- The document discusses establishing school libraries in underprivileged areas of Chennai to improve literacy. - It outlines a plan to set up low-cost libraries with donated books and volunteer staff, and ensure sustainability through partnerships with NGOs, government schemes, and corporate sponsors. - Data from pilot studies in two Chennai schools showed students in the school with a library performed better across subjects compared to one without a functional library. The study aims to expand this model to more schools.

1. • Nirmal L
• Rajaram Suresh
• Urmila Reghunath
• Vishnu G P
• Yashasvini Rajeswar
IIT Madras

2.  Looking to understand and contextualize problems of teacher
training and infrastructure availability
 Aiming at restructuring existing system to achieve maximum
efficiency (instead of capital/resource-intensive supplementation)
 Limited quantitative (Refer Appendix B) sample of two Chennai
schools complemented by qualitative experience from Ladakh,
Himachal Pradesh
 Concluding that competency levels in under-privileged schools
are below average, focus on classes 5-7 for greatest effectiveness
 Data collection reveals dismal state of primary education in
underprivileged environments
Some know. Others don’t. Everyone should.

3. 55.88 %
20.02 %
24.1 %
What is 5*4 and 3*10?
Both answers correct
One of them correct
None of them correct
Who is the President
of India?
Correct answers Wrong answers
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
English Math Science Social Science
Percentage of correct responses across subjects
School with library School without library*
Comparative depiction of responses to different aspects of the questionnaire
When a few kilometers and a bit of money makes all the difference.
*Dysfunctional library

4.  Students in school with library have a well-rounded understanding of different subjects.
 Only 1 out of 22 students understood the meaning of ‘foreign country’.
 ‘A sentence about your family’ meant listing the family members’ names.
 None of the class 5 students identified Tamil Nadu on the Indian map.
 21 out of 22 students identified the location of the human heart.
 70% of the students achieved bilingual writing.
 A large portion of sample space failed to distinguish between arithmetic operators (+.- and *)
 More than 80% of the students answered questions on seasons and sense organs, signifying
dominance of rote learning.
 All students knew the name of their principal.
Data represents reality. Numbers reflect lives.

5. `
Books
• Contracts with
established
suppliers,
publishers
• Individual donors
Short Term Funds
Long Term Funds
• Partnership with
private projects
• Collaboration with
government
schemes
Components
• Cheap Infrastructure;
Plastic shelves, notebook
for recordkeeping
• Books
• Staff to handle books,
records
Characteristics
• Accessibility to library,
no locked shelves
• Relevance of books:
Should instill curiosity
and interest
• Sustainability, Feasibility:
Maintenance by staff
and interest from
students
Donors, Project Partners,
and Government
• Funds
• Planning
• Manpower
• Monitoring process
Us, Volunteers
School administration
and staff
Student leaders and
representatives
Other students & parents
• Trained implementers
• Feedback
Piecing the jigsaw together. Planning a future.

6. Plan
•Establishing contact with publishers, advisors and resource personnel
•Forging long-term contracts with NGOs for monetary & intellectual support (books, staff, funding)
•Securing a stable source of funding: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
•Securing an auxiliary source of funding (unstable) from alumni associations, corporate social responsibility of
major companies
Set-up
• Optimizing infrastructural requirements by using cost-efficient substitutes for wood like compact plastic shelves
• Training staff & administration in matters of record-keeping, cataloging and maintenance
• Engaging the students in the physical setting-up of the library
• Creating awareness on the functioning and structure of the library
Execute
• Appointing librarian (English/Math teacher, in the absence of adequate staff) and formulating weekly time-table for
library visits of each class
• Setting up board of supervisors including school administration, a government representative, PTA president and student
leaders
• Board meets quarterly for review, addressing issues and problems and planning future activities (augmenting resource
material, partnering organizations and sponsors)
Pages make books. Plans make libraries.

7. Why our
Libraries
Holistic
Growth
Ease of
follow-up
Access to
resource
persons
Large
volunteer
base
Experience
amongst
team
Nascent
Concept in
India
Data available of impact from
USA
Leadership, confidence, academic
growth
Academic background/
organizational skills
Self-sufficient, student run
library management system
Potential sponsors/donors,
beneficiaries, trainers
Direct contact with student
community
Because our eyes and our ears gave us a headstart.

