GLA Launched Training Programme For SHS Librarians

The Ghana Library Authority has launched nationwide residential training programme for senior High School Librarians across the country's in Kumasi, Monday.

Almost 700 school librarians across the country are expected to be taken through training areas such as Cataloguing and classification, Preservation and Documentary Materials, Practical use of Library Management System for collection Management and many others

The training collaborated and supported by Ghana Education service is the first-ever nationwide training of such magnitude in the history of Ghana, has been categorized into four zones.

Zone one, made up of schools in the Ashanti, Bono, Ahafo and Bono East regions. Zone two comprises of those in Greater Accra, Central, Western and Western North regions. Eastern, Volta, and Oti regions forms zone three and Upper East, Upper West, Savannah, Northern and North East regions, zone four.

About 210 participants participated in the first phase of the project held in Kumasi.

Mr Hayford Siaw, the acting executive director for Ghana library Authority speaking at the launching and the first phase of the project in Kumasi said, the training forms part of the government agenda within the framework of the implementation of Free SHS policy to build capacity of school librarians to ensure quaillity education in the country.

The policy seeks to equip all school libraries within the country, with necessary learning and resources and supplementary reading materials as part of educational investment by government.

The training is facilitated by a team of seasoned Librarians and Information Science Professionals from The Ghana Library Authority and University of Ghana.

Mr Siaw notedd that, "Resourcing school libraries is a critical component to ensure quality education in the country", hence the move.

He said, Already supplementary readings materials are been sourced from publishers across the country to equip schools libraries.

This training he said "comes after an assessment of all SHS libraries across the country as part the Project, 'School Libraries Transformation Programme'".

According to him, Libraries with notable issues in infrastructure have been documented and interventions are going to bring them to acceptable standards.

He advised students to make position advantage of existing libraries to enlarge their knowledge.

On his part, the deputy minister of education, Hon. Hon. Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum charged the participants to transfer knowledge gain at the workshop to help students.

He entreats them also to read more to also expand their skills and knowledge to aid vulnerable students at their various institutions.

He pledged government effort to provide quality and affordable education to the citizenry.