Section of School Libraries and Resource Centers

Newsletter Number 33
July, 1998

IFLA General Conference : Amsterdam 1998 Schedule and Programme of Meetings

Agenda for Standing Committee Meetings in Amsterdam

AGENDA

1. Welcome and presentations

2. Approval of agenda

3. Apologies for absence

4. Members of the Standing Committee

5. Attendance of observers

6. Approval of the minutes of the meetings held in Copenhagen, August 1997

7. Matters arising from the minutes

8. Scheduling of meetings and programme of the Open Sessions and Workshops

9. Future Conferences

9.1 Bangkok 1999

Open session
Workshops

9.2 Jerusalem 2000
Open session
Workshops

9.3 Boston 2001

9.4 Glasgow 2002
25th Anniversary of the Section

Secretary's report

Hay/Henri Project

Guidelines for School Libraries - consideration of revision

Workshop on School Library Manifesto

School Libraries and Resource Centres
(co-sponsored by National Library of Canada)

Theme: Unesco School Library Manifesto: Public Consultation

Expert consultation and discussion of the Draft UNESCO School Library Manifesto will consist of the following sections:

1. Introduction
   GWYNNETH EVANS (National and International Programmes, National Library of Canada, Ottawa, Canada)
2. Le projet de Manifeste de l'UNESCO sur la bibliothèque scolaire: origines, elaboration et promotion en vue de son adoption/The Manifesto project: origins, development and promotion for its adoption
   PAULETTE BERNHARD (Ecole de bibliotheconomie et des sciences de l'information, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada)
3. Reactions to the 4th draft of the UNESCO School Library Manifesto by experts
4. Discussion of the main issues and amendments by participants
5. Identification of the next steps
   GWYNNETH EVANS (National Library of Canada) and GLENYS WILLARS (Leicestershire Libraries and Information Service, Leicester, UK)
6. Concluding remarks
   GWYNNETH EVANS

An International Study on the Principal's Role in Developing Information Literacy

IFLA and IASL/Softlink have provided funding for an international study of the principal's role in developing and supporting information literacy. The study is being organized by an international research team, Lyn Hay and James Henri from Charles Sturt University in Australia and Dianne Oberg from the University of Alberta in Canada. Six countries are involved in the international study. The coordinators for the studies in each country are: Lyn Hay and James Henri for Australia, Dianne Oberg for Canada, Liisa Niinikangas for Finland, Colette Charrier for France, Setsuko Koga for Japan, James Herring for Scotland, and Yoon-ok Han for South Korea.

Background to the Study

This project continues a program of research that has been developed by the researchers in Canada and Australia. Lyn Hay and James Henri have completed a qualitative study in Australia, based on work done in this area by Dianne Oberg and Linda LaRocque in Canada. Findings from the Canadian study were presented at the 1990 IASL conference and findings from the Australian study were presented at the 1995 IFLA conference as part of the School Libraries Programme Session. The qualitative studies, conducted by Oberg and LaRocque and by Hay and Henri provided analyses of the ways that principals working within an information literate school community are able to support the school librarian. The projects also identified the methods used by school librarians to involve the principal in the development of effective school library and information services. The Canadian project involved 5 schools in Alberta; the Australian project was undertaken in 6 schools in New South Wales.

Having identified the factors of influence and support that exist between the principal and the school librarian, the researchers have undertaken a the development of a quantitative study to test the existence of these factors across a broader range of schools. In doing so, statistical measures are being employed to test the correlation of years of service, types of experience, and qualifications of principals and school librarians and the size of, financial status of, and methods of communication within the schools to the existence of various forms of support. While the qualitative studies have provided in-depth understanding of a small sample of schools, it is important to test the validity of these findings over extended populations.

The international study involves a quantitative investigation, surveying both principals and teacher-librarians about principal support, making use of data from the original qualitative studies. Involvement of other countries in the study began at the 1995 IFLA conference, and funding was sought from both IFLA and IASL. For the 1997 IFLA conference, the researchers organized a full day workshop. Four papers were given on the research related to the role of the principal and a workshop was held for the researchers participating in the international study. Researchers from each of these countries provided input and advice regarding the adaptation, translation and administration of the quantitative instrument and planned the procedures for data collection, analysis, and dissemination.