8.  Libraries as a tool for literacy improvement
is not unique/novel
 Work done in India by Pratham Books,
Akshara Foundation, etc.
 However, not prevalent solution in Chennai
 Allows for access to expertise, mentoring –
learning from industry stalwarts
 Need for follow-up will not be a drawback
 Provided solid management systems are
established, school libraries will be largely
self-sufficient (student monitors with
teacher support)
 Why us?
 Physical proximity – living in Chennai and
working in Chennai
 Ground experience from prior internships
 Theoretical knowledge from academics,
organizational experience
Being aware of the constraints is half the battle won. The other half is fighting it.

9. `
Manpower
1.How do we ensure regular availability of librarian?
2. Who will conduct periodic inspections?
1. One class hour per week converted to ‘library period’ with
respective teacher acting as librarian
2. Student leaders/PTA representatives inspect records.
Supplemented by our volunteers in the initial stage.
Monitoring
1. How do we monitor smooth functioning?
2. Who is the reporting authority?
1. Librarians and student maintain regular records.
2. Chain of command:
Principal -> Us -> Sub-Deputy Inspector of Schools
Scaling up
1. How do we expand?
2. Who is the intended beneficiary?
1. Advertise in local newspapers for more books/sponsors/
volunteers
2. Short term: Small urban schools in and around Chennai.
Long Term: Rural and urban schools across India.
Financial Stability
1. Financial stability for government schools?
2. Financial stability for private schools?
1. Collaboration with Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (Operation
Blackboard, Teacher learning equipment)
2. Alumni associations, long-term tie ups with CSR divisions of
companies, NGOs, high-end schools adopting smaller schools.
Success is using every hurdle to your advantage.

10. • Nascent concept;
Creative scale up to
cater to a wider
audience
• Conceptually can be
scaled into a Laboratory
or a Co-curricular
activity or a sports hub
• Risk of shelving, inadequate
support from administration
• Under-utilization of the library
due to lack of redressal.
• Inadequate funding- Roadblock
for large-scale implementation
• Constraints due to
academic commitments –
team, volunteers
• Analysis based on limited
data/small samples
• Student identity potential
hurdle in entering industry
• Ease of execution
• Proven results
• Feasibility
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Promotes holistic
growth
Being unaware is being blind.

11. Because every child has the right to turn a new page.
Mahajan, Preeti. School Libraries in India: Present-day Scenario. Library Philosophy and Practice, 2010
Upadhyay, DR MP, RP Bajpai. State of Primary School Libraries in Uttar Pradesh: A Study of Azamgarh District.
Library Herald, 2007.
Mukunda, Usha. Guide to Setting Up an Open Library in Primary Schools.
Central Board of Secondary Education. Organizing School Libraries. cbse.gov.in/LIBRARY-1-99.pdf
Francis, Briana Hovendick, Keith Curry Lance, Zeth Lietzau. School Libraries Continue to Help Students: The Third
Colorado Study (2010). Denver: Library Research Service, 2010.
Lance, Keith Curry. The Importance of School Libraries. Colorado, 2003.
Lance, Keith Curry, Marcia J Rodney, Christine Hamilton-Pennell. Powerful Libraries Make Powerful Learners: The
Illinois Study. Canton: Illinois School Library Media Association, 2005.
Rodney, Marcia J, Keith Curry Lance, Christine Hamilton-Pennell. The Impact of Michigan School Librarians on
Academic Achievement: Kids Who Have Libraries Succeed. Lansing: Library of Michigan, 2003.
Small, Ruth V, Jamie Snyder, Katie Parker. The Impact of New York's School Libraries on Student Achivement and
Motivation: Phase 1. 31 January 2012.
www.ala.org/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/slmrcontents/volume12/small.
Williams, Dorothy, Caroline Wavell, Louisa Coles. Impact of School Library Services on Achievement and Learning.
London: Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, 2001.

12. The sample questionnaire.

13. The questionnaire results.
From Nehru Middle School From Vana Vani Matriculation Higher
Secondary School

14. Libraries in Sarva Siksha Abhiyan

15. Libraries in USA