Bożena Boryczka Scholastic centre of information - theory and reality Computer Assisted Education
	Computer Assisted Education and Information Technology Centre
	This article was translated thanks to the grant received from the Open Society Institute

Inquiry assessing the degree of readiness of school libraries in Mazovian County to employ information technology.

Modern computer technology and national politics seeking to create an informed society, are forcing school libraries and librarians to strive for new goals. We are not talking here of a library in the traditional meaning of that word, but a library as a school's centres of multimedia information - spacious, equipped with the latest computer hardware and software, creating the right conditions for active processing of information aiming to assist students solve their problems and assigned tasks.

A modern school library is a place where students can, without assistance, take advantage of its collection, not only books, but also slides, transparencies, sound recordings, video films, computer programmes, multimedia programmes, and access to the Internet. It appears therefore, that assembled there should not only be the data required by students but also all medial assets of the school. The new role of libraries is linked therefore to computerisation and utilisation of information technology, in the widest sense, and it follows, that with correct equipment and a suitable preparation, teachers-librarians can fulfil their function as gatherers of information.

The above conclusions refer to the ideal situation. What is then the reality in Polish school libraries? From January 2001 to January 2002 there was an inquiry carried out in the majority of training courses for teachers-librarians, organised by the Computer Assisted Education and Information Technology Centre, with the objective of assessing the degree of utilisation of information technology by school libraries in their daily work. The collected data contains 100 questionnaires filled by librarians of Primary, Secondary and Grammar Schools in the area of Mazovian County.

According to the data made available by the Department of Analysis of the Main Bureau of Statistics, in the school year of 2001/2002 in Mazovian County functioned the following number of schools:

• Primary Schools (not special) 2027
• Special Primary Schools 119
  • Grammar Schools (children and youths) 759
  • Affiliated Grammar Schools 5
  • Sport Schools 8
  • Trade Schools 2
  • Special Grammar Schools 113
• General Education High Schools (youth) 389
  • Technical Secondary Schools (not art) 653
• Art Schools 1st level 31
• Art Schools 2nd level 22

Assuming that there is a library in each of the above-mentioned school, a number of 5015 can be accepted as a possible number of school libraries in the Mazovian County. In comparison with that the number of inquiry forms is not very large, it amounts to 2%. Without doubt it reflects a fragment of reality of the conditions prevailing in school libraries, which is worth closer attention.

Analysing the inquiry I have concentrated on the following questions:

1. Users.
2. Full and part- time employees.
3. Accommodation.
4. State of computerisation.
5. Training of librarians.
6. Methods of utilising information technology in library work.

Users, employees, accommodation conditions

From the data collected from hundred questionnaires appears that 75597 people take advantage of school libraries, of which there are 69241 pupils, 5029 teachers and 1327 others (administrators, auxiliary workers, students and teachers from other colleges).

It would have been difficult to count up all the people working in libraries, that is why I have decided to restrict myself to the registered regular employees. In the hundred libraries covered by inquiry there are 229 librarians. Librarians come in different categories - filling gaps in a library staff by teachers of various faculties working part time is not uncommon. There are times when none out of the three people working in the library are full time employees. Taking into consideration the number readers using libraries, it is easy to calculate that there are 330 readers for each librarian.

The inquiry revealed that there are 49 libraries housed in one room. In majority of cases lecture halls were converted to libraries, however their area in terms of square meters, varies. There are purpose designed accommodations as well as classrooms enlarged at the expense of an adjacent room. There was a case reported where a library was squeezed into12-m2 space at the back of a lecture hall.

35 libraries have each two rooms at their disposal. In majority of cases, one room is dedicated to reading and the other is used for lending books. Not all reading rooms are used solely for that purpose. There are few libraries where reading rooms double up as normal classrooms where scheduled lessons are conducted.13 libraries are contained in 3 rooms. Number of rooms greater than four have only three libraries.

Accommodation conditions of school libraries are obviously not satisfactory. It is difficult to talk of information centre, which a school library should be, when all functions - accessing, lending and technical work are carried out in one room. It will be difficult to carry out educational tasks of reading and using other media when there are several students in the library at the same time. It is also difficult to regard conditions suitable for exploitation of information technology by readers, if there is no room for installation of computers for students.

State of computerisation

In the hundred libraries covered by the inquiry there are 130 computers. Considering bare statistics it is not bad. It averages as 1.3 computers per library. Detailed results are shown in the graph.

Analysis has shown that 40 libraries are without computers, 31 libraries have only one. 26 libraries possess two or three. Two libraries have four computers each. Only three libraries can boast of having five or more. In some cases librarians complain that they received old equipment, worn-out, short of memory and outdated programmes. One library acquired ten computers, however they are still not installed. It is difficult to work with an old computer, to say nothing of effective use of information technology.

Information centre is a place where circulating and cataloguing books should be automated. Management programme permits easier and more efficient running of a library. It helps teachers-librarians carry out inventories, register readers, circulate books, prepare statistics, control overdue notices and print reminders.

