Management of school libraries in Ghana: A case for new standards

Abstract

The state of school libraries in Ghana has been discussed by this writer in previous papers[1,2]. One of the problems facing these libraries is the lack of uniform standards in their management. For school libraries to be able to live up to their role in the school system, standards have been designed to guide their operation. A standard is an example, rule or a basis of comparison established by authority, a general consensus of opinion or custom. It is based on either a specific description of practice, method, process, construction, a measure of quantity or a definite level of quality that is required to achieve a stated objective[3, p. 17]. Standards vary in degree. They could be standards of adequacy or excellence, and what may be standards of adequacy in one country may well be standards of excellence in another. In the library situation, minimum standards are of the utmost concern. Standards produced for school libraries are usually forward looking, outlining goals to be reached rather than presenting what might be seen as a realistic statement of existing conditions. They are designed to serve as a yard-stick which school libraries should aspire to attain. School library standards are thus of the projective type that attempt to depict the school library service as they ought to be instead of what they actually are at a particular time. They are designed in such a way that, in time, the standards set would be within reach of school libraries. School library standards, like all other kinds Library Management, Vol. 14 No. 4, 1993, pp. 31-35, © MCB University Press, 0143-5124 of standards for libraries, are dynamic and change to reflect the needs of the school system at any given time. Standards generally have the advantage of providing accepted guidelines for action to both librarians and library authorities, and serve as a means of comparison between libraries. They enable self evaluation, which makes it possible to determine in the light of the standards, whether or not one is performing creditably. Furthermore, standards assist in the building of an adequate stock, employing appropriate staff, providing suitable accommodation and furnishing. They provide the opportunity for librarians to learn from the collective wisdom of the whole profession and also from the mistakes of others. They also create uniformity and order in libraries, without which libraries would only be mere collections of hidden wealth of knowledge. For standards to be effective, they must be authorized by an institution or body, usually of a national or international standing. In the library situation, these institutions are usually library associations. Notable institutions that have issued standards for school libraries are the School Library Association (SLA) of Britain; the Library Association (LA); the American Library Association (ALA); the American Association of School Librarians (AASL); and locally, the School and College Libraries Department of the Ghana Library Board. Failure to meet some standards, such as accreditation standards, may mean that the accrediting agency will withdraw certain benefits like recognition to enable one to Downloaded by University of Ghana At 01:27 25 January 2019 (PT) LIBRARY MANAGEMENT practise a profession. In contrast, school library standards are only recommendations for the establishment and maintenance of school library service, and the inability of a school library to fulfil these standards carries no penalty.