Abstract:
Research indicates that high students’ academic performance is linked to qualified school
librarians and adequate usage of library services. Yet, despite this, it is evident that
school libraries are often viewed as non-essential, optional, or pherpherial to teaching and
learning even luxury expenditures for schools. Absence of qualified school library
management and less usage of library resources insignificantly impacts quality of
education. The study aimed at investigating the need to transforming library management
and usage as well as the impact it has on quality education. The study participants were
selected from 15 elementary, high school, and preparatory schools in Jimma zone.
Structured questionnaire, semi structured interview, observation and document review
were used to collect data from randomly selected 381 students and 239 teachers, five
school librarians and four vice directors who are selected through available sampling.
While the quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and
frequency) and inferential statistics (Independent T-Test), the qualitative data was
analyzed thematically. The finding revealed that students who visited school library more
frequently (M=77.17, SD. 11.65), and students who got more frequent encouragement to
visit school library from parents (M=72.80, SD. 1) and teachers (M=73.53, SD. 1.08)
performed better academically than their counter parts who never visited school library
(M=72.08, SD.9.31) and never got such encouragement from parents(M=60.91, SD. 1.32)
and teachers(M=62.84, SD. 1.41), where p=0.023, 0.000, and 0.000 respectively. The
findings further revealed that school students and teachers face many constraints in using
school library including lack of up-to-date reading materials, adequate sitting facilities,
adequate school library information resources, absence of provision of information and
communication facilities, lack of professional librarians to manage libraries and to create
conducive reading environment. The study concludes that the school library management
and usage in Jimma zone needs change for addressing the 21st century school library
users’ need. Hence, for school library to impact quality education, the government,
Jimma zone, and educational bureau of Jimma zone with collaboration with other
stakeholders should build standardized physical and digital libraries, equip them with
necessary library provisions, and assign library professionals and transformational
managers with vision
