Role of school librarians with special reference to Kurunegala District

Abstract

School librarian’s role is very important to the present society. Teacher centered education system has ceased to exist. Now it has changed to student centered education, as such the role of the school librarian will become very important in the future. Presently the school librarian is also engaged in the curriculum development of the school. We are using the term “resource centre” is used for the school library today. It has resources in different formats. The school library is essential for every long term strategy of the school. All school libraries should provide a learning area supported by a strong technological infrastructure. The main objective of this study is to identify the present role of school librarianship. All school libraries should provide an environment conducive for learning. A modern school library is supported by a strong technological infrastructure and it also conducts school programmes to upgrade the information skills of students and also teachers. The school librarian’s relationships with all user groups are examined in this study. The study is based on school librarians in the Kurunegala District. The researcher has used only libraries in national schools. Due to lack of time, the research dealt with only six national schools selected from the Kurunegala District. The sample includes 180 students, 6 school librarians and 30 teachers in the 3 selected educational zones in the Kurunegala District. The study covered only the A/L students.The research method of this study was the survey method and the qualitative and quantitative data collection method is also used. The study revealed that school librarians are working with students, teachers, administrators and parents to achieve the mission of the school. Further they are more involved in school activities and he /she is a very active person in the school environment. School librarians are organizing various activities for students, and thereby encourage cultural and social awareness and sensitivity. School librarians also provide flexible scheduling and timely access to the collection by all students. They are always trying to give an efficient service to the school community. But they have a lot of challenges and issues. Proper identification of these problems is vital for their progress and development.