This report is an evaluation of phase 2 of LPYL, which I have conducted, commissioned by Bibliotek i Samhälle.

In 1995 EPU (Education Policy Unit) at the University of Natal, hosted an international conference titled "School Learners and Libraries". The conference was supported by SIDA through a fund intervention by Bibliotek i Samhälle (BiS; Libraries in Society). In response to a conference resolution calling for a redressive school library policy the Department of Education initiated a process that led to the drafting of the National Policy Framework for School Library Standards. Towards the end of the process of formulating the Policy Framework the Library Practice for Young Learners (LPYL) project was initiated. The main objective of the project was to contribute to the development of school libraries as part of the restructuring of the South African educational system as envisaged in Curriculum 2005. The main targets were school library policy developers and implementers as well as practitioners at schools serving disadvantaged communities with few resources and inadequate infrastructure.

The story of this project, which has been conducted in two phases: 1997 – 2000 and 2000 – 2002, and funded with a total amount of 3 million SEK by Sida, is briefly outlined below.

The background facts I am using under the headline "LPYL - basic facts" are taken from the booklet on the project that was presented in September 2002 (To set the ball rolling, p. 32f), supplemented with some abbreviations. This summary is covering both Phase 1 and 2. This section is followed by a background description that enhances the basic goals and ideas behind the project.

I then follow the strategic objectives of phase 2 with their different outcomes, as described in the Business Plan and scrutinise the fulfilment of planned activities. To make this report less extensive I have sometimes reproduced quotations, lists of names, memos etc in three appendices. Based on my results of my investigation I finally discuss to what extent the implementation of the strategic objectives have contributed to the fulfilment of the over all goal.

My evaluation is based on:

• Comprehensive school visit reports from the Project manager (PM)
• Quarterly reports from the schools
• Reports from the IASL conference in Malmö 2000
• Minutes from the reference groups in South Africa as well as in Sweden
• Travel reports from exchange tours
• Project reports from exchange travellers
• Oral interviews with some of the participants
• Reports from seminars and conferences
• The case study conducted in three schools
• School library manuals produced by the project
• Notes taken at the closing conference

 

LPYL has been conducted in two phases: 1997 – 2000 and 2000 – 2002.
The project has been funded with a total amount of 3 million SEK by Sida.
The project has been run by two working groups. In South Africa by a Reference Group supervising the work of the project managers. In Sweden, a Working Group has had the function of running the Swedish part of the project.

Partners in the process:

• LIWO Library and Information Workers' organisation (Phase one only)
• EPU Natal Education Policy Unit (Phase two only)
• NCEDTDE National Centre for Education Technology and Distance Education at the national Department of Education
• SCHELIS the Standing Committee of Heads of Education and Library Information services
• BiS Bibliotek i Samhälle ("Libraries in Society" a Swedish NGO)
• Sida Swedish Agency for International Development Co-operation

Phase 1:

LIWO Working Group members: Johnny Jacobs, Jenni Karlsson, Thuli Radebe, Lyne Metcalfe
National department representatives: June Matlala, Busi Ndawo
IMC representatives (Part time project managers): Maureen Mosselson, Cathy Stadler

Phase 2:

School library - national level (2): June Matlala, Busi Ndawo
School library - provincial level: Lyne Metcalfe
School/public library - district level: Pat Magwaza
School/public library – practitioner level: Mrs Nomvuko Nomnga
Former LIWO Working Group: Johnny Jacobs
EPU executive director (representing the SA partner)
Project manager: Jan Beeton (2000 – 2001)

Swedish Working group:

Helen Amborn (School librarian) (Phase 1), Barbro Bolonassos (Public librarian), Catharina Engström (School/public librarian) (Phase 2), Bodil Hildeman (Public librarian (Phase 2), Lena Lundgren (County library consultant), Kerstin Rydsjö (Teacher Swedish Library School), Lennart Wettmark (High school librarian), Malin Ögland (School librarian) (Phase 2).

Major activities of Phase 1:

• 27 September - 5 October 1997. Study tour to Stockholm with the provincial heads of school libraries and one of the project managers
• 20 - 28 February 1998. The Swedish Working Group conducts a study tour to SA and meet the SA participants going to Sweden
• 27-28 Mars 1998. Meeting in Uppsala to prepare the Swedish hosts
• 4-14 May 1998. Study tours for 18 school librarians/media advisors to Stockholm followed by visits two and two to either Malmö/Lund, Kristianstad, Kalmar, Borås, Skara, Örebro, Uppsala, or Sundsvall. The visits were followed up in SA with 20 workshops.
• 1999. 9.000 copies of Fifteen Innovative Ideas… distributed to 9.000 principals

