Library organization and utilization of elementary school crusters under the jurisdiction of the office of Suphan Buri provincial primary education as perceived by organizers and users
Abstract:
Objectives 1. To study library organization of elementary school clusters under the jurisdiction of the Office of Suphan Buri Provincial Primary Education as perceived by administrators in schools where libraries of the school clusters were located and librarians of the school cluster libraries. 2. To study the utilization of libraries of elementary school clusters under the jurisdiction of the Office of Suphan Buri Provincial Primary Education as perceived by teachers and students in elementary schools where libraries of the school clusters were located and as perceived by librarians of elementary schools in the school clusters. Procedures Tools for this research were 5 questionnaires. The samples were 57 administrators, 241 teachers, 342 Prathom Suksa Six students in schools where school cluster libraries and 99 librarians of elementary schools in the school clusters which were selected by means of simple random sampling from elementary schools under the jurisdiction of the Office of Suphan Buri Provincial Primary Education. The data were analyzed by means of percentage. Findings The majority of school administrators and librarians of the school cluster libraries under the jurisdiction of the Office of Suphan Buri Provincial Primary Education perceived the library organization of elementary school cluster libraries as follows: 1. Most of the libraries of elementary school clusters were located in one school room of the elementary school cluster headquarters and the location was appropriate. 2. The equipment and printed materials provided by the office of Provincial Primary Education were not sufficient and there were no additional purchase. 3. Books were placed on the open - shelves and Dewey system of classifying books was employed and cataloging was under way. 4. The librarians of the schools cluster libraries were nominated by the administrators of the elementary schools where the school cluster libraries were located. There were students selected by the librarians to assist in the library works. 5. There was insufficient budget. 6. The teachers, the students, the elementary schools in the school clusters and the public gave little assistance to the school cluster libraries. 7. The school cluster libraries arranged the compact book boxes and loaned them to the elementary schools in the school clusters for a period of 1-3 weeks per box. After that the box must be returned to the school cluster libraries. Most of the teachers and students in schools where the school cluster libraries were located and the librarians of the elementary school in the school clusters perceived the utilization of the school cluster libraries as follows: 1. The teachers and students used the school cluster libraries more than once a week and each time was less than one hour. 2. The teachers used the school cluster libraries for teaching purpose. The students used the school cluster libraries for additional reading in all subjects, the librarians of the schools in the school clusters used the school cluster libraries in borrowing the compact book boxes for use in their schools. 3. The utilization of books of the school cluster libraries by teachers and students both in the schools where the school cluster libraries were located and in other schools in the school clusters were mostly concentrated in the teaching and learning of life experiences in which the teachers assigned the students to work in groups and write reports. 4. The teachers utilized the library services printed materials and activities of the school cluster libraries at a moderate level. The students utilized the library services and activities at a moderate level but utilized the printed materials at a high level. The librarians of the schools in the school clusters utilized none of those services.