As the long, dark winter nights roll in, the great hunger for books and words takes a grip. In particular teachers and their students want to read and immerse themselves in things literary. It is the time of books, and school libraries are uppermost in the minds of teachers.
Last month a new book - Library File: Making a success of the school library - was launched and later this month the fifth annual conference of SLARI, the School Library Association's Republic of Ireland branch, will be held at the Church of Ireland College of Education in Rathmines, Dublin, over two days.
Since a book grant was awarded to schools last year "we and other groups in the field of children and books have been inundated with requests for help from teachers holding posts of responsibility for the library", says Sue Millar, chairwoman of SLARI. As a result, she says, "we have carefully put together a programme of speakers, including distinguished practitioners from the field of reading and literacy, authors and those running school libraries" who will talk at the upcoming conference on November 19th and 20th.
Also, a copy of Library File, which was launched by Micheal Martin TD, the Minister for Education and Science in Dublin recently, should be in all schools by now.
The new publication deals "comprehensively with the setting up, running and development of school libraries in Ireland", says Valerie Coghlan, of the Library Association of Ireland. The new Primary School Curriculum with its emphasis on independent learning and on the availability of a wide range of reading material have all created a demand for comprehensive and practical information about how to set up and make the most of libraries in primary and post-primary schools, says Coghlan. She also says that the posts of responsibility for the libraries which are now held by teachers in many schools has highlighted the need for information and direction.
"We expect there will be quite some interest in the publication as it relates not only to the practical aspects of running school libraries, but also reflects much of what is currently happening in schools," she says. The new book deals with ICT in the library, choosing the best books and other media, encouraging students to read, putting the library on the map, policy and planning to maximise the effectiveness of the library and establishing the school library in terms of furniture, equipment and routines. The book is edited by Valerie Coghlan, Patricia Quigley and Rosemary Walton and published by the Library Association of Ireland.