Major activities of Phase 2

• Planning of phase two in Durban during two days in April 2000
• 6-10 August 2000. LPYL was reported in two seminars at the International Association of School Librarians (IASL) conference in Malmö
• 27 October - 4 November 2000. Nine Swedish librarians on study tour to SA. Divided into three study tours
• 13 – 20 may 2001. Ten South African librarians visiting Sweden hosted by the Swedish group of SA travellers in 2000.
• One day report in Stockholm of Swedish projects to BiS and National Board of Education representatives
• Research leading to the Case study report from three project schools in SA
• Three visits to each project school followed by extensive reports by the project manager
• Production of three draft library handbooks
• Production of exhibition in Sweden
• Final conference in Johannesburg 1 June 2002.
• Production of a booklet on the project

 

The first phase of the project LPYL took place 1997 - 1999.
The aims embraced for Phase One were to:

• Build a common vision and understanding of the National Policy Framework for School Library Standards among national and provincial senior managers with a school library responsibility
• Assist in operationalising the Policy Framework at a provincial level within an outcomes-based education context
• Develop the capacity of teacher-librarians and media advisors to be innovative in using limited resources
• Facilitate the democratic process of planning and developing school libraries

The intention of the project was to find an optimal use of development aid resources to add to a potential process in South Africa, while at the same time give a lot of Swedes (librarians, teachers, learners etc) a deeper understanding of South Africa in general and specifically schools/libraries.

The project did not aim to provide funds for the purchase of books. The main idea was rather to stimulate a process to develop human capacity.

The evaluation of that phase was done in the end of 1999 by Archie L Dick, professor in Library and Information Services at the University of South Africa. The evaluation was partly built on two questionnaires by Athol Leach from the Institution of Information Studies at the University of Natal. One of them illustrated the reception of an educational material, "Fifteen innovative ways with your learning resources", which was distributed to 9.000 schools. The other one gave evidence of the opinions about the project amongst school library heads on provincial level in the nine provinces. The project was considered very successful, but needed more support to be fulfilled. The initial work needed to be deepened and further developed,

A Business Plan for the second phase was elaborated. An organisational change between the partners took place since LIWO had been dissolved as organisation. It was replaced by Education Policy Unit (EPU), Natal as the new partner to BiS.

The Business Plan of Phase 2 states a couple of principles, which should be guiding the continued project work: principles of continuity (for Phase One participants); quality and depth (of developmental interventions); extension rather than repetition (of Phase One activities); development and not dependency; reflectivity (on lessons learnt from Phase One); coherence (with national policy trajectories) and interdisciplinary co-operation (with public/community librarian).

Based on these principles, the Business Plan developed six strategic objectives, (with 21 outcomes indicators and a lot of activity steps) These objectives were

• Capacity building and development
• Materials development
• Advocacy
• Study tour exchange programme
• Information and communications technologies
• Case study research

In the structure of the project, in phase one as well as in phase two, was a built-in interaction between three levels in South Africa: national, provincial and local

(The numbers put in brackets are taken from the description of the "outcomes" in the Business Plan)

This strategic objective has three sub-objectives.

Sub-objective A: to provide longitudinal support and development to

• The nine project schools and
• Relevant line functionaries within provincial departments

so that the project schools continues library development planning that will enable learners to access the curriculum through the effective provision of learning resources.

• School governing bodies, school management teams, teachers and teacher-librarians in the project schools receive sufficient regular support and guidance from the relevant school library advisor to ensure continued implementation of their library development plans.(1)
• The project manger makes three sets of school visits to provide support, and monitor and evaluate progress and ensure that plans are pursued. During the visit the project manager gathers data about the situation in each school and the development process, for record keeping and benchmarking to be used later in the project evaluation. (2)
• When the support from the school library advisor falters, the project manager facilitates problem–solving discussions between schools and district officers (3.)
• The teacher-librarian of each school writes quarterly reports about implementation of their library development plans and the support and guidance received from the relevant school library advisor.(4)

Sub-objective B: To develop capacity among the teachers of phase one schools, to plan, manage and use library-based resources within a policy framework.

• Each teacher-librarian submits documentation relating to their local school library policy, plans and budget for library-related development activities and their planned use of a project grant of R5.000 per school to implement these plans. (5)
• Each teacher-librarian writes accountability report about expenditure of the project grant of R5.000 and process of implementation at his/her school. (6)
• Each district manger/school library advisor writes a assessment report about how the relevant school plan for using the project grant of R5.000 was implemented, successfully or not. (7)
• Project manager writes one summative report that includes statistical and descriptive data.(8)

Sub-objective C: To develop partnerships between (relevant) phase one school and local government and non-government library-related services.

