task doer, search task necessity, task output, search goal, stage in work task, resources and information use) and four characteristics specific to primary schools (curricular area, use in curricular area, planning and location). For the different information uses, some characteristics are more typical than others. Practical implications The resulting scheme, based on children’s real-life information seeking, should be used in the design and evaluation of search systems and digital libraries that support school children. More generally, the scheme can also be used in other environments. Originality/value This is the first study to develop a multi-dimensional task scheme that considers encompasses the IUE.

The state of Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil, following the international guidelines and models related to implementation, dissemination and improvements of primary education, undertook, between the end of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century, initiatives that responded to the need for the construction of school facilities. The objective of this paper is to analyze the ideas and actions that marked the continuities and the transformations related to government intervention in school spaces. For this purpose we will use a model of a school building, from 1883; a standard design project, from 1899; a model of an agricultural school, from 1919; and a competition for school constructions, from 1928. The documentary research, of a historiographical character, uses as primary sources the reports by the Direction of Public Instruction and Public Works of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. The paper shows the permanence throughout these decades of certain aspects, especially those concerning the need for tax revenue to pay for the building of schools, their location in the cities and villages, hygienist issues, the teachers' places of residence, and the graded school system. Among the main transformations, we highlight the design of cornerless, adaptable rooms; mixed classes; rooms for different activities, such as museums, laboratories, administrative rooms, libraries, and spaces for school movie theaters and radio stations. These new state prescriptions were partially aligned with the New School principles, which were introduced in Brazil especially throughout the decade of 1920; in keeping with this movement, it was thought that the design of school spaces should consider the central role that children would play in the educational process, taking into account their needs and curiosities.

This paper reports on the success and suitability of a Western-donated school library in furthering literacy and reader development in Malawi. A qualitative, case study approach was taken using semi-structured interviews with teachers and a library assistant at a primary school in Malawi. The research reveals positive attitudes towards reading and literacy in a predominantly oral culture. Limitations include a lack of attention to reader development and inappropriateness of materials for the local context. The study reveals that the book donation model commonly supported by international donors and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) falls short in its ability to contribute to global literacy and education targets. Recommendations to improve impact are given. This research is original in representing the voices of school teachers in the debate over the suitability of libraries and the overseas book donation model to the sub-Saharan African context.

