South African school libraries in context and it's role in transforming society, culture, economics, democracy and community development. Presented at LIASA Western Cape's Armchair Conversation on Librarians as agents for social change, community development and democracy.

1. Theresa de Young

2. Redress – Access - Equality

3. Poor infrastructure – low literacy
– revising curriculum

4. 25000 schools
7% have a functioning library

5. Social – Community Development
– Democracy – Culture - Economic

6. School literacy levels 'a catastrophe'
Research 133 schools
Average Grade 2 reads 58 wpm - most read 20-29
learners
13% cannot read a single word in English
Grade 5: illiterate – most score 4/20
comprehension (iol)
Dr Nick Taylor, Head National Education Evaluation and
Development Unit (Needu) at the Department of Basic Education

7. School libraries improve literacy and
help mould intellectually responsible
citizens

8. Provides access to information and resources
Bridge the divide of those who haves and
those who don’t have

9. Serve the entire school community
Impacts on teachers
Teachers themselves are agents of change

10. School libraries impact positively on
learner achievement
Create wider post-school opportunities

11. Empower learners to tackle the
problem of poverty

12. Information literacy - independent,
sustainable learning
Cope with global economy

13. Of teachers – introducing new formats
of materials and new teaching
strategies

14. Serve as a safe environment for learners
to learn

15. Our impact is little due to low numbers
makes us passive change agents with
huge potential
We need to become active change
agents

16. Need a vision to determine action

17. All schools have a functional school library that:
• is the hub of the school community
• has the potential to change and maintain the
culture of learning at the school
• transforms literacy and numeracy
• produce information literate school leavers who
thrive in the knowledge society and economy.

18. Policy
New look school library to cope with huge need
Work the idea of the school library programme
Ensure exposure to multiple resources
Invest in mobile libraries
Innovative partnerships
Strengthen inter-government collaboration
Become consultants to teachers