• Schools that receive a negligible level of support from education authorities and where there is a local library service to provide support, have meeting to develop a partnership with local library-related services that might lead to a formal agreement.(9))

The main basis for finding out if this strategic objective was reached were the school visit reports from the Project Manager and the quarterly school reports I have got. The planned actions have been carried out with great carefulness (even though I miss some reports). Especially the school visit reports by the Project Manager have been very extensive and covered all the sub-objectives. At her visits, the following areas regularly have been the objects of discussions:

• School Library Committee and School Governing Body
• Visits by the school/library advisor
• School library policy and development plan (action plan etc)
• School library budget
• Community outreach and links with other schools in the area
• Integration of the school library with teaching and learning/Integration of the library with the classroom
• Collection development and Resource Selection
• School library grant
• Fundraising and income generation
• Workshops

I have compiled the situation at the different project schools at the end of the project period based on the areas that the Project Manager has covered. To it, I have added the evaluation of every project school that was made at the closing conference in Johannesburg in June 2002. I have also quoted directly from the project reports, partly to give a short description of the status of the school and partly to underline some items found in the list. (See Appendix A)

In summary could be said:

About the library committees

• That those exist at all schools and most of them meet regularly. The committees' real possibility to have influence on education however depends on how well they are integrated in the school organisation. When the principal for instance is part of the committee or when the committee is a sub-committee to the School Governing Body the school library has a greater status.

About the integration of the school library in education

• This has only been achieved by few schools. One reason could be the lack of integration of Outcomes Base Education (OBE) in teaching.

About developing school library policies and other plans etc

• This work was highly stimulated in a very constructive way by the grant that was introduced in phase 2 "develop teachers capacity to plan, manage and use library-based resources (small grant) within a policy framework"( Sub-objective B)

About the support from provincial level from media/library advisors

• There is an obvious connection between the development of the school library and the amount of the consulting and support given from the provincial level. Provincial school library plans are rare and most library/school/media advisors have impossible missions with hundreds of schools to visit. The Project Manager has probably often taken the role of the media/library advisor.

About establishing networks

• Many schools have established links to public libraries or are on their way of doing it. The workshops that have been effected have inspired many schools to establish networks within the province.

About the quarterly reports

• An obvious development has taken place at almost all of the schools, from "loose talking" in the early reporting to a more structured description of plans and results. In some schools you can even see it on the graphical execution: from hand-written, running text to fancy computerised lay out with headlines and differing fonts. However, not only has the execution become more stringent and planned, but also has the content, in my opinion, become more concretised

 

Objective: In liaison with NGOs and other role-players develop materials that guide school managers, governing bodies and public and school librarians in sharing responsibility for library-based support to teachers and learners as they access the outcomes-based curriculum.

In consultation with SCHELIS, school library advisors and school level stakeholders and role players, materials such as school library development planning, management manuals, sample agreements and contracts and advocacy and fund raising materials have been developed (10)

As you can see from the minutes from the South African Reference Group much work was done to bring forward as good material as possible and big efforts were also made to submit it for consideration. The final result was three manuals put into one book: 1) Developing effective school library policy and planning 2) Using library related resources to improve the quality of teaching and learning 3) Using library related resources to develop the information skills of educators and learners. Added to them was a "facilitator's guide": Guide to the facilitation of workshops for Books One, Two and Three in the Library Practice for Young Learners Series 2001.

The manuals have been used in the workshops at the third visit to schools by the Project Manager. To them teachers and librarians in the neighbouring schools were invited. The reception of the material has been very positive judging from what is said in the Project Manager's reporting: " highly interactive and participative; created lively discussions and healthy debates; extremely informative and interesting." And: "Feedback received from participants on the materials seemed to focus on the empowering nature of the materials to now be able to do things for themselves without having to wait for government officers and NGO staff, for example, to assist them."

Below is reproduced a description from the report of the Project Manager about how the workshop at KwaNthungeJunior Secondary School in Eastern Cape. This description is almost literally found in all school visits reports:

"Participants worked in small groups on the issues of the importance of school libraries and how to advocate and lobby for school libraries. In the morning, groups worked on compiling a short talk on the importance of school libraries, which they gave to the whole group.

In the afternoon, two groups worked on action plans for promoting and lobbying for school libraries both inside and outside the school. These action plans were presented to the whole group. Copies of the second trial drafts of the materials produced by the project were distributed to participants and introduced by the Project Manager.

She highlighted the fact that they had been designed and written as self-instructional materials, which individuals or groups could use to develop themselves. The materials contained practical exercises and activities as well as theory to allow self study as well as group work. Workshops could be set up and effectively facilitated by making use of the facilitator's guide provided as part of the materials.

