In all regions, Europe, U.S., Asia and Africa, there are similarities between successful media centers. Malaysia and Tanzania were interesting exceptions because their independence had a serious positive affect on the flourishing of their school libraries. The role of the librarian was documented in this article. Some as teacher/librarian with more emphasis on teaching and less attention to keeping the libraries hours or developing a school library. In Beijing (pg. 567), "many schools had up to five librarians or teachers interested in promoting the library". So here the librarian promotes the library. In the West, many school libraries were very dependent on public libraries either being started/supported by public libraries. ex. pg 565 the public library and school libraries developed a cooperative agreement in 1987. Most school libraries were governed first by local authorities like town councils, and then school boards, and then legislation and national boards like the National Board of Education.
Question: What elements make a successful school library center?
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I can't help but feel that there may be something more important than having a good librarian or even a good collection, and that's LETTING THE KIDS USE THE LIBRARIES! To my recollection we were hardly ever allowed to go to the school library in middle and high school. A school library that the students don't get to use can never be successful.
During my one year at Madison's Memorial High School I think I was only allowed in the library a handful times. Most of those were just into the little fiction room to get a book to read for an English book report, and once or twice I actually got to go into the main part of the library to research a report on WWII. That was it. I hope things are different now, because it sure seemed like a waste to have all those books sitting on the shelf with no one coming in to look at them.
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