A Review of: Rabina, D. L., & Walczyk, D. J. (2007). Information professionals’ attitude toward the adoption of innovations in everyday life. Information Research, 12(4), 1-15. Objective – This study examined the general characteristics and patterns of librarians in connection with their willingness to adopt information and communication technologies. Design – Online questionnaire. Setting – General distribution to information professionals through online inquiry. More than 70% of responders worked in public or academic libraries. Subjects – Librarians and library staff at mostly public and academic libraries. Methods – The study was conducted during a two week period in April 2006 through an online questionnaire that was sent to library and librarian-related electronic mail lists. The questionnaire was divided into two parts and contained a total of 39 questions. Part one contained eight questions that asked for demographic data and the respondent’s daily attitude toward the adoption of information and communication technologies. Questions regarding age, number of years worked in a library, career, type of library environment worked in, and primary responsibilities within that environment were asked. For one question the respondents were asked to identify which of the categories they fall under when adopting a new technology. The results from part one were used to consider the innovativeness of librarians. The results from part two were used for a study of opinions on innovations and their relative advantage. Main Results – A total of 1,417 responses were received. Of those, 1,128 were fully completed and considered valid and used for inquiry. The majority of respondents worked in public or academic libraries. Nine hundred and twenty-six respondents, or 88%, were from the U.S. and represented more than 300 distinct zip codes. Two hundred and two respondents, or 12%, were international respondents. This study notes that the sociologist, Everett Rogers, identified and defined five adopter categories in 1958. Those categories are: innovators, early adapters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. The findings of this study indicate that regardless of the demographic variables considered, more than 60% of respondents, the majority of librarians surveyed, fall into two contrasting adapter categories: early adopters and early majority. The study suggests that the efficient and effective diffusion of new technologies in library settings may be difficult. Three problematic areas among librarians for the dissemination of innovation were identified: conflicting opinions among multiple opinion leaders, deceleration in the rate of adoption, and improper re-invention. The findings of the study also suggest that “contrary to common beliefs, librarians in academic or special libraries are no more innovative than public or school librarians” (Conclusion, ¶3). Conclusion – The study concludes that librarians’ attitudes are unevenly distributed with most either accepting new innovations or being late adopters. The variables of age, role, tenure, and library type had little impact on the approach of the professional toward innovation. The identification of the three problem areas: opinion leadership, deceleration of adoption, and improper re-invention, represents where more time and effort may need to be spent to make the implementation of new technology a smoother process.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe a seven stage community engagement process to develop and disseminate community uptake strategies which encouraged cybersafety as part of a positive transition from primary to secondary school among Australian young people. Design/methodology/approach The combined principles from socio-ecological models, community development models and student participation models formed the foundation for the strategies. Resources were developed for all members of the community – students, parents, teachers and the broader community. The methods included: the formation of a steering committee and a Youth Advisory Board; review of the current literature; development of online resources; a youth resource development activity; development of youth resources; translation of resources into health promotion initiatives; and the dissemination of resources at community events and facilities such as schools, libraries and recreation centres and through print and social media. Findings Community engagement strategies – in particular a partnership between a Western Australian university and local government body, the steering committee consisting of local organisations, and the student advisory board – were used to successfully design and promote resources developed by young people for young people. Originality/value This study utilises a community-level approach to develop resources to encourage cybersafety and a positive transition from primary to secondary school.

This research sought to find out the influence of appropriate physical resources on retention of pupils with disabilities in mainstreamed Primary Schools in Bomet County, Kenya. The challenge this study sought to address was low retention of Pupils with Disabilities (PWDs) in mainstreamed schools. This study was embedded in Systems Theory by Von Bertalanffy (1968). It adopted a survey research design. The target population was 840 teachers. Yamane formula was employed to get a sample size of 271 teachers. Multi-stage sampling procedure was applied. The findings of the study revealed that appropriate physical resources significantly influenced the retention of PWDs by = 19.2% (p<0.05). The study also reports a positive and statistically significant relationship between physical resources and retention of pupils with disabilities (r = 0.828, p<0.05). The study concludes that the supply of appropriate resources remains a major factor that promotes retention of pupils with disabilities. This means that when appropriate physical resources are provided to pupils with disabilities, their retention of pupils with disabilities in mainstreamed schools improve. However, a lack of these resources has been proven through the findings of this research that they cause drop out of PWDs from their schools. The study recommended that appropriate physical resources such as classrooms, toilets, dining halls, dormitories, laboratories and libraries in order to promote retention of pupils with disabilities be provided by school administrators.

The present article, part of the project “Reading habits in international contexts of secondary school students. A study of educational practices for the promotion of reading” (PR2018057), reports the results of an exploratory-observational scope research extracted from that context. The main objective is to evidence research hypotheses on the training needs of reading teachers. It investigates some areas of the reading habits of Chilean, Polish and Portuguese adolescents who are in transition between primary and secondary school. There are common and divergent patterns in the answers to a questionnaire that delves into motivational and teaching aspects linked to reading education: leisure reading habits, the provenance of the books students read and the use of libraries, the hierarchization of the importance of reading, the strategies of teachers who train reading skills and also the initiatives to promote reading in schools, and their participation. In the light of results obtained, paths of educational and didactic research are proposed that allow to add value to the role of teachers as mediators of reading in the three national contexts that are part of the analysis.

