PENNY MACLACHLAN reviews Setting Up and Running a School Library by Nicola Baird (Heinemann and VSO ECOE Programme, R52,50)
VOLUNTARY Service Overseas (VSO) is a British charity which sends expert volunteers to developing countries to share their skills and build capabilities by working with local communities. The experience of VSO workers, who have been working in over 60 countries since 1958, has been drawn on to produce a book which will be of direct practical use to librarians and teachers.
For anyone with experience, the very idea of setting up a library is daunting. This lively book with its practical step-by-step explanations makes planning and running a school library an achievable goal for teachers with no experience and few resources.
The hard work and challenge involved cannot be avoided, but by following the guidelines and enlisting the support of fellow teachers, one will be able to provide a service with the potential to support education and literacy, give access to material which is fun to read, improve language skills and instil lifelong problem-solving skills.
A useful list of questions to ask when selecting stock is a good place to start. Basic stock in any library should include fiction, non-fiction and non-book materials such as maps and audio cassettes, but the authors are adamant that books are still a library’s most important asset.
As most libraries operate on shoe-string budgets, one of the best ways of increasing stock is by means of donations. But a word of warning comes from the experience of others: beware of gifts. Treat subject matter with sensitivity. In some countries or communities, certain topics may be culturally inappropriate. The solution is to sell unwanted gifts for funds to buy new books.
The size of a collection does not matter. Organisation and easy access to information are vital for success. This is where cataloguing and classification come into their own. A catalogue is a list of what a library owns. The authors suggest that cataloguing be done in the simplest possible way, namely by printing titles on cards which are then filed in alphabetical order. Libraries are never static and a card catalogue allows for the expansion and contraction of the collection and is a useful stock-taking tool.
Non-fiction books are classified so that books are grouped together for access to information on various aspects of the same topic. Three methods are described, easy-to-follow examples are given and it is up to the librarian to decide which method best suits the needs of a particular school.
Putting the books on the shelves is one of the final steps in the logical process. Bookends are expensive; large stones work just as well. Some students do not realise that books have to be placed on the shelves with the spine facing outwards. It should be explained that this is done so that the title can be easily read when looking for a book. Shelves should be at a suitable height, and not just so that learners can reach the books. Anticipate problems: be prepared for floods and ensure that bookshelves are at least 15cm above the ground. Handy hints for the control of rodents and white ants are also given.
Once the library is organised, all that remains is to get the learners to use it, again and again. A wonderful example is given of how one librarian drew users into the library by putting on displays about a favourite topic at the school — soccer. Absolute silence is an archaic rule. Organised tours of the library, games and displays of art and creative writing will go a long way towards creating a welcoming atmosphere and eradicating the misconception of a librarian jealously guarding information.
A plea from the author: do not retire one day without sharing and passing on the experience which enabled you to encourage inquisitive users to acquire a life-long love of reading and skills which can only be learned in a library.
— The Teacher/Mail & Guardian, May 8, 2000.
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