One school, one library model

Each school implementing this model has its own fully fledged central school library building (purpose built or classroom converted) to house resources to meet the educational needs of the teachers and learners (Du Toit 2008:44). In terms of this model:

“A fully-stocked school library that provides learning resources and reading material for all learning areas and or subjects in the school as well as an extensive range of reading material at a range of reading and is actively utilized throughout the day and afternoon is an effective model to provide dynamic school library and information services” (South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2010:11).

There are print and non-print materials, which constitute an equitable library collection. Ideally, there is also a full-time professionally qualified teacher-librarian supported by library assistants to manage the collection. He or she is supposed to work collaboratively and cooperatively with the school library committee and SMTs. The model is characterised by features of the traditional school library (Kruger 1998; KwaZulu-Natal. Department of Education 2003; KZNMTA 2004; Machet & Tiemensma 2009; Mangena 2003: Naidoo 1997; South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2012). A central library

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building needs to be situated close to the ICT centre or computer room to enable teachers and learners to do Internet searches to retrieve information from e-resources world-wide (South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2012).

Before 1994 political dispensation in South Africa, purpose-built central school library model was found particularly in historically advantaged ex-Model C schools where school libraries were managed by professionally qualified teacher-librarians. Historically advantaged ex-Model C schools had library positions specifically provided for to hire and pay qualified teacher-librarians, which were funded internally by school-fee collection to manage their school libraries (Hart 2013; Hart 2012, Equal Education 2011b). Teacher-librarians worked in the library full-time to cater for the curriculum needs of the teachers and learners. They assisted learners with their assignments, homework and research projects. They also taught learners information literacy skills to enable them to use library resources optimally, effectively and independently (Kruger 1998; Moll 2009).

Today, some ordinary public schools have central buildings to house library-based resources, although they are managed partly by teacher-librarians because they are allocated the same number of periods like the other teachers in the school system. Lonsdale (2003:10) states that, “teacher-librarians are being used in classrooms as subject teachers” because of an apparent shortage of teachers in the country and lack of library posts at schools. As there are no school library posts, teacher-librarians in these schools are attending to library duties during their free periods and after hours. Stilwell (2009:3) explains that “because the majority of the teacher-librarians are not professionally qualified, they lack the library and information skills which should be inculcated to the learners to make them independent and life-long learners.” All these factors hinder efforts to provide effective and efficient library and information services to all teachers and learners in the school environment. The one school, one library model is characterised by the following features:

3.4.1.1 Central space or locale

In terms of the one school, one library model, there is a central and accessible space or building specifically for the development, collection, management, circulation, use and storage of library and information resources, both print and digital (Massachusetts School Library Media Association 2002; South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2012). However, various formulae have been developed

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worldwide to determine the area required to meet the needs of the educators and learners. The locale is supposed to be spacious enough to accommodate all the resources, including the cabling of ICTs. It is also supposed to provide sufficient lighting and sitting accommodation for users. In terms of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (2002:3), IFLA/UNESCO School Library Guidelines (2002:7) and the National Guidelines for School Library and Information Services (2012), the following need to be taken into consideration concerning the location and space of the central school library:

i. Central location, on the ground floor if possible.

ii. Accessibility and proximity, close to all teaching areas.

iii. Noise factor, with at least some parts of the library free from external noise. iv. Appropriate and sufficient light, both through windows and artificial light.

v. Appropriate room temperature (e.g. air conditioning, heating) to ensure good working conditions all year round as well as the preservation of the collection.

vi. Adequate size to give space for the collection of books, fiction, non-fiction, hardback and paperback, newspapers and magazines, non-print resources and storage, study spaces, reading areas, computer work stations, display areas, staff work areas, and a library desk.

vii. Flexibility to allow multiplicity of activities and future changes in curriculum and technology.