AbstrakPerpustakaan merupakan salah satu akses untuk mencari informasi, terutama perpustakaan sekolah yang sangat penting bagi guru dan siswa untuk mencari sumber informasi dari bahan pustaka yang tersedia di perpustakaan sekolah. Produk utama perpustakaan adalah informasi. Perpustakaan sangatlah dibutuhkan bagi setiap sekolah dasar supaya dapat membantu penyelesaian masalah bagi siswa/i maupun dewan guru. Metode Weighted Product dapat membantu pengambilan keputusan dalam perangkingan sekolah dasar calon penerima bantuan perpustakaan. Penelitian dilakukan dengan cara mencari bobot setiap atribut, kemudian dilakukan proses perangkingan sekolah dasar yang akan menerima bantuan perpustakaan. Dalam penentuan perangkingan sekolah dasar calon penerima perpustakaan diperlukan kriteria-kriteria, yaitu : Jumlah Buku, Jumlah Judul Buku, Kondisi Buku, Frekwensi Layanan, Daya Minat Baca Siswa/i, Koleksi Perpustakaan. Hasil yang dicapai sistem pengambilan keputusan menghasilkan 7 alternatif rekomendasi sekolah dasar yang disarankan, dengan 3 nilai alternatif tertinggi yaitu: SDN 1 Sendang Agung, SDN 5 Sendang Mulyo, SDN 1 Sendang Mulyo. Kata Kunci : Perpustakaan, SPK, Sekolah Dasar, Weighted Product, Bantuan AbstractThe library is one of access to seek information, especially the school library which is very important for teachers and students to find the source of information from library materials available in the school library. The main product of the library is information. Libraries are urgently needed for every elementary school anywhere to help solve problems for students and teachers. The Weighted Product method can help decision making in primary school rankings of potential beneficiaries of library assistance. Research is done by finding the weight of each attribute, then done the primary school ranking process that will receive library assistance. In determining the ranking of primary school candidates the required criteria, that is: Number of Books, Number of Book Titles, Book Condition, Frequency of Service, Interest Reading of Students, Library Collection. The results of the decision making system resulted in 7 alternative recommended of primary school, with 3 highest alternative values that is: SDN 1 Sendang Agung, SDN 5 Sendang Mulyo, SDN 1 Sendang Mulyo. Keywords : Library, Decision Making System, Primary School, Weighted Product Method.

The present study aims at investigating whether the incentives and awards in digital libraries have an impact on private primary school students’ reading motivation in foreign language classrooms. A quantitative research methodology was chosen in order to collect numerical data to reveal the extent of incentives and awards features such as star system, gamified rewards, certificates and badges in digital library on students’ reading attitudes. A questionnaire was designed by the researcher for the purpose. Later, the attitudes of the students towards incentives and rewards and the number of the books that students have read were correlated to investigate whether there is a relationship between them. The sample of the study comprised of 41 grade 5 students from two private primary schools in Erbil (Iraq, KRG). The obtained data analysis was performed through SPSS 25 statistical software. The findings reveal that the incentives and rewards in digital library system positively influence the students’ attitudes towards reading. Furthermore, the number of the books that the students read in 2019-2020 academic year, and the effect of the incentives and rewards on students’ reading motivation are correlated significantly. This research might be beneficial for language teachers to see how students can be motivated to read and enhance their reading skills utilizing technological tools, also for curriculum designers to consider the effectiveness of digital library on students’ reading skill development. Key words: awards, digital library, foreign language classrooms, incentives, reading attitudes, reading motivation

