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School Libraries and Resource Centers Section

Information Coordinator’s Report 2006

In February 2006, Chair James Henri appointed me Information Officer of the Section, after the resignation of Julie Tallman. I took up this function with agreement of my employer, the Flemish Library and Archive Association VVBAD. VVBAD was happy to contribute in this way to Ifla’s work.

1. School-L

First I tried to reactivate the Section’s discussion list, School-L. I asked all members to confirm that they wanted to stay on the list. I contacted the members both through the list and personally. Members that did not reply, were removed from the list. Then I asked Ifla HQ a list of the Section’s members. I contacted those that were not yet members of School-L and invited them to join the list. As a result, there are less members (about 90 instead of 160), but the list is used more actively.

International School Library Day

Then I established contacts with the organising committee of IASL’s International School Library Day (ISLD). I joined their list and added co-ordinator Rick Mulholland to School-L. Information about the organisation of ISLD was spread to the Section’s members. The sample letter to Ministers of Education asking them to recognise ISLD mentions Ifla support for ISLD. Rick published an article about ISLD in the Section’s Newsletter.

Advocacy Kit for School Libraries

The development of an Advocacy Kit for School Libraries is a continuing concern of the Standing Committee. A first edition of the Kit was published in July 2006 on the web pages of the Section (http://www.ifla.org/VII/s11/pubs/s11_AdvocacyKit.html). The document presents ideas on how to use the Ifla/Unesco School Library Manifesto and the Ifla/Unesco School Library Guidelines and refers to interesting resources and research available on the web.

Other relations

Ensil, the European Network for School Libraries and Information Literacy (www.ensil.eu) established a discussion list in 2006 which I joined. I regularly used the list to inform Ensil members about the Section’s activities. I did the same with IASL members through IASL-Link.

Further plans

There are plans to further develop the Advocacy Kit. E.g. ready-to-use presentations on advocacy issues could be added to the Kit and new resources and research will be evaluated and added. I also hope to get in touch with other regional groups or discussion lists, to establish contacts similar to those with IASL and Ensil. Priority for the next year, however, will be raising the membership of the Section.

Bruno Vermeeren
Information Officer