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1. The practice
2. Hints for an evaluation
2.1 Strenghts
2.1.1 The organisation’s perspective
Robert Vagaan, Associate professor of the faculty of Journalism at Oslo University College, and The Library Director, Mrs Gry Enger, in the article signed below (see point 4. Link) has identified three causes of success of the Project:
- personnel profile: the personnel of the library represent itself as a teacher, a detective, someone who be trusted: in fact he/she does not act as a simple distributor of books. The librarian is a teacher because he helps children to understand what they read. This involves checking out comprehension levels for pupils in grade 4 and grade 6. while reading, the pupils are recommended to note down any difficult words they encounter in a little notebook. The children can choose among 15 different books to read in according to 2 skill levels. The children are awarded extra points for this and for correct answers. They also receive score for the effort they put into this type of work.
“…I have to be a teacher and find out each pupil’s level and needs with regard to the Norwegian language.
In order to activate their language, I also have to be a detective and find out what thrills them, what bothers them – what interests them, - and finally, I have to be someone they can develop trust in – sometimes I can give them answers they won’t get at home, and sometimes they pick me as the person they want to confide in…”
(Source: presentation to the Conference promoted by IASL international Association of School Liabrarianship, titled: The Multiple faces of literacy: reading, Knowing, Doing, Lisbon, Portugal, 3-7 July 2006, www.iasl-slo.org)
Also, a strong input has been given from the Director of the Library (Mrs Gry Enger) who is defines neither a traditional teacher nor a traditional librarian (she graduated in drama before teaching, she attended courses in library management and got a further degree in Religions): this variety of knowledge “facilitate this new breed – a teacher-librarian – the task of developing the multicultural Vahl Primary School library” (R. Vaagan, G. Enger, Developing the multicultural school library, in New Library World, Volume 105, Number 1204/1205 – 2004, p. 340).
- Children at the centre: the library considers the children not only the receivers of the books but also the centre of knowledge and information: the library is conceived as an expansion of the classroom where new methods are experimented in order to allow pupils to understand and to express themselves. The big variety of books in different languages or theme-boxes containing objects related to their own original cultures (Urdu, Arabic, Turkish), especially for very young pupils is meant at put the student at the centre of the learning process.
- Use of drama as a teaching method: despite of long Norwegian tradition on drama pedagogy (John Dewey, Lev Vygotskij, Elsa Olenius, Helga Eng), drama is not conceived as a discipline in primary school. The librarian has applied this methods to a multicultural setting, stating that it brought successful results.
2.1.2 Interculture map perspective
The Project gives opportunity to students belonging to ethnic minorities thanks to the use of new teaching methods and to the methods chosen by the librarian.
The Project contributes to intercultural knowledge because it bases its activities on books and materials written and made in pupils mother tongue (Urdu, Arabic, Turkish, Somali), or by using objects related to original cultures of pupils. It is clear how the personal story and the family cultural system of the student are considered at the centre as a real resource to be put into value. The activities of the Library show how cultural diversity can be a tool for daily training, and not just something to be periodically evocated.
It can be considered innovative because it use non-traditional methods as drama or story telling, that enables pupils to improve their language while being protagonist of the activities: they are directed involved in drama or story telling and their own mother tongue is valued. This is a strong impact on self-esteem.
Also parents are involved in reading or story telling. The Director of the Library states that she has regular and strict relationships with the families that invite her at home.
The library is considered as an extension of the classroom and this allow pupils to learn also by using elements of their own culture which is not something to overcome or to forget, but a part of their own identity to start from and that is recognised by the school teachers and librarians.
The librarian gives certificates to pupils attending the library or involves them in library activities. This has an effect on self esteem, because the children appreciate the attention that the service put on them.
2.2 Critical Points
2.2.1 The organisation’s perspective
The Library states that results in the language acquisition must still be improved, in particular in 2nd and 3rd grade (as stated by Trine Hauger, the Head of the School. Vaagan, Enger 2004, p. 341). In this grades the language proficiency is difficult to gain because the pupils start facing more complexity in subjects’ language.
Another problem which has come out has concerned the difficulty in the level of understanding of drama methods by pupils’ parents: “…some parents needed to be convinced and reassured of the seriousness and relevance of drama as an educational method”. Often, drama lessons where carried out in other places (i.e. the Deichman Oslo Municipal Library). While drama is immensely popular within children, parents, mostly fathers, occasionally doubt on the need for their children to take part in performances outside school boundaries.
2.2.2 Interculture map perspective
As stated by the librarian, main difficulties concerned the effort to be made to involve some parents within activities and to agree about this new methods.
The participation of parents can be very difficult to obtain if they are not involved in the definition of methods prior to the implementation of activities.
Another critical aspect could be linked to the fundamental impact of the “personal and professional biography” of the teacher-librarian. Maybe her own training and professional experiences have contributed to define a very complete profile: her expertise and knowledge (she graduated in drama and also in religion), allow her to cope with very different needs while approaching new methods and languages (drama and story telling). Since it is so difficult to find so various and complex (and interdisciplinary) profiles it will be hard to reproduce this high level of performances. The risk is maybe due to a strong “personal” character of the activities, which maybe cannot be carried out with the same results by a traditional teacher. The lucky circumstances of the Project can be hardly reproduced in other context/schools, if librarians have a traditional curriculum.
2.3 Lessons Learnt
2.3.1 The organisation’s perspective
The Vahl Primary School point out the exportable elements of the Project, that are demonstrated by the high number of visits and request of counselling and information to other school in order to help them to set up new multicultural library.
2.3.2 Interculture map perspective
Themes: story telling, drama, use of ICT instruments can be certainly exported in other school context.
Methodology: the methods can be exported in other school libraries, even if this exportation can work only if the whole school participates in this Project. The strong element of the Vahl School experience lies in considering the library as an extension of the school. This means that the whole school must be involved in a sort of transformation of what must be considered as school. To implement this kind of Project a school need to overcome the traditional idea of education, and conceive the non-formal education as a part of curricula, that deserve attention and credibility by the Head of Institute and by all the school staff.
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