At the beginning of the twentieth century about one in twenty American teenagers graduated from high school; by mid century over half of them did so; and today six of seven do. Along with this expansion in graduation, the experiences of high schooling became more significant. Though diversity existed at the school level, by the interwar period most high schools offered courses in “higher” academic subjects (literature, mathematics, and ancient and foreign languages), while they gave large numbers of students a chance to practice music, drama, and other fine arts. Business leaders and educators developed programs in technical-skill training. Courses in household economics, personal hygiene, and sex and reproduction appeared as well. A few schools operated with two shifts: day and night Many maximized their capacity by rotating students between newly constructed gymnasiums, stadiums, fields, swimming pools, showers, cafeterias, laundries, machine shops, laboratories, performance halls, and libraries. Some provided up-to-date diagnostic and preventative medical and psychological services. Others developed vocational guidance. Nearly all established relationships with juvenile justice and youth custody agencies. More than any other institution, the increasingly comprehensive high schools of the twentieth-century redefined the social lives of American youths through teams, clubs, bands, and groups engaged in a long list of contests, games, performances, and other events. Early in the century extracurricular activities began to rival formal class work as the primary focus of secondary schooling. Today there is a joke told from Ohio to Texas, funny for its sad truth. Q: How do you pass a school levy? A: Put football on the chopping-block.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that library staff can develop their own mobile app without having significant technology experience by using existing, easily accessible low-cost programs. Smart phones and tablets are here to stay. Libraries need to embrace this trend by developing mobile apps to encourage reading and provide access to resources that are safe and educational. It is about putting technology at the service of reading. Susan Boller and Marie-Pierre Preece, librarians at Les Marronniers Primary School at the International School of Geneva, received wide recognition when they were awarded the 2016 ALA Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects for their mobile application “Marronniers Library”. Design/methodology/approach The search to develop a mobile application was challenging. “The process was long and complex, as we had a very small budget and no particular expertise in information technology”. While researching the best way to develop an app for her library, Susan Boller explored a wide range of options with differing costs ranging from a few hundred dollars to over $20,000 (for a custom-built app). Findings It is feasible for a school library with limited resources to develop its own mobile application. The library staff can develop such an app without having significant technology experience by using existing easily accessible low-cost programs. Developing and maintaining such an app do not require specialist IT knowledge, and these can be done internally by people interested in technology. The app is good value. The annual cost, excluding subscriptions to databases, is approximately $400. Such an app is well sustainable. The chosen platform is flexible and allows the content to be continuously maintained and updated internally at any moment without additional cost. Originality/value Having been awarded the 2016 ALA Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects demonstrates the originality of the author's “Marronniers Library” mobile application. It is, to the best of the author's knowledge, the only one of its kind in a primary school library.

