THE ROLE AND CONSTRAINTS OF SCHOOL LIBRARY (EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
INTRODUCTION
Man’s capacity to learn, to organize learning, to communicate this learning as knowledge, to other members of the species, and to act on the basis of learning and knowledge constitute the subject matter of education (Golsin, 1965). According to develop his mental capacity in such a way as to arm him to play a specific role in a developing programme. It also sets value on the human factor in development which makes man capable of shaping his history. Malue (1968) had strongly argued that a country will never be developed unless education is developed because it is through better education that maximum use can be made of human resources.
The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to examine the extent to which school libraries help to promote qualitative primary education. It will also look into the constraints to effective utilization of school libraries in primary education and finally suggests ways of improving school library service.
School library and Primary Education
The importance role which libraries play in laying sound educational foundation for children had been eulogized in library literature but summed up by the American Library – Association when it stated that:
Whatever form the soul searching regarding education of the child may take sooner or later, it has to reckon with adequate of library resources in the schools ..
The school library exists for the pupils avail himself of the emerging developments in educational thinking and practices …, to be given sustained exposure and to equip him with intellectual curiosity, desirable learning and reading habits and available. The quality of education a child received depends to a large extent on the level of exposure of the child and the teacher to knowledge stored in libraries (Anene, 1972). The school library provides knowledge, education and enlightenment which form the basic for full development of the pupil’s talents and skills required for national development. Any effective educational system requires systematic use of reading materials provided by libraries, while any education programme with the absence of adequate library provision starting from the primary school results in poor foundation at the primary level, ineffective secondary education, inefficient university and absence of life-long integrated adult education. Therefore, for a successful education programme, library services must be provided starting from the primary school. Any primary education without library not only adversely affects the standard of, but also results in manpower wastage after elementary schooling (Fafunwa, 1966).
