Challenges faced by libraries in a democratic South Africa: A case of three community libraries in Limpopo Province

Community libraries are crucial for people to have access to information to satisfy their multiple needs. As custodians of information and knowledge in diverse spheres, they play a role in the socio-economic development of nations. This article attempts to investigate challenges faced by libraries in three different settings in post-apartheid South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research design. The users, librarians and a wellplaced official of the relevant department were interviewed. Convenience sampling was used to select users and librarians while purposive sampling was used to select an official. Face-to-face interviews and observation and a checklist were used to collect data. Senior officials of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture need to study challenges revealed by the findings and to take action to remedy the situation.Information Scienc

School Library Development Initiatives in a Democratic South Africa: Roles of the Various Stakeholders

Equitable resource allocation and provision is critical in all schools including those in the disadvantaged rural communities to improve learner outcomes and the quality of education irrespective of the educational paradigm. With a wide variety of educational resources in a school environment, quality of education and learner achievement can be entrenched and improved. However, the majority of the schools in poor and developing countries are still characterised by an inferior quality education and poor learner outcomes owing to an array of contextual realities and factors – amongst them high poverty levels and lack of adequate educational facilities and resources in schools. The aim of this conceptual article is to highlight the roles various stakeholders can play to advance and champion effective development of libraries in all South African schools in the post-apartheid era. Based on the literature review, the study highlights roles various stakeholders can play to champion and advance effective library development initiatives in all schools. The study recommends that a cohort of distinct stakeholders need to play their roles actively for all schools to have an effective library and information services (LIS) to enable teachers and learners to have equitable access to information for curriculum and non-curriculum related activities

Transcending existing frontiers to achieve selected sustainable development goals: The role of community libraries in South Africa

Globally, extreme poverty remains an enormous socioeconomic and multifaceted challenge, which has a ripple effect on other factors that affect the quality of life of citizens. Continuing and expanding on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the United Nations (UN) developed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs aimed at improving the livelihood of citizens by entrenching human development particularly in poor and developing countries. This is a conceptual paper based on the document analysis or literature review. The article is aimed at analysing information sources and highlights new frontiers community libraries can play in assisting the general South African public to be aware of the good intentions of the SDGs and to mobilise them to strategically work towards achieving them. As hubs for knowledge economy, community libraries need to transcend their existing frontiers to entrench socioeconomic development and transformation in South Africa to improve quality of life of the citizens

Library and information resources in rural schools of Limpopo Province : a pilot study

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Library and information resources in rural schools of Limpopo province: a small study

The purpose of this article is to report on a small study that investigated the availability of library and information resources in rural schools of Limpopo Province, South Africa. For the school curriculum to be successfully implemented, adequate library facilities, collections, staff and funds are required to support it. Data was collected by means of questionnaires directed to all teacher-librarians and principals in the high schools of the Lebopo Circuit, Capricorn District. The study found that most schools do not have functional school libraries. Converted classrooms serving as libraries are unorganised making it diffi cult to retrieve and access information. Some schools use staffrooms and storerooms to house library materials but learners cannot use these materials because of limited space. Unqualifi ed teacher-librarians lack library skills and cannot guide learners to use resources. A few schools are without electricity making it impossible to operate electronic equipment. The authors recommend that schools should be provided with library-based resources managed by professionally qualifi ed teacher-librarians to meet the needs of learners and the aims of the school curriculum.Information Scienc

Provision of school libraries in public high schools in the Limpopo province, South Africa

Well-resourced and functional school libraries are important resource centres for teachers and learners, particularly in historically disadvantaged communities where other information services such as public or community libraries and multipurpose centres are few or virtually non-existent. However, only a minority of the schools in South Africa have well-stocked and well-staffed school libraries. In the Limpopo Province, the situation leaves much to be desired because only 2.3 % of the state schools have well-resourced and functional school libraries. Importantly, for the different school library facilities to be functional, an approved school library policy with endorsed school library standards and models is essential. Amazingly, there is no approved and legislated national school library policy in South Africa to support a progressive, constructivist and resource-thirsty curriculum. The purpose of the study was to investigate provision of school libraries in the Limpopo Province. The purpose of the study was to investigate provision of school libraries in the Limpopo Province. With well-stocked and functional school libraries, teachers and learners can access the library-based resources for curriculum support. The study was limited to public high schools only in both urban and rural communities of the province. The study is based on the constructive teaching and learning theory which emphasises the use of different resources to stimulate progressive and constructivist teaching and learning styles in schools. A multi-case study research design was adopted for data collection. Qualitative and quantitative research approaches were adopted in the study to investigate the focus of the study in-depth and intensively. Data were collected through questionnaires administered to 163 teacher-librarians or principals of the sampled 306 public high schools. The education officials, that is, the senior manager and two chief education specialists were interviewed face-to-face using an interview schedule. The findings of the study established that more than 33% of the public high schools in the study had a library facility. However, the findings indicated that the majority of the school library facilities were non-functional because the fundamentals of school library development such as a legislated school library policy are not in place. The absence of an overarching library policy leads to, lack of strategic direction, inadequate provision of resources, compromised functionality as well as the poor standing and value of school libraries. The study recommends that the newly launched National Guidelines for School Library and Information Services (2012) be legislated to become school library policy so that school library standards can be implemented in different school library models to enable teachers and learners to have access to library resources to support the constructivist and resource-based curriculum.Information ScienceD. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science

