Chapter of Book published by IASL and IFLA SLRC Section (2010). New Global Publication on School Librarianship: IASL-IFLA Joint publication Global Perspectives on School Libraries: Projects and Practices The publication is edited by Luisa Marquardt, Director Europe for IASL and Dianne Oberg, former editor of School Libraries Worldwide. Available here http://www.degruyter.com/view/product/43884?rskey=aGkIer&result=1&q=school%20libraries

1. Portugal, 1986-2010 Government Policies - a long walk to significant School
Libraries for all
Maria José Vitorino
Abstract
Portuguese National Library was created in 1911, but public libraries were rare until the 80's, and school
libraries even more rare. Mandatory primary education for boys was legislated in 1956, and for girls in 1961.
Iliteracy was impressive until the last quarter of 20st Century, and only in 1976 Constitution recognized
universal rights to Education and Culture. School Libraries Development is the aim of Portuguese
Government Program RBE Rede de Bibliotecas Escolares (School Libraries Network), in order to
assure School Libraries services to every school and every student (K-12). This Program, created by 2
Ministries – Culture and Education - in 1996, 10 years after Public Libraries Netwotk started, is still
running, based on partnerships between Public and School Libraries, supported by Local Governments
(Municipalities) and National Government, all over the country, except in Autonomous Regions of Azores
and Madeira. In 2010, RBE integrates 2402 school libraries, publishes national School Libraries guidelines
and promotes teamwork, through a national coordination Cabinet (directed by Teresa Calçada since 1996),
57 School Libraries full time network advisors with defined working area (several schools and School
Libraries, public libraries, local authorities, teacher training centres and others to work with), and about 1400
teacher librarians, and other school staff. New school buildings, primary as well as secondary, follow RBE
guidelines for facilities.
Schools must apply to get their school libraries integrated (and supported) by School Libraries Network –
and for that they need to have Public Library and Local Government support, too. Each Municipality have
signed a formal agreement with school principals and also with Education Ministry representatives,
designing partnership principles and general trends. Teacher Librarian full time positions were created in
2009, and were 10% reduced the next year – however, more new school libraries were integrated.
Government created a National Reading Plan, to be developed with RBE's support in schools. Local
Libraries Networks emerge. RBE, with PNL support, is also running a special project on School Libraries &
reading promotion, aLer+, within 80 School Libraries all over the country, and also cooperation projects
with School Libraries overseas: Mozambique, Timor. School Libraries Evaluation Model is used since 2007
– Modelo (2010). External evaluation on School Libraries Network Program by a specialists team was
recently published, recognising positive impact and recommending further measures.
For 14 years, School Libraries Network (RBE) contributed to create and improve School Libraries in every
school, as well as to build an educational culture valuing School Libraries and involving teachers, principals,
education administration authorities, parents and community leaders. Expectations on School Libraries are
now much higher, and claim for political vision and public resources enough to consolidate what has been
achieved or simply started, not compromising future generations rights to quality education and cultural
capital growth.
Keywords:
Government Policies, Portugal, School libraries, Public libraries, Partnership

2. Full Text:
Image 1. Presentation document of RBE Portuguese School Libraries Network Program (2010) Source: RBE
Portuguese School Libraries development is part of a long and hard story, for more than a century.
Portugal National Library was created only after 1910 Republican Revolution: its collection should
be supported with mandatory books deposit by publishers. Even if Portugal first Public Education
Law was from 1836, Public Schools, as well as Public Libraries, were rare. Nevertheless, some
High Schools, Liceus, created since 1904 – quite at the same time Government give up policies
imposing mandatory text book for Primary Education -- have beautiful buildings, with a special
room with wooden shelves, large tables and severe chairs, for their School Library, designed for
teacher's use and books. We still can visit some of these School Libraries, for those buildings
resisted time, even if not always preserving Library rooms. After 1936, and during dictatorial
Estado Novo policies, mandatory text books (selected by National Committees) were legislated
again, for all school levels, and Government policies simply ignored School Libraries until the
1950's.
In 1956, “Rural Libraries for Primary Schools” were created – each primary school should have a
small collection of books, kept in a small closet, used according national rules by teacher and
students, provided by Education Ministry, and teachers were in charge. There were no official
policies, nor funds, regarding secondary schools. In 1957, started an essential service of free of
charge mobile public libraries all over the country, promoted by a private entity, Calouste
Gulbenkian Foundation. Those mobile libraries were the first and, until 2002, the only public
library many populations will know, and the only library services all students could really attend.
Primary education during 4 years was not mandatory until 1956, for boys, and 1961, for girls, and
that explains also Portuguese actual generations educational gap. Emigration, a Portuguese
important reality since the 19th century, increased more and more after 1960, mainly to European
countries like France, Netherlands, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, bur also to USA, Canada,
Brazil,Venezuela and African Portuguese colonies – even during 13 years long independence wars.
Meanwhile, School Libraries development depended on teacher’s voluntary effort, and rare funding,
and only some schools benefit of that.
Illiteracy was impressive until the last quarter of 20st Century – by 1974, non literate population
was 30%. In spite of an huge progress, in 1991, 11% of Portuguese population cannot write nor
read; that value is hard to decrease – in 2001, 11 % of women and 6 % of men were totally illiterate.
Assuring further Education for all is a Portuguese 21st century crucial goal.
1986's National Education Law ruled K-9 mandatory school, recognising it as a right of every child,
since pre-school until 9th year - recently, this was extended for 12 years. Public Libraries Network
also started in 1986, except at Azores and Madeira Regions: it supposes that, with some financial