A Review of: Williams, Dorothy and Louisa Coles. “Evidence-Based Practice in Teaching: An Information Perspective.” Journal of Documentation 63.6 (2007): 812-35. Objective – The objective of the study was to explore how teachers in the United Kingdom use research literature to inform their practice. Special emphasis was given to the effect of the teachers’ information literacy and their level of ready access to research information. Design – This study was primarily a qualitative study utilizing mixed methods, including individual interviews, focus groups (“literature review groups”), and an online discussion forum. Qualitative data was supplemented by a questionnaire survey. Setting – The qualitative portions of the study took place in the United Kingdom across five education authorities; however, it is unclear where these authorities were geographically. The survey was distributed across Scotland, England, and Wales. The study was conducted during 2002 to 2003. Subjects – Nursery, primary, and secondary teachers, school librarians, school library systems, and education authority advisors (EA) in the United Kingdom. Methods – The 28 interviews (54% primary teachers, 39% secondary teachers, 7% special education) and four focus groups (each with three to five participants; 15 participants in total, including teachers at various levels from primary, secondary, and nursery schools) were conducted with volunteers from a random sample across five education authorities. Recruitment was done by sending written materials to schools. Those interviewed represented five authorities. Focus groups were conducted in just four authorities. It is not clear when the individual and group interviews were conducted (time of day and year). Volunteers were given the option to receive funding for a substitute teacher in order to participate, though none took advantage of this offer. The interview process used a vignette technique to elicit teachers’ attitudes to a situation in a non-threatening way. Interviewees were asked to comment on two situations that might make them seek information. One was adding a new subject or new aspect of an existing subject into the classroom. The second dealt with a “new pedagogical challenge.” Though the topics of the vignettes were provided, the exact way the topics were presented was not. They were asked how they would advise another teacher in these situations then relate their thoughts to a real situation they had faced. Interviews were about one hour in length. Twenty-five of the 28 interviews were taped and transcribed verbatim. Extensive notes were made for the other three. Transcripts and notes were analyzed using QSR N4 Classic content analysis software. Themes related to information literacy and information seeking, including barriers, were noted. Four literature response groups were given examples of research information (journal articles, reports, etc) related to information computer technology (ICT) and class size. Each topic had information from various evidence levels and included both print and electronic format. Again, the discussion topics were provided in the article, but the exact way the topics were presented was not. Over 2 to 2.5 hours, teachers read the materials, made notes, and discussed the information as a group. For the ICT information, groups were asked to discuss presentation of the information. For the class size information, groups were asked to discuss content of the materials. Discussions were transcribed verbatim and analyzed with the content analysis software. A total of 3899 questionnaire surveys were distributed to teachers (3000), head teachers (500), school librarians (250), education authority advisors (100), and school library systems (49). Response rate was exceptionally low in the teacher and head teacher categories, with only 10.9% of teachers and 15.6% of head teachers responding. Response rates in other categories ranged from 31.2% to 55%, with the highest response rates from education authorities and school library systems. The survey served to gain an understanding of attitudes about using research in practice across a broad spectrum of stakeholders. The survey instrument itself, which was not provided in the article, was piloted prior to the study, but there is no mention of reliability or validity analysis. To supplement study data, participants who had stated they would be interested in participating in an online discussion were sent preliminary findings and asked to comment on themes using the online discussion forum. Only 21 posts were gathered using this method. Overall, the methods used in this study are appropriate for the questions that were posed in the article. Qualitative studies are useful for gathering data where little is known and where more data would help identify possibly hypotheses for further study. Main Results – Teachers in this study relied on a small set of resources and preferred what was readily available at their own school. These teachers most frequently used colleagues, in-service events, the Internet, newspapers, and reports typically found in schools as sources of information. Sources that information professionals would consider quality evidence were rarely mentioned. These teachers also tended to prefer sources that present information in a practical context. Not surprisingly, time was identified as a major barrier to accessing research information in addition to limited access to resources. The Internet was identified as the preferred point of access, citing ease of use, speed, and convenience as the reasons for this preference. Comments suggested a preference for synthesized information sources. Teachers indicated they felt the responsibility for disseminating research information fell on head teachers and EA. They also noted that access to information from their own school library was a problem. They felt librarians and libraries in schools were meant for students, not for teachers, and also expressed that school libraries typically did not provide access to research. Comments suggested that the structure of teaching in a classroom itself does not allow teachers to use information as is needed for evidence-based practice. There were concerns expressed about lack of school library funding available to supply research evidence needed by teachers. School librarians and school library services respondents did indicate that they provide a broad range of services aimed at teachers, such as alerts to literature, information skills training, and advice on resources. However, their sources of research for teachers were limited in nature. Librarians indicated that teachers did not ask for research information, but if demand were there, they could respond accordingly. Teacher comments suggest that librarians might want to consider being more proactive in distributing information. Though teachers expressed high confidence in their abilities to find information, comments about search habits and practices contradicted this. Most remarks suggested searching techniques that were not sophisticated or showing higher levels of information literacy competency. The respondents were concerned with evaluating the quality of information sources but found this appraisal to be more difficult if the authors did not explain the impact or change in practice that should come from the findings. The participants in this study were likely biased toward using research information more than other teachers. This is an important limitation that the authors do address. Additionally, the response rate for the survey was quite low for the teacher subset. Despite this limitation, data from the questionnaire was used appropriately to confirm and clarify data from the qualitative portions of the study. Conclusion – In order for teachers to appreciate the value of quality research evidence enough to regularly seek it out and place it into practice, a culture of evidence based practice must be embraced and supported by their school authorities. This study indicates significant potential for school librarians and systems to support this culture through proactive dissemination of research, provision of local access to materials, and education related to information literacy. School librarians must evolve from their typical student-centric role to accomplish this.