Description of the Research Methodology

Questionnaires, based on the interviewee data fields used and the key factors resulting from the original qualitative studies, were developed and tested in Australia. Two model questionnaires--one for principals and one for school librarians--were developed. The questionnaires include both forced choice and open-ended questions. It was recognized that these questionnaires would have to be adapted and translated in order to be administered in other countries. Each member of the research team is responsible for the collection of data in their country and for the entry of those data onto a Web-based data collection site at the School of Information Studies, Charles Sturt University (CSU). Where possible, the study participants have been asked to enter their responses on an electronic format of the questionnaire, accessed through the Internet. The quantitative study data are being analyzed using SPSS by Hay and Henri at CSU. Statistical measures will be employed to test the correlation of years of service, types of experience, and qualifications of principals and school librarians; size of, financial status of, and methods of communication within the schools, and so on to the existence of various forms of support. The qualitative data from the open ended questions will be analyzed using a framework and procedures developed by Oberg at the University of Alberta. Each member of the research team is responsible for compiling a report, including findings from both qualitative and qualitative data, for their own country.

Dissemination of Research Findings

The research team anticipate that the findings will be published in book format sometime in the future. Research findings include the forms of support for school librarians offered by principals; the types of actions taken by school librarians to develop principal support; the strategies implemented by principals and school librarians in developing information literate school communities; and the professional development needs of principals and school librarians with respect to developing an information literate school community.

The researchers will also review the overall research design and methodology in light of their experience with this international project. This project has demonstrated the potential to foster collaboration in research within school librarianship on an international scale. It is anticipated that it will also contribute to the development and publication of an international set of guidelines for principals and school librarians in developing effective information services and supporting information literacy programs in schools.

In July, at the IASL conference in Israel, the researchers from Australia and Canada will be giving an overview of the progress on the work as of May 1998 and giving sample findings from the Canadian and Australian data. In August, at the IFLA conference in the Netherlands, the researcher team and the coordinators of the studies done in each of the participating countries will be presenting more findings from the project. These sessions will provide information that will be useful to principals and school librarians in countries throughout the world, as they struggle in difficult times to provide quality schooling and information services and to contribute to the development of literate and independent library users. The sessions will also be of interest to researchers who might want to replicate the study in other countries.

Note 1: An earlier version of this report was published in the March 1998 issue of the IASL Newsletter (Vol. 27, No.1, pp. 8-9). Note 2: A list of the conference presentations and publications related to the project will be published in the next issue of the newsletter.

News from IASL

Winners of Jean E. Lowrie Leadership Development Grant

The Jean E. Lowrie Leadership Development Grant provides support of US$1000 and conference registration to a school library leader from a developing country who is attending his or her first IASL conference. The grant, funded through the generosity of IASL members and friends, was named in 1995 in honour of Dr. Lowrie, the first president and first executive secretary of IASL. This year IASL is able to give two grants, thanks to a generous donation from Morton Schindel at the Weston Wood Institute. This year's grant winners are Mrs. Suzie Gamba from the National Primary Education Commission in Kaduna, Nigeria and Professor A. A. Alemna from the University of Ghana in Legon, Ghana.

Special Interest Groups

In the past year, Ross Todd, one of the IASL Vice-Presidents, has been encouraging members to participate in the Special Interest Groups or SIGs that have developed in the Association over the years. The SIGs function as forums for IASL members to share their interests and carry out activities. There are SIGs in the following interest areas: Advocacy; Children's and Young Adult Literature; Literacy (Learning How to Read); Information Literacy (Developing Skills in Using Information); Information Technology; International Schools; School Library Education; and School Library Research. Most of the activity of the SIGs is carried out on the Association's listserv, IASL-LINK. For more information, check out the IASL website, at , which is managed by webmaster, Anne Clyde from the University of Iceland.

Poster Session at IFLA Conference

The work of IASL will be featured as one of the Poster Sessions at this year's IFLA conference in Amsterdam. The title of the poster presentation is "Celebration and Renewal--IASL Today." The poster will be displayed continuously though the conference and the presenter will be available to talk with interested people during the two "official" poster sessions, on Tuesday and Wednesday of the conference from 1200 to 1400 hours. I would be delighted to talk with members of the IFLA Section of School Libraries and Resource Centers at the poster session.

