The Need To Transforming Library Management, Usage And Its Impact On Quality Education: The Case Of Jimma Zone School Libraries

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