A Review of: Maynard, S., Mackay, S., & Smyth, F. (2008). A survey of young people's reading in England: Borrowing and choosing books. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 40(4), 239-253. Objective – To analyze factors affecting book choice: reading recommendations, reasons for choosing series books, book reviews, and school libraries. Design – This secondary analysis of data is based on a selection of findings from a larger 2005 survey that monitored trends in youth reading habits. The large scale 2005 study was designed as a follow up to a 1996 survey. The 2005 survey used online questionnaires and formal statistical analysis to compare gender and age groups. The data on factors affecting book choice were derived from the original questions, responses, and analyses. Setting – Questionnaires were administered in 22 primary and 24 secondary schools in the UK with access to computers and internet. Subjects – Almost 4,200 students from 4 to 16 years of age. Methods – Study authors invited approximately 150 schools to participate in the survey. Forty-six schools (31%) responded. A total of 22 primary and 24 secondary schools participated in the original study between April and June 2005. This study used comparative analysis to examine factors affecting book choice between gender and age groups. Statistical significance was defined as one percent. Other demographic information was collected, such as ethnicity, language spoken at home, and religion, but was deemed insufficient for any meaningful analysis. There were 4,182 responses to the survey, separated into three age groups: ages 4 to 7 (KS1), ages 7 to 11 (KS2), and ages 11 to 16 (KS3&4). Students were asked to describe themselves as readers by responding to multiple choice questions, and then to provide specific information on the places or people most frequently used as book borrowing sources. Participants were considered “enthusiastic” readers if they “read a lot with pleasure” and “average” readers if they “read an ordinary amount”. Participants responded to additional multiple choice questions on specific factors related to borrowing books and book choices, the process of choosing series, fiction, and nonfiction books. Main Results – Readers: The number of children who described themselves as “enthusiastic” readers decreased with age, and approximately half of the children between 7 and 16 years of age described themselves as “average” readers, average rating increasing slightly through this age group. Investigators found a marked difference in gender within the 4 to 7 year olds: 49.7% percent of girls in this age group considered themselves “enthusiastic,” compared to 37.3% of boys. Only 18.5% of girls considered themselves “reluctant” readers, compared to 28.1% of boys. The longitudinal comparison to the earlier 1996 study found that although the percentage of boys from ages 7 to 16 who described themselves as reluctant readers stayed about the same, the percentage of girls who described themselves as reluctant increased. There was also a dramatic drop in the number of girls who described themselves as enthusiastic; from 51% in 1996 to 17% in 2005. Borrowing Books: Libraries of all types (school, classroom and public) were the prime sources for borrowing books. Girls borrowed more books from schools than boys, and girls also borrowed more books from non-library sources (family members and friends) than boys. Both boys and girls increasingly reported borrowing more books from friends than from libraries as they grew older. Over half of each age group rated the school library or classroom book corner as having “enough” books. The perception of “too many books” decreased with age. The perception of quality of the classroom or school library also decreased with age. The number of students in the younger age groups who rated the quality of books in the classroom or school library as “very good” was significantly higher than students in the older age groups. The number of student who rated the quality as “okay” doubled from the lower to the higher age group. Choosing Books: Children were asked six questions related to whether the physical book itself provided motivation to read, and six questions related to other factors for book recommendation. Younger readers were more likely to choose a book for its visual appeal, although this factor (interesting cover or illustrations inside) was more consistent for boys of all age groups than girls. The author’s name and book blurb were stronger factors for girls in the 7 to 16 age group than for boys. The study authors sought to explore the idea of “shared reading” and asked children in the 7 to 11 and 11 to 16 age groups how often they chose a book based on a recommendation from a friend or family member, a public or school librarian, or other adults. Friends were the strongest recommendation source (43.2% for 7 to 11 year olds and 38.4% for 11to 16 year olds). Recommendations from school or public librarians rated only three to six percent for both age groups. All age groups were asked about choosing series books, and the questions were simplified for the younger age group. All students reported that appealing factors were the consistency of characters, familiar storylines, and familiar writing styles. Some students also noted that the availability of series books positively affected their choices. Print or online book reviews were used “hardly ever or never” by over 40% of the 7 to16 year old age groups, while television or magazine reviews or recommendations were highly rated by over 50% of respondents in the same age groups. Participants chose informational or non-fiction books because of personal interests, hobbies, or recommendations from friends, while they selected fiction or poetry for the blurb, title, or appearance and design of the cover. Celebrity recommendations and books about celebrities were popular reasons for choosing books. When asked who helped them choose books, 53.2% in the 7 to11 age group and 66.1% in the 11to 16 age group stated that no one ever helps them. Of the students who had help choosing books, “family members” was the most common response. Local librarians were not used as a source for recommendations.