IASL Conference in Israel

The IASL conference, to be held July 5-9, 1998 at Ramat-Gan, Israel, is shaping up to be an exciting conference. There will be both research and professional papers presented at the conference on topics such as censorship and the school library, consultation and collaboration, information literacy, the Internet, children's literature, and school library education. Presenters are from around the world--Canada, Israel, the United States, Iceland, India, Japan, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Nigeria, Poland, Jamaica, and Estonia. There are always opportunities to meet old and new friends in relaxed social occasions at the IASL conference. A highlight for many conference goers this year, I am sure, will be the Sabbath-hospitality program planned by local librarians.

Welcome to IFLA's new coordinator of Professional Activities

Publications

The guidelines, produced under the auspices of the United Kingdom Library Association, revise and update those published in 1992 under the title 'Learning Resources in Schools. They deal specifically with secondary school libraries, placing them in the context of current educational imperatives and thinking. The document is divided into two parts. The first is an executive summary of policy for teachers, governors and education officers. The second part is a practical section for the professional librarian, teacher librarian and others responsible for managing libraries in secondary schools. Among other topics, the guidelines cover: level of provision, management, information skills and ICT (Information Communication Technology), inspection, exploitation of resources, funding, evaluation

The Guidelines are the result of the work of a specially convened committee which was chaired by Glenys Willars.

From September 1998 the editor, Anthony Tilke, will be head Librarian at Harrow International School Bangkok.

School Libraries Worldwide Vol. 4, No. 1, January 1998

The theme of the current issue of School Libraries Worldwide (Vol. 4, No. 1, January 1998) was Power and Politics. Theme articles include: School Library Resource Centre Policies in Canada: Re-Viewing a Shared Vision by Ray Dorion, from Canada; Adoption of a District-Level School Library Policy: A Case Study in Change by Dianne Oberg, also from Canada; Library Power: A Potent Agent for Change in Media Programs by Julie Tallman and Shirley Tastad, from the USA; and Information Literacy at the Grassroots in New Zealand by Gwen Gawith, from New Zealand. The articles in the Of Special Interest section included: Information Literacy: A Clarification by Linda Langford, from Australia; and Some Problems of Secondary School Libraries in Ghana by V. K. Fosu, from Ghana. Copies of issues of School Libraries Worldwide are available for US$15, from the IASL Secretariat, Suite 300, Box 34069, Seattle, WA 98124-1069 USA / fax: (604)925-0566 / e-mail: .

Compétences en information-documentation: référentiel. Paris: FADBEN, 1997 (MEDIADOC, Les Dossiers)
Available from: FADBEN 25, rue Claude Tillier 75012 PARIS FRANCE

Information literacy skills are a specific topic of interest for the French teacher librarians at the present time. Last year, they asked the Ministry of Education to allow a research group to elaborate an official text about this subject in direction of the educative team as a whole. This text has not been issued yet, but the association of teacher librarians (FADBEN) relied on this opportunity to write a list of skills which are required from a pupil who can be considered as information literate when he leaves school. The target skills are directly related to the different steps of the research process, in the context of what is called the "learning society". The list is a major tool for teacher librarians to place these skills at the core of subject activities in different parts of the curriculum. It is meant to describe which knowledge, which capacities are involved in an information retrieval process. Bringing new representations and offering a negotiation frame are at stake, as far as the institution is concerned. Information literacy skills are in that way considered as real cognitive tools. The French teacher librarians want every pupil to develop specific skills in activities which are based upon the use of their particular information system, the CDI, and the training must allow the pupils to be aware of the transfer of these skills to other areas of the curriculum. This list of skills will help the teacher librarians themselves to clarify their involvement in activities with pupils and their partnership with other teachers,.

Conferences

1998

July 5-9. IASL Conference in Israel
(For more information see under News from IASL p. 6 )

July 15-17. In Celebration of Children's Literature Institute, University of Southern Maine, Gorham.
The faculty members at this summer's institute will include Ann Turner, David Wisniewski, Jennifer Justice, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Charlotte Agell, Kevin Hawkes, Nick Heller, and Alice Mead. For more information, contact In Celebration of Children's Literature, University of Southern Maine, 305 Bailey Hall, Gorham, ME 04038; (207) 780-5326; dschorr@usm.maine.edu.

