The Librain

What is a School Library for?

After some discussion about this on the SLN mailing list and also some messages to the list which show widely differing views of what constitutes the purpose of a school library, I am posting here my own thoughts on this subject. Whatever your view, I feel that it is important to have a clear vision for the school library and your own role. This is mine:

Ideas from other sources:
I am trying to find a link to what the School Libraries Group of CILIP has to say, but the CILIP site seems to be not working – I will add this as soon as I can.

The School Library Association believes that the purpose of a school library is to provide a wide range of books and multimedia resources to support teaching and learning throughout the key stages, and foster a reading and information culture that promotes independent motivated readers and learners for life.  It will be appropriately staffed and funded and accessible to the whole school community during and outside the school day.

The American Association of School Librarians has various “Position Statements” on the role of the Library and Librarian.

The Australian School Library Association has a range of policy documents on its site, including this School Library Bill of Rights.

I will develop this post later on as I think of more things to say!

I am now busy transferring the links on to Diigo as the site has now gone – along with the associated email address. It will then be incorporated into another site – watch this space for more details.

Then I had better get on with posting other things as The Librain! I am so busy in my new job and with my new library website. But I am sure that there are issues that I will want to write about here in the near future.