3. and technical support from National Government, local authorities should assure every municipality
provides at least one public library; this program has known different phases and rhythms.
Since 1987, School Libraries were mentioned in several official documents and measures. Some
Education Ministry measures valued School Libraries projects, specially those connected with
media education, but many schools have no School Libraries at all, or experienced hard conditions
to create or improve school libraries services.
By the end of 1995, Government ordered a group of experts, from Education as well from LIS area,
coordinated by Isabel Alçada to elaborate a Report on School Libraries development (Veiga, 1996),
and later created a special Program, RBE Rede de Bibliotecas Escolares (School Libraries
Network), in order to assure School Libraries services to every school and every student (K-12).
This Program, created in 1996 by 2 Ministries – Culture and Education - 10 years after Public
Libraries Network have started, is still running. It is based on partnerships between Public and
School Libraries, supported by Local Governments (Municipalities) and National Government, all
over the country. Each school must apply to integrate the RBE, national level, and each
municipality must sign a partnership statement, also signed by School principals and by an
Education Ministry's representative.
Many local Teacher´s Training Centres have been also a relevant partnership, offering continuous
training for teachers working at School Libraries, and, also, for School Libraries non teaching staff.
Image 2. Number of school libraries. Portugal 1997-2010
For several years, schools received financial reinforcement that enables them to change facilities:
rooms, equipment, collections. School Libraries integrating RBE are now 2402, following national
School Libraries guidelines, regularly reviewed – including new school buildings, both in primary
and secondary level schools.
As it is possible to understand by this graphic, a huge effort is being done for 15 years, specially in
mandatory education level. However, those graphics report just part of the investment – money
spent by Education Ministry – for there are no statistics available on the amounts applied by Local
Governments on primary schools buildings and facilities, by School Libraries professionals on
continuous training and further education on School Libraries issues, and by other entities involved
in School Libraries projects and partnerships.

4. Image 3. Investment on School Library Network (euros). Portugal 1997-2010
Local libraries networks, involving School Libraries and PL catalogues and web portals, are
growing, and are linked from RBE's website. Those networks increased collaborations among
Public and School Libraries and staff, but also revealed a significant focus on literacy promotion
and digital contents edition, designed for and often with teachers of local schools, of all educational
levels and teaching domains.
Schools technological resources, recently increased with PTE Plano Tecnológico da Educação,
include free access to Moodle Platforms. Teacher librarians are developing skills on digital contexts,
as many public librarians revealed more ad more interest on those development trends, as well.
Local and sometimes regional meetings are now quite a routine among Portuguese school libraries,
always counting with public libraries presence, including on organization teams. Some of these
meetings are organized as inter-municipalities project, optimizing resources and connecting
professionals on School Libraries subjects. Communities of practice emerge.
During 2009, RBE started Cooperation projects with Mozambique and Timor school libraries, a big
step who could be enlarged through other communities using Portuguese language, all over the
world.
Image 4. Mozambique RBE Project 2010. Poster

5. Source: http://bibliotecasemrede.blogspot.com/2010/06/programa-rbe-em-mocambique.html
RBE organized, with BAD (Portuguese Librarians Archivists and Documentalists Association), the 38 th IASL
Conference in Lisbon, 2006 (image below) “The Multiple Faces of Literacy”.
It was a great success, involving several hundreds of national participants, and many experts from Europe
and other parts of the world, no doubt a large step forward into School Libraries National Network goals.
Since then, many local and regional meetings on School Libraries subjects are multiplying contents and
contributions from professionals, principals, public librarians and researchers.
At the same time, for training purposes as well as for some researcher's interest, School Libraries finally are
a theme for University research projects, mainly on Education Sciences approach, but also on ICT or LIS
studies. Portuguese University/Science Research Open Access Repositorium, RCAAP, started on 2009,
presents already 655 thesis and dissertations on School Libraries connected themes (search 2011.02.12).
Image 5. IASL 2006 Conference, Lisbon. In RBE Newsletter n.º 1 (2006) Source: RBE
Human resources are a clue factor. RBE promotes teamwork, through a National Coordination
Cabinet, directed by Teresa Calçada since 1996, and 57 School Libraries full time network advisers
– inter-municipalities coordinators - with defined working area (several schools and School
Libraries, public libraries, local authorities, teacher training centres and others to work with). So,
every school library and every school library team, including teacher librarians and other staff, with
different levels of specific training, are supported by one of these advisers, always connected to
National Cabinet and with Education Ministry regional level authorities. Those coordinators, with
further training and School Libraries experience, also usually help on school applications to
integrate National School Libraries Network – including since 2008 also some private schools with
public funds for public education services - and work within local partnerships.
All over the years, many teachers and other school staff have been engaged in this changes, often
supported by local public librarians and technical staff, and many of them benefits from further
training, promoted by some Universities – LIS and Education Science Postgraduate or Master
courses, and Ph.D. Programs, as well as in-service training courses, promoted by Education
Ministry Departments and RBE itself, and, or, by local Teachers Training Centres, among others, as
THEKA (2004-2008).