The materials could be used for training in different ways in workshops. For example, they could be used by

• Government officers to train schools and school library committees
• Educators to train other educators
• School library committees to train themselves and their school governing bodies
• Public librarians could also make use of the materials to give short courses or talks on information skills, for example, to users of public libraries

Taking part in this workshop were among others Ms N Jonas, Provincial Head of School Libraries. After the workshop she stated that she wanted to work with the group of schools present to develop a provincial rural model of school library development in Elliotdale."

(Draft Status Report Eastern Cape: 8-10 October 2001)

In the Business Plan is stated that National Centre for Educational Technology and Distance Education (NCETDE), shall have the responsibility for distributing these manuals free of charge and on large scale throughout the country. The issue has been raised several times in the South African Reference Group, but it is obvious that there is a lack of awareness of the project as well as its manuals. The Phase one link in the project has evidently deteriorated, which of course have been of disadvantage to the project.

6.3 ADVOCACY

Objective: To advocate in favour of the role and management of library-based resources in the teaching and learning process in the context of schools-based management.

Role players that participated in Phase One of the project attend and present papers at the international conference for school librarians (IASL) (11)

The project manager will hold one national seminar and nine school-based workshops to inform decision-makers and senior managers in project and nearby schools about the important role of library-based resources in the teaching and learning context. Various materials, including those developed in this project are used and distributed at these events (12)

Decision-makers and managers in project and nearby schools demonstrate greater understanding of the important role of library-based resources in the teaching and learning context through their positive decisions concerning the curriculum management of their schools (13)

NCETDE and the project manger compile an address database for NCETDE´s distribution of material (14)

Schools can order free/low cost copies of the materials from NCETDE (15)

6.3.1 This was attained

Two participants from phase one, a school media advisor, June Baatjes, and a teacher-librarian, Viceroy H Jujuju visited the IASL conference (11) held in Malmö 6-10 August 2000. Moreover two other members of the reference groups, Lyne Metcalfe (SA) and Lennart Wettmark (Swe) presented the project. The theme of the conference was "Information literacy key to the future". Of the reports written afterwards you can read that the remainder of the conference that the school media advisor specially mentioned was the opportunity to link to other participants from Southern Africa (June Baatjes, IASL Conference Report). The other participant highly esteemed the contents of the conference and was inspired: "information technology is important in the OBE system, although we do not have computers".(VH Jujuju, Report on attendance at IASL Conference, Aug 2000, in Malmö, Sweden)

A national seminar (12) was arranged linked to the departure of the study tour to Sweden. The manuals were not completed at that time and judging from the programme of the conference it was more of a "get together" and "what do you know about Sweden" gathering. However in connection with the Swedish visit to South Africa a seminar was arranged that was highly appreciated. (See 6.4 STUDY TOUR)

A first draft edition of the manuals were ready to the workshops (12) which later were accomplished. They were highly valued, which has been described above (6.2 Material development)

An address database was never established. Nor was free/low cost copies of materials (15) distributed, a fact already commented upon.

Outcome 13 is not like the other outcomes a concrete action, but rather an ambition to give decision-makers and other participants in the project a greater understanding of the importance of the school library as a resource in education and development. To what extent this outcome has been fulfilled is partly shown by the results attained in the strategic objective 6.1 CAPACITY AND DEVELOPMENT

6.4 STUDY TOURS

Objective: To exchange ideas and experiences between Swedish and South African practitioners about i) ways of defining and increasing library-related resources for school learners and educators and ii) strategies for implementing a school library plan, networking and lobbying at a local level

Two preparatory seminar weekends are held in the host country prior to each study tour during which participants describe current practices and gain insight into the problems relating to limited definitions of resources, practising in isolation and/or independently and how these problems might limit and impact on practice. (16)

Two study tours expose participants to alternative and open ways of defining resources and networking for library development at a local level (17)

Following the study tour, participants write reports to demonstrate how their practices have changed in relation to the strategic objective (18)

What was not part of the Business Plan, but have become an interesting part of the project are the local projects initiated within the framework of the project. Before going to South Africa the Swedish travellers were asked to consider establishing small projects of their own linked to their workplace. The idea was that they should be of interest to their colleagues in South Africa. After the return from South Africa, the Swedes should think about the need of rephrasing the project idea. The projects should not be too extensive and they should be presented to their colleagues from South Africa when they visited Sweden.