August 16-22. Children's Literature New England Institute, Cambridge, England.
The 12th annual institute will be held at Newnham College, Cambridge University. This year's theme is "Let the Wild Rumpus Start: Play in Children's Books". Featured speakers include Susan Cooper, Anne Fine, Alan Garner, and Russell Hoban. For information, contact Martha Walke, P.O. Box 1422, Pepperell, MA 01463; (978) 433-1911; www.geocities.com/athens/olympus/5715/.

September 18-20. School Library Association and Young Book Trust. Whiteknights Hall, Reading University
Forging Links - Libraries and Literacy. Course directors Pat Williams, Dianne Southcombe, Lesley Mitchell. Equiries contact Kathy Lemaire, Dawn Barras, Ann Adams, School Library Association, Liden Library Barrington Close, Liden, Swindon Wiltshire SN3 6HF. Telephone: 01793 617838, Fax: 01793 537374, E-mail: course@sla.org.uk

September 20-24. International Board on Books for Young People 26th World Congress, New Delhi, India.
This is your chance to see the world's oldest collection of stories for children , the Panchatantra, as part of a special exhibition at this year's conference. "Peace Through Children's Books" is the theme. The general assembly will be held on September 23. The conference will also include the presentation of the 1998 Hans Christian Andersen Award. For details, contact Manorama Jafa, IBBY, Nehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi, 110002, India; phone (9111)331-69-70; fax (9111)372-10-90.

September 24-25. Children's and School Libraries' Services in the Digital World and the Case of the European Project Chilias. Horemi Hall, Athens College, Athens, Greece.
CHILIAS-CHIldren in Libraries: Information - Animation - Skills, the European Virtual Children's Library, is an EU project funded under the 4th Framework Programme for R&TD by the Libraries Sector of DGXIII. From 1996 to 1998, Chilias, under the co-ordination of Stuttgart City Library, Germany, with partners from Finland, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Spain and United Kingdom has created six multimedia virtual libraries for children on the Internet. The space metaphor, "Infoplanet", is used to symbolize the idea of the European virtual libraries of CHILIAS. The project offers a new model for libraries interested in becoming stimulating environments for innovative learning with the use of technologies. CHILIAS INTERNATIONAL HOME PAGE: http://chilias.isegi.unl.pt/chilias_int For registration: Travel Plan/Congress Department 9, Christou Lada Street, 102 37 Athens, Greece; phone (+301)3255490, (+301)3333300-4, (+301)3238801; fax (+301)3249172, (+301)3221448; e-mail ademir@dolnet.gr

September 26 - October 3. Banned Books Week.
This is the 17th annual event promoting the freedom to read. For information, see ALA's Web site at www.ala.org/bbooks or contact ALA at (800) 545-2433, ext. 4223.

October 22-24. The 4th Canadian Images Canadiennes Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Make a plan to rendezvous at "Rendezvous", the title of this year's conference, sponsored by the Manitoba School Library Association. Workshops will be conducted by English and French Canadian authors, illustrators, and storytellers. For details, contact Joan Simpson, 56 Rosewarne Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R2M OV7; (204)233-0117; jnsimps@mbnet.mb.ca

November 1-5. Second Annual Internet Librarian Conference, Monterey, CA.
Sponsored by Internet Today, Inc., this gathering is designed to keep you up to speed on the Internet, the Web, and information services software. For details, contact Information Today at (800)300-9868; custserv@infotoday.com

1999

November 10-14. Ninth National Conference and Exhibition of the American Association of School Librarians, Birmingham, AL.
If you think it's too early to plan for next year's conference, think again. The deadline for submitting presentation proposals is July 15 of this year. For more information, visit the AASL conference Web site at www.ala.org/aasl/birmingham or call (800)545-2433, ext.4383

August 20-28. 65th IFLA Conference, Bangkok, Thailand
Theme: "Libraries as Gateways to an Enlightened World"

IFLA Headquarters
c/o Koninklijke bibliotheek
Prins Willem Alsanderhof 5
The Hague, Netherlands
Telephone 07-240884
FAX 070-834827
Telex 34402 kb no
Bankers
Alemene Bank
Nederland NV
Accounting 53 36 38 911

Chairperson
Glenys Willars

Secretary
Alexandra Papazoglou