Are Alternative Information Services Compensating for Dysfunctional School Libraries in South Africa? The Case of Limpopo Province

Abstract

Owing to uneven resource-provisioning during the apartheid era, dysfunctional library facilities are a major concern in the majority of South African schools. Since only 7% of state schools have functional school libraries, teaching and learning are negatively affected. The article is limited to just one part of a research project which investigated the Provision of School Libraries in Public High Schools in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The purpose of the study was to investigate alternative information services which teachers and learners could use to meet curriculum-related needs because library facilities in most state high schools in the province are dysfunctional. The study involved a quantitative research design. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from principals or teacher-librarians. The findings show that the majority of schools, particularly in disadvantaged rural communities, are some distance away from alternative information services, thereby restricting teachers’ and learners’ access to information. The study recommends that the government should ensure that more alternative information services are available to improve the quality of education in these schools. The social ecosystem, that is, partnerships among information services, should be encouraged to meet dynamic and evolving information needs of the multiple users.