6.4.1 This has been attained

The study tours as well as the school visits have been an important part of the project. I have in an appendix listed the persons who took part of the tours, what part of the project work they belonged to and to what extent I have received their travel reports, project descriptions, project reports. I have also summarised the impressions the study tours made on both a professional and personal basis from the personal interviews of the Swedish travellers and the travel reports from the South African participants. (See Appendix B)

The following summary and judgement is based on the information listed in appendix B and the Project Manager's reports of seminars.

Preparatory seminar weekends (16) have been arranged in both countries. They have been very much appreciated by the participants and have given deeper knowledge of each country and its school library organisation. The Study tours (17) which followed the seminars have been conscientiously prepared even though it has not always been given time/chances to highlight the issues /(i) ways of defining and increasing library-related resources for school learners and educators and ii) strategies for implementing a school library plan, networking and lobbying at a local level/ which were the underpinning base of the tours.

This can be found when reading the reports (18) I have got. Those show that the study tours were very rich in providing content and experiences, but have a lack of problemizing and reflections. A certain difference can be found between reports from the two groups in the sense that the South African reporting has more discussions around school library issues. The big differences in resources between the two countries is of course noticed, but there are also descriptions of way of working and methods which could be implemented in a less resourceful country like South Africa. The biggest impression was the conscientious work of the Swedish libraries to reach out to parents and how public and school libraries work together. (See Appendix B)

Most of the Swedish projects were not accomplished in due time. This meant that the South African visitors to Sweden with a few exceptions only got oral presentations of the plans of the Swedish projects.

From the interviews with the Swedish librarians I learnt that most of them had difficulties in integrating their projects in a LPYL perspective, since they should have draft ideas ready before going to South Africa. This might explain the delay in time. At the end of the project most of the project reports were available.

The South African travellers also formulated plans they would like to work with in their home provinces. The process of those plans were started at the final seminar in Stockholm, but unfortunately I have received sparse information of the result of these plans, since the contract time of the Project Manager was over and no one was commissioned to finish her work. However all the travellers left Sweden with plans in their minds! A compilation of the Swedish and South African local plans is to be found in appendix B

It could be added that one of the South African participants returned to Sweden for one month's stay invited by some of the Swedish participants. She thought her first visit was so overwhelming that she had not been able to wind up her thinking. She wanted to go back for a longer period to different places to have a chance to analyse and reflect. She has enthusiastically continued her work in South Africa and has an ongoing contact with some of the Swedes in the project.

6.5 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES

Objective: To develop understanding about the use and possibilities of Information Communications Technologies (ICT) as a library-based resource for teaching and learning purposes

South Africans attending the South Africa Study Tour Seminar Programme attend an orientation demonstration where they are informed about the nature of ICT and its application in schools (19)

The Project Manager was supposed to investigate at her third visit to what extent ICT has effected the schools.

A presentation of "the potential of ICT in school" was conducted by Futurekids at the seminar arranged in Johannesburg in November 2000, when the Swedes visited South Africa. Written and oral reports from the Swedish participants, who also were able to take part of the lecture, show that this was very much appreciated. The Project manager's report also positively mention the seminar. To what extent the lecture has directly effected the use of ICT in School can not be told from the later reporting of the Project Manager. However computers are used in some schools which you for instance can see in the writing of quarterly reports. The future importance of ICT is also stressed in different connections, for instance the oral evaluations at the closing conference. The problems in keeping computers because of security are specially mentioned in the school reports.

6.6 CASE STUDY RESEARCH

Objective: To examine and understand the limits and potentialities of the north-south exchange programme for developing media advisors, school library managers and public librarians in South Africa. For example, the development processes, the role of agency and critical incidents that functioned as turning points in the development of participants and their school libraries in the first phase are to be examined.

One hundred copies of report are published comprising in-depth reflective case studies of three school and identifying the diverse strategies each school pursued in developing the localised library development plans and the reasons for the failures and/or successes in each instance.(20)

At least 2 Black and female South African researchers and teacher-librarian practitioners are mentored and have developed their capacity to undertake study research (21)

The research was conducted by Santha Naiker and Sandile Mbokazi at Education Policy Unit (Natal). The case study cover both phases one and two. Three schools were selected, the case study method was taught to those involved and a report was compiled and presented at the closing conference in Johannesburg in June 2002. (Developing libraries for South African learners and teachers, May 2002, EPU Natal, ISBN 0-620-29177-X)

One of the conclusions by the researchers is that the study tours have been important sources of inspiration and catalysts. However the advisory support in the work of implementation has been very important: "Many constructive changes had occurred in the case study institutions that were directly attributed to the exchange tours. Nevertheless, at each of the case study institutions it was evident that support was essential to assist in implementing new systems and processes for sustained, long-term development" (Developing libraries for South African learners and teachers, p36)

The researchers especially emphases well-functioning library committees as a key to successful school libraries. "Among the more important best-practice lessons that practitioners observed operating successfully in Sweden and which they have successfully implemented at their institutions is the library committee. (Developing libraries for South African learners and teachers p 36)

7. The Closing conference

June 1, 2002, a closing conference was held aiming at evaluating and closing phase two of the project and to provide a last opportunity for networking between those who have been involved. A big part of the conference was used for group discussions, divided both provincially and professionally. Appendix C is opened by a list of participants of the conference and followed by a compilation of questions and answers.

