School Library Services – My thoughts

School Library Services and my thoughts

Learning is a process of active engagement with experience. It is what we do when we want to make sense of the world. It may involve an increase in skills, knowledge, understanding, values and the capacity to reflect. Effective learning leads to change, development and a desire to learn more.

I strongly believe that the school libraries have a vital role to play in underpinning education in the broadest sense.

Library Services in Schools should:

Provide professional services, resources, and instructional leadership in support of student performance.
Assist students, staff, parents, and community members to become effective users of library resources and technology in the ever-changing learning community.

Ensure that students become effective users of ideas and information as well as develop abilities that will allow them to solve problems and become independent, ethical, lifelong learners.

The primary learning experiences that could be looked for in the library setting are

• motivation (for learning), such as expression of enthusiasm, absorption in the task;
• progression (in learning), specific skills relating to information handling, reading, study skills, and new knowledge, such as the ability to make notes, cite references, etc.
• independence (in learning), which was described as following from progression after the mastery of a task or skill and included confidence and competence to continue and progress with task unaided, transfer of skills from elsewhere in curriculum, confidence to seek help and increased self-esteem;
• interaction (in learning), which was described as both a means of learning and a learning experience in its own right, such as peer co-operation, discussion about a task, use of appropriate behavior.

A variety of curriculum-related library activities can be introduced across a range of age groups, such as research work, a skills course, reading promotion as well as activities relating to the broader learning experience.

I have very creative and innovative ideas to make sure our school libraries are open for a reasonable amount of time with a minimal cost to the school district.