Library Policy

RATIONALE

The goal of our School is to provide an education of a high academic standard based on an acceptance of the Lordship of Christ and an acceptance of the Bible as the revealed Word of God. Our aim is to help each student to grow up in the wisdom of Christ in all areas of their lives by teaching the truth in love.

Further to this, we aim to foster self-discipline while teaching to accept the discipline of the Church and the Government. A high priority is to develop the individuality of each student whilst stressing their role as a member of the body of Christ and the community. We aim to develop the learner’s creative and critical abilities while being trained in the moral and ethical standards of the Bible, and to live a Christ-like lifestyle. We wish to teach co-operation in a spirit of healthy competition, and foster the development of gifts and abilities for the service of Christ in the Church and the community.

In our Christian education we would affirm that meaning is God given, inspired by and reflected in our relationship to Him. We accept the universe as God’s creation, that valid knowledge of this universe is possible, and that there is a unity of knowledge. It is only as we teach our students in this context that there will be meaning to learning and ultimately to life. We want our students to develop critical thinking skills, to know the ‘how and ‘why’ as well as the content of the subject. The students’ present and past knowledge can provide a foundation on which to build future knowledge.

The role of the Library is to facilitate learning in accordance with our Christian philosophy of education that seeks the goal of helping each student to grow up in Christ Our Wisdom. (School motto)

Pupils need to be equipped for a life-long continuation of their education, gaining familiarity and expertise in the use of information sources by:

• Acquiring the skills of information retrieval;
• Demonstrating their understanding of the different levels of authority of the various sources of information;
• Being able to understand, evaluate and present the information in a clear manner, indicating its origin, authority and relevance.
The Library, then, should function centrally in all disciplines directing the pupils beyond their immediate and present insights, skills and knowledge.

The encouragement of reading for enjoyment is also an important role of the Library and the needs and interests of the users must be investigated and catered for.

The atmosphere of the Library should stimulate interest and enthusiasm for learning and should encourage reading, listening and viewing for educational and recreational purposes. Its physical environment must be attractive and welcoming to the whole school community.

AIMS OF THE LIBRARY:

1) Support the aims and educational objectives of the school.
2) Play a central role in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the total school programme.
3) Guide and support individual teachers in planning, implementing and evaluating specific programmes for their pupils.
4) Co-ordinate the selection, acquisition and organization of resources which will support the teaching/learning programme of the school, and fulfil both the curricula needs as well as spiritual, recreational and social needs of the users.
5) Extend resources available through networks and use of community and teachers’ libraries.
6) Provide a pleasant atmosphere that generates use of its services and promote the Library in as many ways as possible.
7) The ultimate goal of the Library is to assist each child to reach his/her maximum learning potential, lead him towards independent studies and to instil in him a love of reading and life-long learning. In accord with the whole school policy this can be expanded under the following headings

LIBRARY SELECTION POLICY

General Selection Criteria
The selection should comprise of books and other equipment to provide a variety of sources of information available both for study and leisure. Print material will still be given priority. It is important that a balance of subjects be maintained in the collection. Areas which do not experience much use should not have as much room in the collection. All the same, selection should not be governed solely by demand. Material should be considered under two main areas;
• Content & Quality
• Demand

Responsibility for Selection
The oversight for selection currently rests with the Library/teaching personnel in consultation with the Principal and members of staff as applicable. The Librarian may from time to time ask teachers or parents to read materials and give a written response.

The following are used to assist the Librarian with selection:
• Suggestions made at professional group meetings e.g. Christian school library group meetings, in-service courses
• Publishers’ catalogues and sales representatives
• School curriculum documents
• Staff, student and parent recommendations.

Complaints/Objections

There will be objections by some parents to materials included in the collection. Our school tries to be sensitive to these objections. Should an informal discussion with the class teacher not resolve the issue then the parent can make a formal objection by discussing the matter with the Principal.

A copy of the full Library Policy is available on request from the School Office.