In summary, you can say that when talking in provincial groupings the establishing of school library committees and developing of the ability of writing plans and setting up of strategies were held as the major advancements. The establishing of networks and the diffusing effect of it was considered important.

The lack of support from the provincial level as well as the lack of engagement on a national level was considered a big problem.

The answer to the question whether it was possible to adopt/mainstream the successes into the school programme, several thought more workshops could facilitate that.

The conference participants from all provinces have the opinion that the project succeeded "in changing perceptions of the role of school librarian" and refer to the existence of networking, school library committees and workshops. School libraries are more focused and goal-oriented now says one of the accounts.

Teacher librarians also enhance in their answers that building networks is an important effect of the project, as well as the building of capacity that has been given them. An increasing use of the school library by teachers and learners is an obvious effect.

The group of media advisors points out that building networks has resulted in a growing interest amongst schools to start school libraries even though the resources are scarce. The awareness of school libraries has according to this group increased in schools and in some cases the school library has been integrated in education.

To keep the improvements they enhanced the importance of having the principal as part of the school library planning and to work with committees, not on your own.

At the closing conference a discussion took place on how this project could have a continuation. This issue is also raised in the booklet "To set the ball rolling". It is opened by an article by Genevieve Hart, chair person of LIASA, who points out that this organisation could play an important role in the continued developmental work. At the IASL conference to be held in Durban in August 2003, LPYL will be presented and further discussions can be held there.

In the booklet, there is also an article by Mandla Maseko, who took part of the closing conference. Mr Maseko is in charge of the project Masifunde Sonke, which is aiming at stimulating reading through out South Africa. He is in his article forwarding the possibility to support projects of LPYL's kind and expressed the hope of being able to work together with the network of advisors on provincial level that has been established as a result of LPYL

The main objective for LPYL was to contribute to the development of school libraries as part of the restructuring of the South African educational system as envisaged in Curriculum 2005

This is the over all objective of the project, which has been going on for five years and the second phase of which I have evaluated.

The new curriculum, Curriculum 2005, is based on a democratic concept of man with implications on learning: Human beings are independent and not bound by authority, are developing their own understanding and are prepared to stand up for their opinions. The school development that Curriculum 2005 is aiming at is a diversity of teaching methods and a support to critical thinking. A well resourced and well functioning school library could be an important tool to such a development of the South African school, provided learners and teachers are given the chance to get to know the powerful source to education that a school library could mean. It has been the basic objective of LPYL to create consciousness about school libraries as important instruments to learning processes.

The resources provided in a developmental work linked to school libraries can consist of purely material resources (money, technique, material etc.) as well as developing mental (human) resources (the human capital), human resource development. The LPYL support has been directed to development of human resources. Also has schools in areas with scarce resources and lacking infrastructure been selected to find out how school libraries could be developed despite limited material resources.

A profound and complicated question to me in my work to evaluate the project has been which indicators should be used to measure the development of a school library. One obvious criterion is of course how much it is used in education by learners and teachers, both regarding reading and learning, which means promotion of reading as well as information literacy. However, to make it useful and meaningful to work in, some interacting elements must be developed.

When it comes to school library development in this project, I believe that you can define certain elements, restraining as well as promoting and they can be both material and mental. In some cases, the restraining elements can be seen as a lack of promoting. I consequently only mention the latter in the following list. The elements are not ranked according to any priority and some of them can be both material and mental.

• The integration of school libraries in the educational process ( i.e. if the school library is an obvious part of the school organisation; if there are specific plans for the school library etc)
• The competence and motivation of those in charge of the library.
• The existence of advisory support from the provincial level.
• The existence of functioning networks (co-operation/co-ordination with "educational enterprises", such as public libraries; media centres or commercial, such as local companies
• The functionality of the internal school organisation.
• The attitude of the teachers to, knowledge of, engagement in and insight of the importance of the school library.
• The stability of the staff (i.e. if it is exposed to involuntary retrenches or sudden changes such as death)
• The accessibility of the school library premises to learners and teachers.
• The relevance of the school library to the community.