Abstract Intergenerational Solidarity is consistently recognized by the United Nations as a primary focus for work being undertaken to build a society for all ages. This study utilized a qualitative methodology to examine themes of intergenerational solidarity contained within children’s literature. Specifically, this study explored intergenerational examples of dance and music shared by older adults and children. McGuire’s (2016) Growing Up and Growing Older annotated bibliography for preschool-to-third grade children, which contains over seventy pages of non-ageist children’s literature references (N= 411), served as the sample frame for this study. A sample of six story and picture books was selected after inclusion criteria and availability from two public children’s libraries considerations were met. Inclusiveness of the present sample is manifested through geographic origin of dance and music traditions as well as the age range, gender, primary spoken language, and kin relationships of the older adult and children characters. Results revealed three intergenerational solidarity themes: 1) a humanizing portrayal of an older adult, 2) common cause, 3) continuity of tradition. This study demonstrates the efficacy of the arts, specifically dance and music, for facilitating intergenerational solidarity. This study identifies three themes that primary school teachers and children's librarians can utilize when selecting reading material about intergenerational solidarity. Finally, this study contributes to decades of pioneering educational gerontology literature focused on combating ageism through development of curricula that stimulate discovery of the elder within.

The Folk School Association was established in Cracow in the year 1891 to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of adopting the Constitution of the Third of May. The principal task of this organisation was to foster the national identity of plebeian masses by means of developing education, which was regarded as an important method of defending national interests in the period when there the Polish state was nowhere to be found on the map of the world. Until the year 1918, the Folk School Association had been active on Polish territories constituting the Austrian partition. Its practical activity consisted in awakening the hope of regaining independence. Its activity within the scope of developing curricula was conducted in two principal directions: educating and upbringing children and young people, and also organising adult education. For children and young people, orphanages, Froebel's kindergardens, and school halls of residence were conducted, and financial support for building primary schools in the countryside and on the areas inhabited by populations mixed in terms of nationality was provided. Amongst the varied forms of activity organised elsewhere than in school in the countryside, an important place was that of libraries, reading rooms and community centres, where talks on history and subjects connected with fostering patriotism, and also relevant to daily life, were organised. The celebrations of national anniversaries connected with the history of Poland took place on a regular basis. Ever new and varied forms of activities, apart from courses for the illiterate, were added to the offer. Complementary courses for women, as well as agricultural, horticulture, carpentry and construction work courses for men, were conducted. By means of its activity, the Folk School Association exerted a significant influence upon the population of the countryside and small towns. It disseminated education and culture, and shaped national, social and political identity.