6. Image 6. 2010 RBE poster, a cloud filled with knowledge, and connected tags. Many school library printed this image,
as wall paper, and it was quite a popular image embedded in School Libraries blogs all over the country
Source: http://blogue.rbe.min http://blogue.rbe.min-edu.pt/2010/03/cartaz-rbe.html
School Libraries Network developed an evaluation frame applied by each School Libraries team,
Modelo (2010) and an external evaluation presents rather positive results (Costa, 2009).
National Reading Plan started in 2006, PNL (2008), and is strongly supported by School Libraries
Network, including a special program inspired on UK Reading Connects (by National Reading
Trust), aLer+, supporting innovative reading and literacy promotion actions developed by school
libraries, involving already 78 projects; later, the National Educational Technological Plan also
valued School Libraries action, mainly for literacy agenda and curriculum support.
Image 7. Miranda do Corvo. EBI Ferrer Correia. Portugal (2009). Source: RBE
Since 2009, the full time teacher librarian legislation provided more than 1500 professionals on
School Libraries; in 2010, they are a bit less (near 1400). In 2011/2012, government imposed every
teacher librarian to teach one class, reducing his/her time available to work within School Libraries
development.

7. School Libraries number keep rising, all over the country, including, since 2008, some private
schools with public services and public financial support, always through applications to regular
network integration of to a Merit Ideas special program.
Each new school building, from pre-school to upper secondary level, recognises its importance,
following RBE guidelines for buildings, furniture and equipment. Mayor's are pleased to officially
open those new school libraries, even when they find sometimes hard to provide regular support to
improve their collections every year – this is rather important specially for primary schools, which
maintenance is a Municipal responsibility, in Portugal. Teacher librarian are deeply involved in
school activities and planning, and almost always have a seat as member of the Pedagogical
Council, the main educational management structure each school has, gathering all Departments
Coordinators and also the School Principal and representatives of parents and of students. School
library services representation in this Council is a RBE guidelines statement, however each school
can apply it, or choose not to do so.
This real impact of political measures promoted since 1996 is also web-visible through web
contents, blogs, websites, wikis and others – so school projects and agents are increased
expectations on School Libraries work and collaborative partnerships, with natural educational
impact, in spite of staff reductions and budget cuts.
Photos presented next, showing average day scenes on actual Portuguese school libraries of today,
are impressive about how 2400 Portuguese School Libraries, one hundred after National Library
was created as a Revolution aim in a rural and illiterate country, are experienced by students as
rich, and common, learning environments. part of their own modern, reading and (critical?)
thinking society.
Image 8. Loures. Primary School. Portugal (2010). Source: RBE

8. Image 9. Castelo Branco. Secondary School. Portugal (2010). Source: RBE
Image 10. Lousã. Primary School. Portugal (2010). Source: RBE
Image 11. Penafiel. Secondary School. Portugal (2010). Source: RBE

9. References:
Costa, António Firmino da (2009). Avaliação do Programa Rede de Bibliotecas Escolares. Lisboa: Rede de
Bibliotecas Escolares, at URL: http://www.rbe.min-edu.pt/np4/?
newsId=592&fileName=9789727423194.pdf (retrieved 12.12.2010)
Modelo de avaliação da biblioteca escolar (2010). Lisboa: Rede de Bibliotecas Escolares, at URL:
http://www.rbe.min-edu.pt/np4/file/745/mabe.pdf (retrieved 12.12.2010)
Plano Nacional de Leitura PNL [website] (2008- ). Lisboa: Ministério da Educação, at URL:
http://www.planonacionaldeleitura.gov.pt/index1.php (retrieved 12.12.2010)
Plano Tecnológico da Educação ERTE-PTE [website] Lisboa: Ministério da Educação, at URL:
http://www.crie.min-edu.pt/index.php?section=1 (retrieved 12.12.2010)
Portugal. Laws related to School Libraries Network [on line]. Lisboa. Rede de Bibliotecas Escolares, at
URL: http://www.rbe.min-edu.pt/np4/16.html (retrieved 12.12.2010)
RBE Newsletter (2006- ) [on line]. Lisboa. Rede de Bibliotecas Escolares at URL: http://www.rbe.min-
edu.pt/np4/71 (retrieved 12.1.2010)
RCAAP Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal [on line] URL: http://www.rcaap.pt/index.jsp?
locale=en
Rede de Bibliotecas Escolares RBE [website] (1998- ). Lisboa: Ministério da Educação, at URL:
http://www.rbe.min-edu.pt/en/np4/19.html (retrieved 12.12.2010)
THEKA Gulbenkian Teacher Training for School Libraries Development [website] (2004-2008). Lisboa:
Theka, at URL: www.theka.org (retrieved 12.12.2010)