Promotional material elements:

• The school library is part of the school budget.
• External funding by means of donations from organisations and individuals.
• The relevance of the stock to education ("library related resources")
• The functionality of the library premises.
• Security; for instance the risk of thefts and vandalism
• Infra structure; for instance phone, fax, communications

The South African Reference Group discussed at some meetings the issue of relevant indicators in relation to school library development, but the group never achieved any final results. The Project Manager has at her visits taken up the different elements that are regarded as essential in the National Policy Framework for School Library Standards (1997). In my conclusions, these are my starting points, but I also add elements which I, from the above definition, regarded as interesting to school library development in South Africa.

I have closely searched the different documents at my disposal (see the list of references) and under each strategic objective I have given a description of what has been achieved. My conclusions are based on this survey (the evaluation text and Appendix A, B, C)

You can say that this project is taking place on two scenes. A concrete and measurable in the different project schools and a mental insight and consciousness among those involved. In some cases, you can see a clear link between those two, when people, who have been inspired by new knowledge and new encounters have been working to realise them in practical work. In other cases, you can only have a feeling that something has taken root and could be developed if the soil will develop positively.

This project has been based on developing of competence, in exchanges of ideas, experiences and knowledge during different meetings. All the strategic objectives have provided the participants with different kind of stimulation and competence, encounters of different kinds, such as:

• The encounters of the Project manager with people engaged in school library issues at the different project schools.
• The encounters between South African "school library people" with colleagues in Sweden and Swedish workplaces and working conditions as well as corresponding meeting in South Africa.
• The encounter of all school library heads from the provinces of South Africa.
• The encounters of public and school librarians in the community or neighbouring areas.

Something you can also add is the various seminars, conferences and workshops, which have been part of the project and which have contributed to an important development of competence amongst the participants and other people All these meetings have resulted in different experiences and insights. Some of it is described in various travel, conference and project reports, where the LPYL participants, depending on different positions, have expressed what they have been inspired from and would like to develop in their own work. Samples of this personal inspiration and increased consciousness are to a certain extent documented in the evaluation report and in various appendices.

The different school libraries and schools have been the concrete scenes of the project work and in short you can say that a clear positive development have taken place at almost all the project schools. In some of the schools the status of the school library has increased in a splendid manner, in others, the development is modest and in one there has been no progress at all.

If you look at the mental and material elements mentioned above, the interesting thing is that you can see the obvious and constructive progress that has taken place despite the exposed position of material shortcomings of the schools. In my opinion, this indicates the importance of support and increased competence as well as stimulation. The project has been about training and encouragement leading to positive effects.

The exchange tours in the project have been important stimuli and catalysts. When the visitors have stayed in their partner country the host country has tried very hard to present progressive plans and ideas. The South Africans have for instance become aware of school library committees, while Swedes have realised the advantages of making library plans.

The project has also had another important impact by initiating a national network of provincial school library heads, which has been institutionalised by the acronym SCHELIS.

The most important concrete outcomes that the project has provided on local school library level is in my opinion:

• The developing of different kinds of school library plans
• Formation of library committees
• Creation of local networks

It is about:

Sustainability aiming at structures and plans to make sure that what have been achieved must be taken care of and kept well.
Support among colleagues as well as in the organisational structure.
Dissemination through networks in order to provide mutual support and stimulation.

The elements of LPYL which I find have contributed to a positive outcome is:

The carefully prepared strategy of working on three levels: national, provincial and local The concentration on "human development" regarding stimulating exposition to new ideas through study tours as well as knowledge development through seminars and workshops.

• The continuos support and advice, partly through competence development by provincial advisors, partly through recurrent visits by the Project Manager.
• The stimulation in a co-operative and co-ordinated work most of all initiated by networking of different kinds.
• The work to firmly establish the library in school through committees and plans.
• The provision of basic, pedagogical school library material intended for mass distribution.

LPYL has in my opinion been a grand project. It is not one, but ten or twenty projects. Each project school and each single objective can be seen as a project of its own. That all the good efforts and the carefully prepared structure did not work out on all levels has both structural and human explanations. For instance, the role of school libraries has not been enhanced in the new curriculum. The "three-level" work lost ground during the second phase of and the support from both provincial and national level was undermined. It would also have been desirable that the Project Manager might had had the chance to work until the project was really finalised - beyond the original time schedule of the project - to provide for all documentation.

However, these shortcomings are less important compared to the unique experience that so many people have met and exchanged experiences and insights. During five years many people with links to school libraries (about 70 actively engaged and a lot more involved and influenced) in two countries on different sides of the globe have expressed opinions, discussed, tested, exchanged wisdom and been engaged. The project members have obviously been involved in a process to develop democracy by providing reading and information resources to a potential pillar of democracy: the school library.