Also from the inquiry: there are 38 libraries with computerised administration. In majority cases they use MOL (25), MOL 2000+(11) and CoLiber (2) programmes. Careful analysis of questionnaires supplied interesting information - nine libraries with two or three computers have no management programmes.

Librarians complained that their schools don't have the financial resources to purchase programmes or that computers lack the necessary parameters to accept those programmes.

Computerisation of school libraries not only make their organisation and work quicker, enable readers to get to the needed source of information efficiently , but also provide access to the world net - Internet. The questionnaire shows that 26 libraries (out of the 100 questioned) have access to the Internet. Three have connection via modem while the others rely on a fixed one (SDI). Access to the Internet develops ability to search and use information effectively. A library as an information centre aims to provide a self-help orientated service which embraces the use of new technologies as well as traditional learning materials to further the educational process.

From the questionnaire we can say that in 24 libraries pupils can use Internet, in one they search very rarely, while libraries with fixed connection do not access Internet at all. Librarians have observed that pupils search for information to prepare all kinds of papers and notes for lessons. They need current information e.g. about the Nobel Prize or Oscar Prize, such information they can not find in traditional sources. Sometimes they use Internet to send e-mail or for just chat.

Multimedia educational programmes are very useful in learning. A modern centre should acquire those types of software. Unfortunately from 100 libraries questioned only 35 have multimedia programmes (346 items altogether).

In 13 libraries there are from one to five programmes of this type; 5 libraries have 10 multimedia; 11 libraries have more than 15 items of multimedia software. The maximum number of this type of software is 30 (in 3 libraries). The most often mentioned are multimedia encyclopaedia and interactive programmes for learning foreign languages. More accurate presentation of multimedia acquisitions in 100 libraries is introduced in the chart.

The web pages show that the school library keep pace with the time, using new technologies to pass on information. As a school information centre the library should take the initiative in making information available by these means. In the meantime, out of the 100 libraries questioned only one has a home page, while in two libraries they are being designed. It is mainly due to the staff's lack of experience in designing web pages, limited access to the Internet and lack of awareness of the advantage of having a home page.

Computerisation of a school library is not only application of a management programme or access to the Internet, it is also the will and skill to use other software. From the interviewed 60 libraries, 35 librarians use various programmes - 25 do not. Many use text editor, the most popular is "Word" (used by 74%librarians) some use "Excell" - 5 persons (14%), while "Word Pad" or "Power Point" is used by 2 librarians (6%).

The librarians using this software write reports, advertisements, school newsletters, statistics concerning readership and all kinds of handouts used later in media education.

One person has announced that she does not use computers at work because she can not print the results later on. The reason is so prosaic - the lack of ink and money to buy it. We end up with the problem of preparing librarians and their attitude toward introduction of information technology to school libraries.

As we see from the chart, librarians took part in 101 various forms of courses, 19 persons learned to use a programme called School Library MOL, 17 persons MOL 2000+. 2 persons completed a course on MAK, and one person completed a post graduate studies in computer science, 11 persons are more familiar with Internet tools as well as multimedia and 51 librarians finished a basic level course on computersation. It should be mention that training sessions attended by librarians while completing the questionnaire should be listed as workshops. The number of courses shown is a fluid quantity, always changing, which is as it should be. It shows that this professional group is aware of the changes in school libraries. The librarians see the need to continuously update their skills in the areas of computer and information technology usage in their everyday work. Surely a barrier to further training is lack of money - the librarians in most cases cover the costs of training themselves.

85 librarians still want to enlarge their knowledge and improve skills in further workshops, mainly on Internet and multimedia as well as the MOL programme. Most of them are interested in using information technology in their everyday work. And are convinced that computerisation of libraries is necessary. Librarians do not see any threat to themselves in the introduction of IT, and also they do not think that those new resources will decrease readership. Quite the opposite, a computer in the library attracts more readers, especially if librarians can use it properly.

To elaborate the results of the questionnaire we have to add a commentary. The inquiry was carried out between January 2001 - January 2002. It is obvious that many changes took place in the libraries of Mazovian County during that year. A lot of libraries were equipped with computers. Some have managing programme installed (it is evident from applications for "MOL 2000+" training). It gives hope that the gap between traditional libraries and the modern centre of information will narrow.

Footnotes

1. Kakolewicz Mariusz, Standard wyposażenia szkół w urządzenia medialne. http://www.ptm.edu.pl/www/start2.html
2. Oświata i wychowanie w roku szkolnym 2000/2001. Publikacja GUS.
3. Boryczka Bożena, Wykorzystanie technologii informacyjnej w pracy biblioteki w gimnazjum. "Poradnik dla nauczycieli" 2001 no 10.
4. Boryczka Bożena, Biblioteki szkolne w Internecie, http://ebib.oss.wroc.pl/matkonf/iwb/boryczka.php

Translated by Jolanta Wróbel