The School Library as a differentiated space: the school culture perspective

Abstract

This paper have the findings of the research conducted in PPGCI-UFMG and addresses to the relationship between school library educational practices and its relationship with the school culture. The research was conducted in brazilian municipal schools, in Belo Horizonte city. The research aimed to discuss what was the nature of the school culture that supports a sucessful library program. The goal was to diagnose and analyze educational practices in brazilian school libraries and its relationship with school culture in the following aspect: how the environment affects and produces behaviors and actions related to the school library. The sample was composed by three school libraries, from public school in the city of Belo Horizonte. Principals, school librarians and two teachers – in each school – were interviewed. The data was collected using semi-structured surveys, characterizing the study as a qualitative in-depth research. Three important findings shown the relationship between school library and school culture: the presence of a collaborative culture, a specific school structure that supports the library and the school library as a differentiated space. There are aspects in this difference that contribute to the establishment of an effective school library. These factors are highlighted as: the school library as a connector, the distinctions between school libraries and classrooms and the school library location. The conclusion is that the school culture is a key dimension in school libraries activities.