One community, one library model

A National Policy Framework for School Library Standards (1997:36) states that “the model, one

community, one library is based on the principle that school teachers and learners and general community (the public) can share the same library institution.” The model is two-pronged. In the first instance, a university, mobile, community or public library can be used jointly by the general public and school community (learners and teachers) (Aitchison 2006; KPMG report 2006). Le Roux and Hendrikz (2006:1) explain that:

“A community-school library refers to an integrated public and school library service, operating from a single building according to an agreement between the school and another tax-supported agency or agencies, for example the provincial or local government authority. It aims to serve learners, educators and the community (general community) within the particular municipal boundary by means of the facility”.

This type of model is excellent for historically disadvantaged remote rural communities of South Africa because they are disadvantaged as far as accessibility and availability of library and information resources are concerned. Coetzer and Ramahuta (2007:24) indicate that “most schools in the Mankweng area do not have library facilities. Learners depend on the library services of the University of Limpopo”.

The provincial departments of education can place curriculum-based resources in community or public libraries for access and use by teachers and learners to meet their educational needs. Machet and Tiemensma (2009:78) observe that:

“If the school library lacks resources, the public library can assist with block loans of suitable material. Unfortunately, this is not always an option. Public libraries do not always have resources and many schools do not have a public or community library nearby to make use of such an option”.

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The IFLA/UNESCO School Library Guidelines (2006:2) emphasises that:

“Where the school library shares facilities and/or resources with another type of library, such as a public library, the unique aims of the school library must be acknowledged and maintained”.

The needs of the learners and teachers remain the priority function of a school-community library as per any form of school library and information services. Learners’ needs are expected to be prioritised when it comes to funding, collection development and access to the library-based resources during the school day. The school-community library is also expected to provide an environment for learners to work in after hours as should all school libraries (South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2012). In the second instance:

“A school-community library facility is generally a library set up in a school primarily for use by learners and teachers during the day, but which also caters after hours for adult learners, pre- school children and their parents, parent of learners and community members in respect of materials and access” (South Africa. Department of Education 2012:15).

In this case, “the school library would be used after hours for adult education and training and would thus be kept open for longer hours to serve the wider community” (Witbooi 2006:43). It means that, “during the day, the library would serve as a school library for the learners and educators for their curricular needs. In the afternoon and evenings, the facilities would be open to serve the information needs of the community at large” (Witbooi 2006:48). This model is recommended for schools in historically disadvantaged remote rural communities where there are few or no public or community libraries (Mojapelo 2008; Mnkeni & Nassimbeni 2007; Stilwell 2009). Aitchison (2006:97) explains that, “combined school-community libraries were investigated by Dube (1998) as a possible model to overcome the shortage of libraries in Black areas.” Because of its nature, the model is also called a joint-use or a multi-purpose library. The model is implemented and operational in Sweden, Canada and Australia (Bristow 1992; Kruger 1998; Machet & Tiemensma 2009; Mangena 2003; Mbokazi & Naiker 2002; Stilwell 2009). As community or public libraries fall under the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and schools under the Department of Basic Education, agreements or memoranda of understanding need to be signed by the officials of the two departments (Du Toit 2008; KPMG report 2006).

112 If the model:

“…is housed in a school, it is critical that agreement in writing should be negotiated between the participating school and local government authorities as to who will provide the infrastructure, library resources for learners and for community, full time personnel and other operating costs, and what the access times will be for the different groups of users” (South Africa. Department of Education 2010:11-12).

IFLA/UNESCO (2002:14) adds that “in order to improve library services for children and young persons in a given community, it may be a good idea for school libraries and public libraries to cooperate”. Cooperation between two libraries is extremely important for this model to be successful. Fourie (1996:206) defines cooperation as:

“A comprehensive concept that includes any activity in which two or more libraries intend working together to facilitate their operations and share resources. It could include participating in fully automated resource sharing programmes, establishing joint school-public or community libraries, locating community libraries in schools and providing study facilities to school going youth in public libraries”.

It means that education officials and municipal managers need to negotiate to reach agreements on the utilisation of school-community or public libraries by teachers and learners and the general public. The negotiations need cover the following issues:

3.4.7.1 Time to access the collection

As community or public libraries are meant for the general public, hours of convenience to visit and access the library collection by different groups of users need to be at the centre of negotiations (IFLA/UNESCO School Library Guidelines 2002; KPMG report 2006; South Africa. Department of Education 2012). A timetable needs to be generated so that schools can take turns to visit the public or community library to avoid overcrowding the facility.