According to this model, although the collection of resources needs to meet the curriculum needs, there are also resources for leisure and pleasure or enjoyment reading (Massachusetts School Library Media Association 2002). Different countries use different ratios of items per learner to determine the size of the collection to meet the needs of the users and to ensure the growth and development of the facilities. To keep their collections current and up-to-date, weeding policies are in place to get rid of obsolete, irreparable and outdated materials. With availability of funds, weeded materials are replaced by newly acquired materials.

3.4.1.2 Diverse collection of resources

The library-based resources in this model are diverse. The collection covers full range of media, which are useful in the educational context. Print materials such as books (fiction and non-fiction), references (dictionaries, encyclopaedias, gazetteers, yearbooks and atlases) and other print materials (magazines,

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journals, newspapers, globes, charts, pictures, maps, photographs, posters, manuscripts and pamphlets) are collected to give users a diverse collection of resources. There are also non-print materials (electronic resources) which include audio materials such as audiotapes, CD-ROMs, radios and audio- cassettes. Audio-visual materials and media such as televisions, computers and their accompanying technologies (hardware and software), video cassettes and DVDs are also collected. Computers and their accompanying technologies are used to give users access to the Internet to retrieve global information for curriculum-related activities (Evans 2014; South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2012; Witbooi 2006). Du Toit (2008:4) asserts that, “the school library is integral and related to the on-going knowing process of the educational programme, it is the one place in the school where the full range of resources required for resource-based learning can be found.”

3.4.1.3 Qualified and professional teacher-librarians

According to the IFLA/UNESCO School Library Guidelines (2002:11), “the richness and quality of the library provision depend upon staffing resources available within and beyond the school library.” For this reason, the person in charge of the library and its collection in this model is a professionally qualified teacher-librarian (KwaZulu-Natal. Department of Education 2003; South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2012). He or she has dual qualifications, that is, he or she has both teaching and Library and Information Science qualifications (Equal Education 2011b). Besides many administrative duties he or she has, this person is also responsible for collection development, which involves analysing user needs, selecting, purchasing and acquiring new materials. He or she is also responsible for classifying, cataloguing and accessioning newly acquired library materials (South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2012) and for marketing the services of the library by promoting the use of library-based resources. The teacher-librarian teaches both teachers and learners to develop information literacy skills to encourage them to use the library resources optimally to meet their information needs. The teacher-librarian in this model integrates curriculum with library-based resources, including the Internet. He or she works collaboratively with subject teachers during lesson planning to ensure that they use relevant and suitable materials during contact sessions with learners. He or she also plans homework, assignments and research projects with subject teachers to ensure that learners have access to relevant materials when doing this homework, assignments and research projects (IFLA/UNESCO School Library Guidelines 2002; South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2012).

98 However, Stilwell (2009:3) points out that:

“School libraries generally lack suitably qualified and motivated staff. The South African

Library Survey 1999 (South Africa Department of Education and Human Sciences Research

Council, 1999) found that in all provinces, except Gauteng, fewer than 20 percent of the staff responsible for school libraries were appropriately qualified. Over the last ten years, teacher- librarians have been retrenched or assigned to other duties (Le Roux &Hendrikz 2006:260). Le Roux and Hendrikz (2006:621) and Hart (2006a; 2006b) return to the issue of public librarians being expected to play a role in serving school learners and in developing life-long information literacy”.

Noticeably, the qualified teacher-librarians in all provinces are aging and retiring from the system. Unfortunately, due to the lack of library posts in schools, the system does not attract young teachers to enter the field (Equal Education 2011b; Library and Information Services Transformation Charter 2009). The Library and Information Services Transformation Charter (2009:48) declares that:

“Reynolds’s paper at the school librarians’ conference of the Independent Schools Association of South Africa in 2008 documents what she calls the human resources “crisis” facing school librarianship. She shows how the cohort of qualified school librarians is aging: by the time the current Grade 7s reach Grade 12 in 2013, 43% of all school librarians will have retired. The lack of library posts in government schools limits career opportunities and is hampering the entry of young professionals into the field”.

