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The school library and learning in the information landscape
By JOHN MATTHEWS
Papua New Guinea has come a long way
in its education system from schools established by early
missionaries and the use of colonial Australian Education system
through to the Matane Philosophy of education era and now the
current education reform curriculum in practise.
Over the these years in our education system there is still a
vital missing link between the learners (students) and the
education system that we had in place, that is the school library,
where many of us don't realise its role and importance in our
children's education.
A respected professional colleague and fellow librarian, the late
Mr Daniel Paraide, Director General, Office of Libraries and
Archives and I at times had professional discussion on this very
issue.
I still remember Mr. Paraide as a gentleman who strived for the
best for school libraries for every child and schools in PNG.
He always believe in every child in PNG to at least have a book on
their hands to read and he also points that without books and
libraries, PNG children have little hope for a better future.
This point can be realised if those in management and power can
see the importance of school libraries in empowering the next
generation of PNG. The school library is always at the centre of
school life and learning programmes in schools. The school library
represents the largest investment in teaching and learning
resources in any school. How it works, who makes it work, what it
is and what it does in relation to learning and teaching is
critical if progress is to be made towards an information literate
school community.
The school library can affect students' achievement in many ways.
It is a fundamental resource for students, and it also gives them
access to other learning resources, tools, and opportunities. In
an ever changing information landscape, which extends both within
the school and beyond, a good school library enables learners to
reach many diverse destinations.
Those of us involved in the profession of librarianship and
teaching should have a philosophy that children need to be able to
access information, and once they've found it, they need to have
skills to process it. Many school libraries in PNG just provided
the information, but we are looking at the skills the children
need to be able to use that information. We want them to be able
to analyse, synthesis, and evaluate it so that they produce
something that shows they have turned the information into their
own personal knowledge.
A prime function of education is to produce individuals who have
"learned how to learn" so that they may continue to learn
throughout their lives. Without adequate school library
facilities, such an approach to education cannot succeed.
Researches had shown school library's impact on students'
achievement for students using this service. The hallmark of
school library in the 21st century is.... Its actions and
evidences that show that it makes a real difference to student
learning, that it contributes in tangible and significant ways to
the development of human understanding, meaning making and
constructing knowledge. The school library is about empowerment,
connectivity, engagement and its outcome is knowledge
construction.
I would like to finish off by highlighting the six guiding
principles for school libraries. The dynamic nature of today's
information landscape makes it difficult to reliably predict the
exact nature of the future of school library. These guidelines for
school library development are therefore based on broad principles
rather than specific standards. The six guiding principles are:
Information literacy: the school library is a learning environment
central to the development of information - literate school
community.
Service: The school library is a managed centre of professional
expertise and support for the school community.
Reading: The school library is a foundation for the school's
literacy programmes and a catalyst for the development of lifelong
readers.
Access: The school library is a hub and interface with organised
system for accessing and managing information and resources.
Information resources: The school library is a provider of
information resources selected to meet the curriculum and
information needs of the school.
Place: The school library is a student - centred facility designed
to play a key role in the intellectual, educational, and cultural
life of the school.
During my spell as a Lecturer in Library and Information Studies
(1998 - 2004) with Gaulim and Madang Primary Teachers' Colleges I
saw and realised that there is a great demand for establishment
and improvement in this area.
I have also written course materials titled; Library and
Information Studies, as a core unit for Madang Primary Teachers
College (MTC) and an elective unit titled; Primary School Library
Management, on how to set up a school library/information centres.
For a start interested teachers can ask MTC for a copy of this two
course booklets. These booklets are not classy but at least
something to start with.
-The writer is a Papua New Guinean
lecturer with the School of Information and Social Sciences at The
Open Polytechnic of New Zealand in Wellington, NZ.
 
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