It became known that South African learners’ learning outcomes rank poorly on the international stage, even if compared to less developed parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. The root cause of this problem is assumed to lie with the concern of illiteracy, which was argued, could be combated inter alia by ensuring that every public school has a stocked and functional library serviced by a fulltime proficient librarian. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of principals in establishing and managing functional school libraries in the King Cetshwayo District, KwaZulu-Natal. A qualitative investigation was done amongst school principals and their teacher librarians at five Dlangubo Circuit Schools. Data were collected by means of in-depth interviews and document analysis. The study revealed that the principals lack the training and resources to fulfil their role in establishing and maintaining functional school libraries. Recommendations were made on how principals might solve these problems in the future. / Dit het aan die lig gekom dat Suid-Afrikaanse leerders se leeruitkomste swak in die internasionale arena vertoon, selfs indien dit met minder-ontwikkelde dele van Sub-Sahara-Afrika vergelyk word. Daar word aanvaar dat die oorsaak van hier probleem vermoedelik die probleem van ongeletterdheid is, wat onder andere oorkom kan word deur te verseker dat elke openbare skool oor ’n toegeruste en funksionele biblioteek beskik wat deur ’n voltydse, bekwame bibliotekaris bestuur word. Hierdie studie ondersoek die rol van skoolhoofde in die vestiging en bestuur van funksionele skoolbiblioteke in die King Cetshwayo-distrik in KwaZulu-Natal. Daar is by vyf skole in die Dlangubu-streek ’n kwalitatiewe ondersoek met behulp van skoolhoofde en hulle onderwyser-bibliotekarisse gedoen. Data is met behulp van diepgaande onderhoude en dokumentanalise versamel. Die studie het aan die lig gebring dat die skoolhoofde ’n gebrek aan opleiding en hulpbronne het ten einde hulle rol in die vestiging en handhawing van funksionele skoolbiblioteke te vervul. Aanbevelings is gemaak oor hoe skoolhoofde in die toekoms moontlik hierdie probleme kan oplos. / Kuvele ukuthi imiphumela yokufunda abafundi baseNingizimu Afrika isezingeni eliphansi mayikeliswe neyamazwengamazwe ngisho noma isiqhathaniswa neyezingxenye ezingaka thuthuki kahle zase- Sub-Saharan Africa. Umsuka walenkinga kusolwa ukuthi udalwa ukungakhuthazwa ukufunda izincwadi nokubhala ,okuyinto okuthiwa ingaqedwa phakathi kokunye ngokuqinisekisa ukuthi zonke izikole zomphakathi zinomtapo wolwazi onezinsizakufunda nezinsizakusebenza ezanele ezisezingeni labantwana nothisha futhi owenganyelwe uthisha oqeqeshiwe ngokusebenza komtapo futhi osebenza ngokugcwele ukuqondana nomtapo wesikole. Inhloso yocwaningo ukuphenya indima yothishanhloko ekusunguleni nasekuphatheni imitapo esebenza ngendlela efanele ezikoleni zase e-King Cetshwayo District, KwaZulu-Natal. Uphenyo olunzulu lwenziwe kothishomkhulu kanye nakothisha ababakhethe ukuthi babuye babhekane nokusebenza nokuphathwa kwe -mitapo yolwazi ezikoleni zabo ezinhlanu ezise Dlangubo Circuit. Ulwazi lwaqoqwa ngama in-depth interviews kanye nokuhlaziywa kwezincwadi abasebenza ngazo ukuze umtapo wolwazi wesikole usebenze ngendlela efanele.Lolu cwaningo luveze ukuthi othishanhloko bashoda ngoqeqesho kwezokuphathwa komtapo wolwazi ezikoleni kanye nezinsizakufunda kubalwa nezinsiza kusebenza eziqondene nokusebenza kahle komtapo wolwazi ezikoleni ukuze bakwazi ukufeza indima yabo ekusunguleni nasekuphatheni gendlala imitapo yolwazi esebenza kahle ezikoleni zabo. Izincomo zenziwe ezikhombisa ukuthi othishanhloko bangazixazulula kanjani lezi zinkinga esikhathini esizayo. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)