3.4.7.2 Setting of the library and use

When new community or public libraries are erected, negotiations should ensure the centralised locality of the facilities so that the general public, teachers and learners can access and use them (South Africa. Department of Education 1997). New community or public libraries need to be erected next to the bus ranks or taxi ranks to enable users to visit facilities and access resources.

113 3.4.7.3 Special staff

Negotiations need to include staffing community or public libraries with personnel specifically to cater for the specialised needs of diverse users (South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2010).

3.4.7.4 Payment of staff

Negotiations need to also cover issues of payment of all staff members, including special personnel catering for the specialised needs of the different learners.

3.4.7.5 Collection ownership and development

Negotiations between education officials and municipal managers need to cover aspects such as ownership of the collection and collection development. During the discussion of the building of the collection (collection development), all its elements (community analysis or needs assessment, the collection development policy, selection, acquisition, weeding and evaluation of the collection as a whole) are expected to be included (IFLA/UNESCO 2000; IFLA/UNESCO School Library Guidelines 2002; Mojapelo 2008).

3.4.7.6 Funding norms and standards and the process and system for purchasing library resources

As funds are involved in this joint venture, negotiations need to cover budgeting such as hiring of staff, purchasing of library resources and services for different users, administration and maintenance (South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2010). IFLA/UNESCO (2000:9) asserts that:

“The allocation of funds for library services is an important element for co-operation. Policies concerning funding are indeed good indicators for the possibility of meaningful co-operation. Current funding patterns differ much from province to province. Some of the poorest provinces have norms and standards for funding while others have budgeting norms already in place for a meaningful co-operation on funding, a written agreement that guides concerned parties is an essential pre-requisite”.

114 IFLA/UNESCO (2000:9) goes on to say:

“It is also imperative that the source of funding should be sustainable. School and public libraries should develop a joint strategic plan detailing all areas of co-operation as well as responsibilities. Fundraising strategies need to be determined and all that which needs to be funded should be identified”.

3.4.7.7 Administration

Negotiations are supposed to include accountability in the utilisation of the resources (South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2010). To avoid a power struggle between officials in this joint venture, issues regarding line functions need to be also negotiated, discussed and agreed upon. Everything is supposed to be in black and white to avoid chaos and conflicts in future (IFLA/UNESCO 2000).

3.4.7.8 Marketing of library services

Negotiations are also expected to cover all aspects of marketing the use of library resources (IFLA/UNESCO School Library Guidelines 2002). The education officials, in association with teachers and municipal officials need to work together to “develop joint strategies in marketing the importance of reading and utilization of libraries” (IFLA/UNESCO 2000:9). Teacher-librarians and public or community librarians need to “paint one picture about libraries, that is, they should speak in one voice” and stop demarcating school libraries from community or public libraries and vice versa. IFLA/UNESCO (2000:9) adds that school and community or public libraries need to “jointly co- ordinate important days such as the World Book Day, International Literacy Day and South African Library Week”.

3.4.7.9 Advantages of the one community, one library model

Some advantages of this model are evident. The model can be useful particularly in remote rural areas where there are few or no human, financial and physical resources to implement an ideal one school, one library model that is uncompromised. As schools are also available in historically remote rural communities of South Africa, this model can be implemented easily because a facility can be erected on the school premises to serve both school and community members. The model is appropriate to historically remote rural communities where illiteracy levels are high. Library-based resources are made available to the whole community, which means that the notion of the “culture of life-long

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learning and reading is entrenched” (South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2010:12). If the library setup is on the school premises, support for the library is guaranteed as parents and caregivers understand the focus. As community members (the general public) utilise the resources in the school, they take ownership of the facility and will therefore protect it against vandalism and subsequent theft of facilities and equipment (South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2010).

3.4.7.10 Disadvantages of the one community, one library model

The model is complex and it will be difficult to implement it. For this model to be implemented successfully, thorough negotiations and planning are essential between parties involved in this joint venture. The model relies on the availability of the centralised library facilities such as public or community libraries, university libraries, mobile libraries and multi-purpose centres. Some library facilities such as public, community or university libraries may be situated far away from schools, which will make the implementation of the model impossible (Machet & Tiemensma 2009). Where a school is used to set up a school-community library, sufficient funds are needed to erect a spacious facility for use by both school and community members. As stock selection has a much broader base to serve the diverse needs of different groups of users, more funds are also needed to buy diverse resources and this has budgetary implications. As the needs of the target group are wider, it is easy for them to dilute library and information needs of the curriculum (South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2010).

This model cannot be implemented unless there is support, cooperation and agreements between education officials and municipal managers as officials of local government controlling community or public libraries, mobile libraries and public multi-purpose community centres. Professionally qualified librarians are essential to cater for the special needs of diverse users, including teachers and learners (South Africa. Department of Education 1997).