A legislated school library policy: can functional school libraries be envisioned without one?

Although school libraries are important resource centres that support curriculum delivery and important pedagogical matters, it is disturbing that, in South Africa, only a minority (7.2%) of schools have well-stocked functional school libraries. A legislated school library policy is crucial for a country to roll out effective school library and information services (LIS). This is particularly true in South African schools, which are characterised by enormous disparities in the provision of resources because of the legacy of apartheid. Grounded in the literature review, the fact that the national Department of Basic Education (DBE) does not have a legislated and approved school library policy is a stumbling block to developing and sustaining an active and dynamic school library service for all public schools in South Africa. The purpose of this article is to help relevant stakeholders understand the importance of a legislated school library policy in championing the establishment and development of an active, vibrant and dynamic functional school library service to support the progressive, constructivist and resourcebased curriculum in the country. The study recommends that the National Guidelines for School Library and Information Services (SA DBE 2012) be amended to a legislated school library policy to resuscitate indeterminate and non-functional libraries in the majority of schools.Information Scienc

School library development vs policy provision: divergence or convergence?

A policy and legal framework for school libraries is a guiding framework for the provision, development and management of school libraries. Similarly, it is a lever that standardises school library development, management and practice. Although the existence of a policy does not guarantee the development of efficient and functional school libraries, its inherent value cannot be overemphasised. It is widely documented that in South Africa, only 7.2 per cent of public schools have functional school libraries, which are crucial to enrich the quality of teaching and learning and support learners and teachers. The aim of this study was, firstly, to analyse the legal and policy provision for school libraries in South Africa; and secondly, to examine the state of school libraries in Limpopo province, South Africa. The study further sought to establish whether there is divergence or convergence between policy provision and the status of school libraries in Limpopo. The study adopted a quantitative research paradigm and triangulated utilising questionnaires and document analysis as instruments to collect data. The study established that there is a regime of policies related to school libraries, most of which are still in draft form. Furthermore, the study confirmed that provision of policy does not necessarily translate into an efficient school library system. The distinct divergence means that there is no correlation between policy provision and practice. The study recommends that the existing school library policies should be streamlined, adopted and implemented to scale up the development of efficient and functional school libraries in Limpopo.Information Scienc

Repositioning school library committees to advance school library development in South Africa

The existence of an effective and apposite governance structure is vital for the survival and functionality of an organisation, including school libraries. School library committees are governance structures indispensable for the establishment, development and maintenance of effective and functional school libraries world-wide. In South Africa, the establishment of school committees including library committees is sanctioned by the South African Schools Act (SASA) Number 84 of 1996. This is a concept paper sharing insights on how school library committees as governance structures could be repositioned to champion, influence and provide strategic direction and guidance for the development of school libraries.Information Scienc

Information access in high school libraries in Limpopo Province, South Africa

School libraries help to support the school curriculum by providing learners and teachers with access to a wide variety of information resources, exposing learners to diverse ideas, experiences and opinions. Equitable access to information resources by teachers and learners is absolutely essential to enable them to execute their curriculum-related tasks and activities. Information access refers to an entire range of possibilities for making information and information services available to the users. Although access to services and collections is enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Freedoms it has emerged from the literature that only a few schools in South Africa have well-equipped and functional libraries, making accessibility to information resources a major challenge to the majority of the teachers and learners. A library's success depends upon the availability of information resources. It is not enough that a library houses information resources; what is important is that they are physically and intellectually accessible to those who need them. The purpose of this study was to investigate information access by teachers and learners in high schools in the Limpopo province. The study was largely quantitative, blended with the triangulation of both quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from principals and teacher-librarians whilst an interview schedule was used to collect qualitative data from education officials. The findings established that access to information by teachers and learners is a daunting challenge in the majority of the schools. The study recommends that the National Guidelines for School Library and Information Services (2012) be converted into a legislated school library policy to ensure functionality of the different school library models to improve information access for curriculum support.Information Scienc