SCHOOL LIBRARIES SOUTH, SWEDEN

In Sweden we have several library organisations. One category is regional organisations, formed locally by librarians and teacher librarians, schools, principals and other parties interested in school libraries. Skolbibliotek Syd (School Libraries South) is one of them and we have two independent sister organisations; SkolbibliotekÖst (School Libraries East), in and around Stockholm, and Skolbibliotek Mitt (School Libraries Center), located in the center of Sweden.

How we formed a regional library organisation
In 1997, we were a group of teacher librarians and school librarians, working in schools in the south of Sweden, who felt we needed support and more contact with others in the same situation. We began discussing forming an organisation, and an interim board was appointed at a meeting for school librarians in Malmö. The interim board worked out a proposal for regulations for the association, gathered interested people in the region and called them to a constitutional meeting. At that first meeting we decided on a member’s fee, to be able to send out information to the members, and to fund a leaflet in order to spread the message.

Thus School Libraries South was founded in Malmö in 1998. It is an association for all interested in School Library Programs. During the years that have followed, we have become a very active forum for school librarianship. We had the pleasure and honour of being a part of the IASL conference in Malmö 2000.

Activities of Skolbibliotek Syd
• Meetings and conferences with different topics like:
- meeting with an author
- discussing and learning about different topics, e.g. storytelling or historical fiction and fact books, and co-operation with museums
- national and international school library issues
• Day tours to visit school libraries and learn from colleagues, as well as other interesting cultural tours in the vicinity (Denmark is not far away!)
• Work groups for:
- international issues, including African school library development, and working with other European countries
- our website and our own web forum - www.skolbibliotek.se/syd
- editing and publishing a newsletter for our members

One of our aims is to discuss school library issues and to stimulate exchange of information and experience in different ways. Together with our sister associations, we have managed to encourage and support exchange of information and experience. We have succeeded in becoming a discussion partner with the national authorities.

Our members are: teachers and librarians, working in schools or public libraries, principals and their schools and others, interested in school library questions.

Important issues
• Support development of school libraries
• Promote the school librarian as a professionally qualified staff member in the school
• Put focus on the need for national strategies and documents from the National Agency for Education, supporting standard school library programs for grades 0-12, which formulate goals, priorities and services in relation to the school's curriculum and information literacy
• Have school authorities in the Swedish municipalities employ professionally trained school librarians
• Put focus on the role of the school librarian as an educational resource
• Work for a school library that is integrated in the investigative and source-critical way of learning
• Create meeting places for everyone interested in school libraries
• Promote research and further education in school library work
• Publish articles, news and exchange of information in our school library newsletter

Skolbibliotek Syd promotes school libraries by
• debating school library issues
• stimulating exchange of information and experience
• encouraging school library research
• supporting efforts to make school libraries a natural part of the curriculum and the Swedish educational system
• spreading new knowledge on pedagogical and ICT matters, concerning school libraries
• publishing articles and debate in our newsletter
• creating a meeting place for our members
• supplying news and discussion on our website
• strengthening school librarians in their profession
• establishing contacts nationwide and abroad
• arranging meetings and conferences
• arranging study tours to school libraries in Sweden and abroad