Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-218). Also available electronically via ProQuest Digital Dissertations.

The problem with which this investigation was concerned was an evaluation of community college learning resources programs as reflected by client opinion and use of services and conformity to the published guidelines. The purposes of the study were to ascertain the extent to which learning resources programs of selected metropolitan community colleges conformed to the recommendations published in "Guidelines for Two-Year College Learning Resources Programs," and to compare the guidelines scores rendered with faculty and student opinion and use of learning resources services on the campuses. No significant differences were noted in comparisons of opinion and utilization of learning resources services among either students or faculty on the campuses with the highest guidelines scores and the same groups on the campuses with the lowest guidelines scores. Based on the findings, the following conclusions were formulated: 1) the instruments utilized were not sensitive enough to distinguish subtle differences, if any, between the learning resources programs on the various campuses, 2) the learning resources programs included in the study were similar in nature, and 3) more differences exist between groups based on demographic variables than exist between the learning resources programs.

M.Com. (Library and Information Science) / In this study attention was given to the vast amount of information in periodicals which is not usually utilized in media centres. The popularity of periodicals amongst teenagers should be used to stimulate research in this relevant, updated medium which contains the most recent facts on such a wide range of topics. The promotion of magazines as a resource of information received attention and certain strategies to promote the utilisation of periodicals were suggested. The whole process of planning, budgeting and ordering of periodicals was looked at from the user's point of view, especially to 'satisfy the user's information needs. These information needs must first be established and thereafter the best medium must be obtained in order to satisfy them. A communication system was formulated by which teachers and pupils could be informed of the latest arrivals as well as the latest information on a specific topic. Secondly, a system was devised which can be used to analyse and index information from periodicals and keep it on record until it can be taken up in the catalogue, whether it is in pamphlet form, or as bound magazines. This way, no information from periodicals need be wasted or lost due to the lack of printed indexes in South Africa.

The school library resource centre and the collection of trade books that classroom teachers gather in their classrooms were the focus of an exploratory, descriptive study designed around the first stages of an action research model. Little research had been done on how effective classroom teachers have been at acquiring trade books for their classroom collections, and on how teacher-librarians, working in partially or fully integrated school library resource centre programs, helped make trade books accessible to elementary teachers and students. One instrument, The Survey of Elementary Classroom Collections. was designed to examine four descriptive areas: the contents and size of classroom collections, the source of trade books for these collection, the organization and management of classroom collections, and the use classroom teachers make of these trade books. The 205 elementary English language classroom teachers in one school district were sent a Survey and 80% responded. The series of interviews that followed were conducted with a stratified random sample of 30 classroom teachers, nine principals and seven teacher-librarians. The stratification was organized by Phases 1, 2 or 3 of school library program development, which were determined by the score on a second instrument. The Profile of School Library Resource Centre Programs. and from information on staffing, resources and teacher-librarian experience. Results were analyzed under the four areas explored in the Survey, by grade level and by Phase. A detailed description of the classroom collections led to the development of the Independent, Interactive and Integrated models for classroom collections. Each reflected a different concept of the classroom collection, its role in the literacy program and its relationship with the school library resource centre program. Indications were that a collaborative approach to trade book provisioning emerged in schools where the school library resource centre program was more fully integrated into the school curriculum. Details on a school-based/district-wide strategy to build a collaborative approach were given, as well as suggestions for a plan of action for individual schools and for further research to explore questions raised by this study. / Education, Faculty of / Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of / Graduate

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of community college Learning Resources Centers' participation in automated library networking (ALN), to identify the factors which influenced or inhibited participation, to identify the benefits gained and the problems encountered due to participation, to identify the sources of funding for participation, to identify the involvement of LRCs in network related organizations and activities, to illuminate the influence of college staff in the decision making process for participation, and to assess the relationships, if any, which existed among the selected ALN activities and the institutional variables. A survey and interview approach was chosen to conduct the study which consisted of two phases. During the first phase, a survey questionnaire was developed, validated and mailed to 253 LRC directors of American public community colleges located in the southeastern United States. A total of 193 (76.3 percent) usables responses were received. Statistical procedures employed for this study were chi-square, MannWhitney U Test, and Kruskall-Wallis One Way ANOVA to test the appropriate samples at .05 level of significance. The second phase involved a site visit to three LRCs selected out of the 193 responses to further examine any significant trends or practices common or unique to networking which were not adequately addressed in the first phase. The results of the interviews from the site visits were recorded descriptively. The principal findings of the study indicated that community college . The majority of the LRCs had not yet automated the other functions. There were a few integrated or turnkey automated systems available in the LRCs. ln general, LRCs used regional and national networks for all functional activities. But, all four networks - local, state, regional and national - were used for interlibrary loan, resource sharing and union catalog database. Among the most important benefits gained by participation in ALN were sharing bibliographic databases, immediate access to network files, faster and improved services to users, and sharing of resources among network members. Participating LRCs mostly used their regular operating budget and received little or no external fundings. Incentive to participate primarily came from professional colleagues and involvement in network related organizations. Those LRCs which had no ALN reported that lack of financial support and limited institutional commitment were the main reasons for non-participation. The extent of automation and ALN could be predicted from the size of the institutions. Size of the institution played a major role in the participation in ALN. In most cases, there were significant relationships between institutional variables - location, enrollment, collection size, volume of circulation, number of LRC staff, size of annual budget and the extent of automation and ALN. / Ed. D.

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

The study explored the changing role of libraries/media centres at ex-Model C (now Section 21) high schools in the Nelson Mandela Metropole (NMM), focussing on a case study of the Framesby High School (FHS) media centre in Port Elizabeth. Model C schools originated in the 1990s, just before the transition to democratic rule in 1994, when White, or House of Assembly schools were given a choice of three school governing models, namely, fully-private Model A schools, Model B state schools and semi-private Model C schools. Model C schools would receive state subsidies of about 50%, with the balance raised through school fees. A major research purpose was to present a comprehensive description of the current ex- Model C school library context and how these influenced the service orientation and intended core functions of school librarians, such as teaching information literacy, providing academic support and promoting general literacy and reading. The FHS media centre service was further described with an aim of providing functional library/media centre management guidelines, applicable to high school libraries/media centres in similar ex-Model C school situations, or any libraries that could find such guidelines useful. This qualitative FHS media centre case study was based on the FHS media centre manager’s personal observation as participative action researcher and further supported by literature, an interview and questionnaire feedback from FHS educators and respondents from selected NMM ex-Model C high school libraries. By comparing historical and existing national and provincial school library issues, conclusions were reached regarding macro- and micro-school library contexts, for example, the effect of having no national policy, the support roles of school management and governing bodies, the influence of digital media and the position of school librarians. School librarian concerns, including their roles, qualifications, service conditions and professional status, especially within Section 21 schools, were considered with the high school library and librarian’s contribution towards curriculum outcomes and life-long learning. With specific reference to ex-Model C schools, the absence of a library policy also resulted in diverse levels of school management and school governing body recognition of the school library/media centre. This impacted on the school librarian’s role in curriculum support and information literacy teaching as well as the availability of funds, infrastructure and resources. It is recommended that government should address the supply of library facilities, services and posts for school librarians and assistants. Lack of governmental action is maintaining the growing divide between ex-Model C schools and disadvantaged schools, while the lack of school library services also has a negative influence on literacy and pass rates, especially in poorer regions, like the Eastern Cape. In the light of the vast difference between the results of ex-Model C schools and other schools in the Eastern Cape, these schools and their library services could provide a benchmark towards improving educational contexts in the province.

M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Media Science) / Please refer to full text to view abstract