The current research sought to identify what skills, knowledge, and behaviours (SKBs) in advocacy engagement are closely associated with information literacy skills. The paper examines what role information literacy (IL) skills play in making one an effective advocate by drawing on everyday life situations that involve advocacy such as self-advocacy, social advocacy, patient advocacy, parent advocacy, and policy advocacy. A rapid scoping review was completed using articles published within the last ten years (2008–2019). The articles were retrieved from Academic Search Complete, a multidisciplinary database. The aim of our initial review was to identify what skills, knowledge and behaviours are deemed essential for everyday life situations that involve advocacy. Charting of the literature was then used to map the skills, knowledge and behaviours mentioned in relation to advocacy to information literacy skills. Results showed how the knowledge component in advocacy engagement is closely associated with various IL skills such as finding information, evaluation of information and sharing information. Implications of the study point towards the importance of emphasising IL instruction in broader contexts beyond higher education and/ or academic libraries. The study shows that IL skills are important in the public realm and in primary (elementary) and secondary (high) school contexts as well. Therefore, public librarians and school librarians should be just as engaged in equipping their patrons/clientele with IL skills that may be needed for different types of advocacy such as self-advocacy, parent advocacy and patient advocacy. The study also has implications for humanitarian research and research that involves situations of information poverty as these contexts will often involve advocacy work as well.

The aim of this article is to show through research in the archives and libraries of Latvia what the Blūmītis family accomplished in the first half of the 20th century for Latvia and how they worked successfully for the children's asylum and the private school. As even today people are speaking about the Blūmītis family, it is necessary to ask the question why this is so and what was so outstanding about this family. Out of the three brothers Osvalds Blūmītis (1903–1971) is the best known. After his studies in England at the Spurgeon's college he returned to his home-village Tilža in Latgale and founded a children's asylum there in 1928. Not only orphans found their new home there, but also many children from poor families who were impoverished by alcoholism. The children belonged to different religious communities; there were not only Baptists like Osvalds Blūmītis, but also Roman-Catholics, Lutheran-Protestants and Russian-Orthodox. Since 1927 a Baptist private school existed in Tilža which later was renamed Osvalds Blūmītis School. Besides this school there existed a children's asylum and a private primary school, which were financed by donations from Latvia, England, Sweden and Brazil. Untill 1940 there was only one institution of this kind for orphans in Latgale. About 200 children found loving care and shelter in it.Osvald’s brothers, Arturs and Adolfs were also Baptist priests as he was. Arturs Blūmītis founded a children's asylum in Jaunjelgava in 1939. In 1940 the Baptist orphan asylums and primary schools were closed. Osvalds Blūmītis left Latvia in 1939 and continued his activities in the US. When he arrived in the US, he started to work as a real estate agent but later continued his work for the Baptist church. Osvalds Blūmītis has helped about 250 Latvians to start a new life after arrival in the US. He fought communism and the policies of the Soviet Union. He also conducted radio shows ''The voice of the oppressed people''. Osvalds, Arturs and Adolfs left the country at the end of the war and became entrepreneurs in America. The active participation of the Blūmītis family – their sister and mother worked in the orphanage too – shows us how much this family was able to do for the needy.

Formative assessment is ideal for improving teaching and learning processes. However, little is practiced systematically and a traditional approach still persists in many educational institutions that value the product rather than the process. The objective of this study is to determine the evaluative process associated with multiple intelligences in high school students from an Educational Unit in the city of Manta. Methodologically, this research project is of a mixed type with a qualitative-quantitative approach since it obtains real data that evaluates the results. To collect the information, information from primary sources will be used and will be carried out through a survey via Google to teachers and secondary information will be taken from accredited sources of virtual libraries, indexed magazines, and other academic Google publications. The results will be processed using statistical methods that will allow their analysis and interpretation. As a result of it, a set of formative evaluation activities underlying the pedagogical practice of the teacher was obtained, assessing the general process of formative evaluation of learning included in the teaching-learning processes. The process is useful for conducting a conscious and systematic formative assessment.