For the growth and development of a modern
society, communication of knowledge has become increasingly important. There is
an impermeable relation between education and development of nation which can
attain by inculcating the values in the society. A library is regarded as a
social institution and it is expected to perform certain functions like
life-long self-education, advancement of culture, political and social welfare
etc. As we all know modern education system starts in school and students are
gathering basic information and knowledge from the classrooms. In addition to text-based
information, they should acquire knowledge from other resources also. Therefore,
school library plays an important role in fulfilling this goal. We can categorise the world of libraries into different types such as Academic libraries
(School, College and University), Public libraries and Special libraries.
School
Libraries:
The
importance of school library cannot be over emphasised. A library is an
important source of knowledge to young minds in schools. It develops the leading
habit of reading among the students. A library is an essential part of forward-thinking
schools. While the role of the school library remains constant, its design, digital
platform, strategies and tools could change as technology changes.
Libraries- A hub
of activities:
A
school library should be made the hub of activities going on in a school. A
student can use it for education, Information, Recreation, Inspiration etc. A
student can use it for preparatory work, parallel reading and follow-up work. He
can get information about extra-mural activities such as event, Festivals etc.
A student interested in preparing a scientific model or writing an essay for
competition or wishing to improve his athletic performance can take the help of
the library.
School
Libraries Vs Users:
User
community of school libraries consists of students, teachers and Admin staff. Role
of libraries among teacher community is a quotable one. Libraries helps the
teachers to facilitate the work of the classroom and ensures each student has
equitable access to resources. Cater the differences in learning and teaching
styles. It provides teachers with access to relevant curriculum information and
professional materials within and outside the school and opportunities to plan,
implement and evaluate learning program. There is no doubt as the teachers have
the direct relation with students, they should be ready to connect and inspire them
to use the library resources and materials.
Among student users
there are Juniors, Seniors and secondary students. School libraries assisting
children to enjoy reading by making profitable use of their leisure time. Provides
guidance for students in the use of books, reference books, tools of the
library and encourage for independent learning and self-propelled study both within
the syllabus and beyond it. A child going to school would very often have his
first contact with the world of books through a school library. Once he is able
to form the habit of using the library, there is a great probability that he
would continue the same throughout his life.
Conclusion:
Education
being a life-long process, a school library serves as a stepping stone in this
direction. It is difficult task to cultivate any new habit. The same is true
about the habit of using library. The psychology of human beings tells us that
any inculcation of a habit should be initiated at the childhood stage. The
success of a library depends a great deal upon the co-operation of the
teachers. The achievement of any educational system should be judged on the
basis of how far it has succeeded in cultivating reading habits, social and
moral values among children
