School library

School libraries are libraries in schools. They are also referred to as school library or school media center.

Manifestations of the school library

It is generally referred to in the educational and library literature today with the term school library a facility that is centrally accessible to all students and teachers. The tasks of a school library extend this idea by all members of a schools and their information needs.

However, this understanding has not yet been enforced everywhere. Is still found in practice four school library types.

• School libraries, which manage all media stocks and their stock is both pupils and teachers accessible
• Student libraries that are aligned solely on the supply of students
• Teachers libraries that are available for students not (or only in exceptional cases) and align their media inventory on the teaching staff of a school.
• Classroom libraries whose stocks are in a classroom and are usually cared for by the respective class. In particular in elementary schools and day care centers are to find such solutions.

Situation in Germany

In Germany there is no single school librarianship. Although many schools have a library, but this is enough in a few cases, the demands of a modern, multimedia, educational oriented library with school work stations, reading areas, computers, digital catalog (OPAC) and trained personnel.

Local authorities (typically, cities and municipalities) are responsible for the library system, for school education ministries ( teaching / teachers) and local authorities ( school construction, non teaching staff ). Where the school library ownership and responsibility are in one hand, as in the ( district-free ) large cities, there is sometimes a significant cooperation in the form of combined city and school libraries. The lack of legal protection of school libraries and the unclear assignment affect features and objectives of individual libraries.

The school libraries are conducted in Germany mainly by teachers, very rarely by librarians. They often are assistants to the side, the longer opening times permit ( students, parents, but other volunteers ). Also ALG II recipients are often used for a " voluntary work " as assistants in school libraries.

In some German cities and regions as well as individual public libraries school library jobs have been created. Their job is to support school libraries, advising on the establishment, often ongoing support. Some of these jobs (the largest is operated by the City Library of Frankfurt am Main, there are more inter alia in Hamburg and Leipzig) have been operating for decades.

Overall, the school libraries have not yet become an integral part of the education system in Germany.

Situation in German-speaking countries (except Germany )

In Austria, with the help of funding from the federal government in the high schools, but increasingly also set up in the other types of school libraries. The Austrian school libraries evolve to multimedia libraries. They are locally supported by the Ministry of Education, the Austrian Book Club and literacy centers in the provinces.

In Switzerland, the interests of school libraries of the Swiss Association of the general public libraries are represented (SAB ).

In the German-speaking South Tyrol there will be a nationwide promotion of school librarianship. A high priority has the school librarianship and in the regions of the German minority in Belgium and Denmark.

School libraries in other countries

Europe

Almost everywhere are school libraries in France, established in the United Kingdom and Denmark. In France, the school library " Centre de documentation et d'information (CDI ) " (Documentation and Information Centre ) and is led by a teacher ( professeur documentaliste ). In the UK, a school library association is active, the School Library Association (SLA). In Portugal, the Ministry of Education has set up in recent times many school libraries. In Sweden, the obligation to establish school libraries from the Library Law, where she had remained unnoticed, into the Education Act 2011 ( version dated 2 January 2011 at the Internet Archive ), § 36.2 adopted. An overview of the situation in Europe is the thesis of a Dutch school librarian.

United States

In the U.S., school libraries are a traditional and solid institution that is found on 92 % of the public and almost all private school. Depending on the funding for the school district or private vehicle stocks are often similar extensive as that of a public library. At 86% of public schools, school libraries of professionals ( Teacher - librarian, School Library Media Specialist) are cared for, the need to have appropriate training as a librarian with a teacher certificate also. At their workplace, they exert not only library activities, but also supervise the students who work here or borrow books and teach yourself School Librarian associations in the United States complain but regularly over a strong use of School Library Media Specialists as a substitute teacher for lost hours. This would be borne by the school library work. Already in primary schools ( elementary schools ) is one of taking place in the classroom weekly library visit, be borrowed from the books for the home, as well as to the timetable of sport, art or music lessons. Reinforced penetrate Schulbibliotherkverbände and -forscher/-innen on the embedded teacher - librarian who organizes or in lessons, lesson planning, in the conference and the college will collaborate with subject teachers / indoor teaching and learning processes. The budget situation, the U.S. government also requires the education cuts. This is true school librarian / inside especially hard because they rather seem to be unnecessary because specialist teachers / inside.

Japan

→ Main article: Japanese librarianship # School Libraries