Birgitta Alm
Stockholm

* = kept in BiS archive

Bibliotek i Samhälle and Library and Information Workers Organisation, Starting up and Developing School Library Services in South Africa: A Swedish – South African Project 1997 – 1999.
URL: http://www.foreningenbis.org/lpyl/ 

Dick, A., Evaluation Reports: Library Practice for Young Learners: Developing School Library Resources to Primary and Secondary Schools in Disadvantaged Areas in South Africa.1999.
URL: http://www.foreningenbis.org/lpyl

Karlsson, Jenni, School Learners & Libraries. Education Policy Unit, University of Natal, 1996.

Library Practice for Young Learners Project. Business Plan. Phase Two: April 2000 – December 2001.
URL: http://www.foreningenbis.org/lpyl

LIWO Working Group, Fifteen innovative ways with your learning resources, 1999.
URL: http://www.foreningenbis.org/lpyl

Minutes (eight) of the Reference Group meetings (South Africa) from April 2000 to April 2002.*

Wettmark, Lennart (ed.), To set the ball rolling. Library Project for Young Learners (LPYL). A Swedish – South African School Library Project 1997 – 2002. Produced by BiS (Bibliotek i Samhälle) 2002.
URL: http://www.foreningenbis.org/lpyl/

Status Reports and Quarterly Reports (including Budgets proposed for School Library Project Grants) from the Project Schools:

Eastern Cape: Three Status Reports and four Quarterly Reports from KwaNtshunque Junior Secondary. May 2000- October 2001.*

Free State: Three Status Reports and four Quarterly Reports. May 2000 – September 2001.*

Rose, Kabi, One summary report from Bodibeng Ba thuto. November 2001.*

Gauteng: Three Status Reports and four Quarterly Reports from AB Xuma School Library. June 2000 – October 2001.*

Kwazulu Natal: Three Status Reports and one Quarterly Report from Msinga High School, June 2000 – November 2001.*

Mpumalanga: One Status Report from Kalie De Haas Primary School; One Status Report from Mehlwana High School and one Quarterly Report; Three Status Reports from

Mayibuye High School and two Quarterly Reports. August 2000 – October 2001.*

North West Province: Three Status Reports and six Quarterly Reports from E P Lekhela Primary School. August 2000 – October 2001.*

Northern Cape: Three Status Reports and four Quarterly Reports from Pabellelo High School. August 2000 – September 2001*

Northern Province: Three Status Reports and four Quarterly Reports from Makhuva Information Centre and Magulasavi High School.July 2000 – November 2001.*

Western Cape:Two Status Reports and four Quarterly Reports from Percy M´Dala High School. May 2000 – September 2001.*

Developing effective school library policy and planning. Durban: LPYL (Book One, Library Practice for Young Learners Series), 20001. Draft edition...

Using library related resources to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Durban: LPYL. (Book Two. Library Practice for Young Learners Series), 2001. Draft edition.

Using library related resources to develop the information skills of educators and learners. Durban: LPYL (Book Three: Library Practice for Young Learners Series), 2001.Draft edition..

Guide to facilitation of workshops for Book One, Two and Three in the Library Practice for Young Learners Series. Durban; LPYL, 2001. Draft edition..

Baatjes, June, IASL Conference Report (August 2000) in Malmo, Sweden..*

Jujuju, V H, Report on attendance at IASL Conference (August 2000) in Malmo, Sweden.*

Wettmark, Lennart Two speeches at the IASL Conference concerning the LPYL Project. (August 2000) in Malmo, Sweden*

Five Reports on the Sweden Exchange Study Tour 11 – 21 May 2001 (by participants from Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West Province, Western Cape).*

Interviews by the evaluator with the Swedish participants, May – June 2002.

Notes from seminar at Tollare Folk High School, Sweden 19 May 2001. (Compiled by Lena Lundgren).*

Program for Preparatory Weekend Seminar for South African Participants 11-12 May 2001.*

Programme for Study Tour to Sweden 13 – 20 May 2001.*

SA Exchange Study Tour 27 October – 4 November. (Compiled by Jan Beeton.)*

SA Exchange Study Tour Programme and itinerary 27 October – 4 November 2000.*

Study Tour Report. Swedish group visiting South Africa 27 October – 4 November 2000. (Compiled by Malin Ogland).*
URL: http://www.pastasoft.com/malin/LPYL/ 

Summary from the seminar in Johannesburg 3 November 2000. (Compiled by Jane Beeton).*

Naiker, Santha & Mbokazi, Sandile, Developing libraries for South African learners and teachers. Three case studies. Durban. Education Policy Unit. 2002.
URL: http://www.foreningenbis.org/lpyl/

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