[Reader-list] A manual for running a library in a high school

[Chintan]

Usha Mukunda is one of the most committed librarians you'll ever come
across.

Thanks to Pratham Books, her manual for running a library in a high school
is now available online. Visit the link below:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/32301051/Manual-for-Running-a-Library-in-a-High-School-by-Usha-Mukunda

Excerpt:

A school without an open and active library is like a human being with no
centre. S.R. Ranganathan, the founder of the library movement in India calls
the school library, ”Truly the heart of the school. Stimulating currents go
out of it into every corner of the school.”
Can this be done in each and every school, however big or small? Yes it can,
provided you, the teachers and your students bring your energy and
enthusiasm to making it happen.

Why is it so crucial for every school to have an open, accessible library
for the students and teachers to use freely?

Knowledge is everyone’s birthright and it empowers children to be
well-informed, free from bias and prejudice. Access to knowledge through
reading, listening, viewing and discussing, brings about an intelligent,
literate and competent human being.

The library can also provide historical, geographical and cultural awareness
to readers through well-chosen resources. At a young age, children are full
of curiosity and the zest to learn beyond the limits of the school
curriculum. A library gives them the opportunity to pursue their thirst for
knowledge. Here is the place where independent thinking is nurtured,
individual interests are developed and self-confidence grows.

As children grow older, they are faced with many challenges and dilemmas in
society. How are  they to know what is right? Here too the library can
provide ample material in terms of inspiring true stories, biographies and
essays by thinkers. Articles by leading intellectuals and scientists can
help them to distinguish the true from the false. By providing this open
exposure the library can help bring about a well-informed, intelligent and
balanced community of  young citizens and  the country will be richer in
human resources.

When it is begun at a young age, optimum library use and the reading habit
can be a lifelong asset. Reading for pleasure has intangible benefits
because young people absorb knowledge, values and perspectives with very
little effort. School libraries are valuable and effective aids to bring
about better learning and higher achievement levels in examinations,
competitions and other activities.

For teachers, the library is an invaluable tool to keep themselves abreast
of factual information and deeper knowledge. They will be better educators
and have the confidence of knowing that they are well read and up to date.
For the school, the library is an invaluable asset because it can support,
reflect and enhance the curriculum.

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To read about the library Usha Mukunda set up at Centre for Learning,
Bangalore, check
http://blog.prathambooks.org/2010/02/story-of-childrens-library-in-bangalore.html