Notably, teacher-librarians are currently reluctant to study for school librarianship diplomas and degrees because of the lack of library posts at schools to enhance their career moves. Although some youth are currently studying degrees and diplomas in school librarianship at universities, their employment opportunities in school libraries are less due to lack of library posts in South African public schools (Equal Education 2011).

3.4.1.4 Support from advisory services

In ideal situation, teacher-librarians operating under this model get support from advisory services of the Department of Basic Education for professional development. Workshops are offered to them to keep them abreast of current events in school librarianship and curriculum-related issues (South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2012).

99 3.4.1.5 Salaries for teacher-librarians

Teacher-librarians in ex-Model C schools were paid by the Department of Education. As budgets were cuts, the Department of Education failed to hire and pay teacher-librarians because they “were perceived to be non-essential to the delivery of schooling” (South Africa. Department of Education 1997:34). This gloomy situation was averted because the SGBs in those schools were given powers to raise funds to hire and pay teacher-librarians. Schools introduced compulsory school fees to employ and pay teacher-librarians to keep their school libraries up and running (Equal Education 2011b).

3.4.1.6 Funds

Funds are essential to keep school libraries up and running as this is what makes it possible for schools to purchase resources for school libraries and to pay human resources (library staff, including teacher- librarians). Because of budget cuts from the Department of Education, which prevented schools from employing and paying teacher-librarians, SGBs in historically ex-Model C schools were given powers to raise funds to deal with library-related expenditure. Compulsory school fees were instituted in schools so that library resources could be bought. Schools encouraged private companies to donate funds or equipment related to school libraries (South Africa. Department of Education 1997).

3.4.1.7 Advantages of the one school, one library model

In this model, ideally all teachers and learners have equitable access to a full range of library-based resources because they are centrally managed. Resources are easily accessible and available and can be used fully and optimally. Central management of library-based resources makes circulation and stock control much easier (South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2012). Schools implementing this model receive a core collection of resources from the Department of Basic Education to establish and sustain school library development (Du Toit 2008). The successful examination results in historically advantaged ex-Model C schools are attributable to this model. Schools have central school libraries and are managed by full-time professionally qualified teacher-librarians or library clerks who work collaboratively with subject teachers and learners to meet their curriculum needs. Under the guidance of the teacher-librarian and subject teachers, “an information literacy programme and reading programme can be introduced in a school.” The facility can also be used as a safe place for “relaxed reading and information retrieval at any time of the day, including afternoons” (South Africa. Department of Education 2010:11). School libraries are well resourced and functional and therefore

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enhance and improve the quality of teaching and learning. Teachers and learners are able to access an equitable collection under the professional guidance of teacher-librarians and in this way, they develop information literacy skills, which enable them to be life-long learners. Learners are also able to execute curriculum-related activities. The results in schools that adopted this model are better and are improving dramatically.

3.4.1.8 Disadvantages of the one school, one library model

Despite these attractions, the model has some drawbacks. Due to financial constraints experienced by the provincial departments of education, the model tends to be expensive because each school needs to have a central library building (purpose-built) to house a collection. Le Roux (2002:115) adds that:

“To set up centralized school libraries in secondary school in the previously disadvantaged communities, with ten items per learner, would cost approximately R149 670 000 over five years. These cost estimates did not take into account items such as buildings, library rooms, equipment, furniture, infrastructure and staffing”.

Professionally qualified teacher-librarians with the necessary expertise need to be employed to run and manage the library facilities effectively and efficiently, otherwise they will become expensive white elephants (South Africa. Department of Basic Education 2012). For all learners to have effective access to this school library model, a timetable is needed to allow all learners in a school setting to be exposed to the diverse library-based resources. Some core collections of reference sources, such as encyclopaedias, dictionaries and atlases, need to be bought by the provincial departments of education and placed in each school adopting this school library model to kick-start and develop the collection (Du Toit 2008; Le Roux 2002). This has financial implications. One of the biggest drawbacks of this model is that it does not encourage resource sharing amongst schools, which means that each school choosing and implementing this model needs to be self-reliant and self-sufficient as far as resources are concerned (South Africa. Department of Education 1997).