Work and Progress Together to Create a Reading Paradise for High Schools

Remarks of Retrospection and Prospects of "Senior High School Library Guidance Committee (SHSLGC)

Abstract

During 1990s, traditional senior high school education encountered challenges of social transitions, information explosion while entering a learning-oriented society. Educational reforms and policies were conducted and enforced nation-wide. School libraries was situated in a turning edge to cope with the education reforms. Two major projects have impacted heavily on the development of high school (including vocational high schools) librarianship. One was the subsidy for collection development from the Ministry of Education that enriched the high schools’ library holdings, the other one was the establishment of “The Senior High School Library Guidance Committee (SHSLGC)”. SHSLGC consists of scholars of Library and Information Science Education, educational administrators, and selected high school library directors. The SHSGC Team started consulting jobs by selecting high school libraries as demonstrative models in different regions of the Island, conducting library symposiums, having published “The Handbook for Senior High School Libraries”, hosting forums for high school principals and chief librarians, establishing professional courses for chief librarians, and paying on-site visits to high school libraries around the Island. The on-site visits created inter-library cooperation and exchange of professional experiences among high schools and vocational high schools.

Efforts continued and when the “ Library Law” was effected in year of 2002, SHSLGC gained its legal stands and became a regular organization to officially provide its services to senior school libraries. In addition to its original services 2 during the years, SHSLGC expanded its services to conduct researches on current-status of senior school libraries, posting e-Paper on the Internet, composing a high school e-learning data bank, helping high school libraries to delivery services to communities. This paper addresses the development of SHSLGC, the history, milestones, the implementation, and its impact as well.