A Survey of Senior Secondary School Libraries in Jammu and Kashmir, India

Authors

Sofi Zahoor Ahmad, Islamia College Srinagar-IndiaFollow

Date of this Version

9-2011

Comments

Published in Library Philosophy and Practice (2011) 35 p.

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a study carried out as part of a PhD thesis aimed to explore the present status of/and problems faced by senior secondary school libraries in the state of Jammu and Kashmir-India. A questionnaire survey was conducted and 201 senior secondary schools participated in the study using a stratified random sampling technique. A 100percent response rate was ensured through visits to each school under sample over a period of two years (2009 & 2010). The results showed that school libraries lacked on all fronts. They face problems like lack of manpower, poor physical facilities, unorganized and inadequate collections, and lack of proper organization and retrieval tools, zero services and absence of standards and guidelines for regulating their functioning. The study was restricted to 10 administrative districts only. From a total of 832 senior secondary schools, a sample of 201 (24 percent) was randomly selected to make the study manageable owing to the financial and time limitations. The study provides important data on major aspects of libraries in senior secondary schools in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The insight could in turn yield initiatives on various aspects of school library research and at the same time help the administrators to devise policies for ameliorating their functioning. The study proposes the need for improvement of overall physical infrastructure, appointment of professional staff, formulation of appropriate collection development policies, need for an open and extended access, and introduction of innovative user education programmes in libraries. It also highlights the need for formulation and revision of local and national school library standards and guidelines. The paper highlights the importance of/and contribution of school libraries in secondary education and proposes steps that can be taken to improve the situation as revealed in the study.