ONLINE ASSIGNMENT

1. ONLINE ASSIGNMENT
2014-15

2. TOPIC
SCHOOL LIBRARY
Submitted by,
RAKHI.R.K
NATUARAL SCIENCE
Reg.No:18114377012
PTM College of Education
Maruthoorkonam
SubmittedTo,
Mrs.JAYASREE.S.O
Lecture Incharge
NATUARAL SCIENCE
PTM College of EducationMaruthoorkonam

3. INTRODUCTION
The later part of the 19th century marked the beginning of the modern
American library movement with the creation of the American Library
Association (ALA) in 1876 by a group of librarians led by Melvil Dewey. At
these beginning stages of development, the school libraries were primarily
made up of small collections with the school librarian playing primarily a
clerical role.
Dewey wrote that "a broad conception at the end of the century of the
work of the schools is simply this, to teach the children to think accurately,
with strength and with speed. If it is in the school that they get their start, then
where do they get their education?"
1920 marked the first effort by the library and education communities
to evaluate school libraries with the publication of the Certain Report,which
provided the first yardstick for evaluating school libraries.
School libraries experienced another major push following the launch of
Sputnik in 1957, which forced the United States to re-evaluate its priorities for
math and science education. As a result, the 1960s were one of the greatest
periods of growth and development for school libraries due to an increased
flow of money and support from the private sector and public funding for
education. Most notable during this time was the Knapp School Libraries
Project which established model school library media centers across the
country. Hundreds of new school libraries were expanded and renovated
during this time.
Most recently, school libraries have been defined by three major
guidelines documents: Information Power (1988) and Information Power
II (1998).Globally important mission statement is the Unesco School library
Manifesto which states: "The school library provides information and ideas
that are fundamental to functioning successfully in today’s information and
knowledge-based society. The school library equips students with life-long
learning skills and develops the imagination, enabling them to live as
responsible citizens"

4. SCHOOL LIBRARY
A school library (or a school library media center) is a library within
a school where students, staff, and often, parents of a public or private
school have access to a variety of resources. The goal of the school library
media center is to ensure that all members of the school community have
equitable access "to books and reading, to information, and to information
technology." A school library media center "uses all types of media... is
automated, and utilizes the Internet [as well as books] for information
gathering." School libraries are distinct from public libraries because they
serve as "learner-oriented laboratories which support, extend, and
individualize the school's curriculum... A school library serves as the center
and coordinating agency for all material used in the school."
Researchers have demonstrated that school libraries have a positive
impact on student achievement through the more than 60 studies have been
conducted in 19 U.S. states and one Canadian province. The major finding of
these studies was that students with access to a well-supported school library
media program with a qualified school library media specialist, scored higher
on reading assessments regardless of their socio-economic statuses. In
addition, a study conducted in Ohio revealed that 99.4% of students surveyed
believed that their school librarians and school library media programs
helped them succeed in school. A report that reported similar conclusions was
compiled by Michele Lonsdale in Australia in 2003.
Organization of School Library
The Fiction section was (and still is for the time being) organized by the
first letter of the author's last name, making everything really hard to find.
The Nonfiction section was full of hundreds of outdated books, like a pro
basketball collection from 1994. The Biography section included books on
people who were famous when I was in middle school (about 20 years ago.)
I do not have a library assistant, so I depend on students to help shelve
my books. I am thankful for any help I can get, but as I started doing
inventory, I noticed just how out of order everything really was. It was clear
to me that I was going to have to spend some time cleaning up my library's
collection. I have spent numerous days this summer weeding, reorganizing,
and getting things in proper order.

5. Things look much better, and I've done some reorganizing to make
books easier for the students to find. In my Fiction section, I cleared off some
shelves for series of chapter books (like Dan Gutman's My Weird School, 39
Clues, Nancy Drew, Magic Tree House, etc.) The old configuration had series
sprinkled throughout the other books with the same first letter of the author's
last name. Students destroyed the shelves looking for certain series and the
books were just plain hard to find. I have marked all the series books with a
neon pink sticker to help students shelve them in the proper location. This
will make the regular Fiction shelves much easier to navigate as well. I'm also
going to try a new easy chapter book section for students who are just starting
to read chapter books.
Do you have any suggestions for ways to improve my shelves? How do
you deal with elementary library organization problems? Leave your helpful
hints in the comments.
The purpose of the school library
School library media centers in the 21st century can, and should be, hubs
for increased student achievementand positive focused school reform--Kathleen
D. Smith
The school library exists to providearange of learningopportunitiesfor
both large and small groups as well as individuals with a focus on intellectual
content, information literacy, and the learner.[12] In addition to classroom
visits with collaborating teachers, the school library also serves as a place for
students to do independent work, use computers, equipment and research
materials; to host special events such as author visits and book clubs; and for
tutoring and testing.
School libraries function as a central location for all of the information
available, and a school librarian functions as the literary map to the resources
and materials found within the library.
A school library functions as an opportunity for educators to work with
librarians in support of a resource center for the students to be able to safely
access the internet for both school work and interacting with each other. In
her article, "Tag! You're It!": Playing on the Digital Playground, De las Casas
discusses how today's youth is much more comfortable with technology than
ever before, and believes that “We need to advocate for regulations and laws

6. that support education of young people rather than simply limiting their
access to the Web.”
The school library media center program is a collaborative venture in
which school library media specialists, teachers, and administrators work
together to provide opportunities for the social, cultural, and educational
growth of students. Activities that are part of the school library media
program can take place in the school library media center, the laboratory
classroom, through the school, and via the school library's online resources
In Australia school libraries have played a major role in the success of
Reading Challenge programs initiated and funded by various State
Governments.
The Premier's Reading Challenge in South Australia, launched by
Premier Mike Rann (2002 to 2011) has one of the highest participation rates
in the world for reading challenges. It has been embraced by more than 95%
of public, private and religious schools.

7. CONCLUSION
In contrast to primary schools, the whole school support of students’
development of positive attitudes towards reading was not strength in the
secondary schools. Fifty-three percent of the schools were effective in this
area, and only 22 percent of these were highly effective.
However, students had developed positive attitudes towards reading to
some extent in 59 percentof the secondary schools, and to a great extent in 15
percent (compared with 44 percent and 44 percent respectively, in primary
schools). These findings reflect that in spite of the low priority placed on
fostering student enthusiasm for reading in many secondary schools, and an
overall drop off in secondary students’ enthusiasm for reading, some students
had developed, or retained, an enthusiasm for reading at secondary school.
While this could be attributed to a cumulative effect of schooling by the time
they get to secondary school, the influence of individual teachers, or home
factors, it appears that the school library may also be a key factor in this area
(refer under School librarybelow).
ERO found that in the secondary schools, improved outcomes for
students in developing positive attitudes towards reading were likely to be
greater in the medium decile and medium-sized schools than in the low decile
and small schools. In turn, student outcomes were also likely to be greater in
the high decile and large secondary schools than in the medium decile and
medium-sized secondary schools. Although the size of the secondary school
sample was small in this evaluation, this finding warrants further
investigation to identify any specific barriers that lower decile secondary
schools may face, and any opportunities that higher decile secondary schools
are able to employ, in developing a school reading culture. There was no
statistically significant difference between the rural and urban or school size
groupings in relation to developing positive attitudes towards reading in the
secondary schools.
REFERENCE
1. The goals of the schoollibrary program should support the mission
and continuous improvementplan of the school district. Standards
2. Jump up^ Morris, B. (2004). Administering the schoollibrary media
center.Westport,CT: Libraries Unlimited.