Observations of school library impact at two rural Ugandan schools

Purpose The purpose of this research is to explore connections between the presence of a library at two schools in rural Uganda and certain student academic engagement indicators, such as scholastic performance, reading habits, study habits, and library use patterns. The study is not intended to demonstrate strong correlations between these items, rather, it is a limited exploration of certain questions meant to inform further enquiry in the area. Five specific questions guided the research: Do students with a school library read more? Do students make good use of the library? Do students recognize the importance of having the library? Do students use the library materials for other than class‐related work? Are there any noticeable differences between the grades of students with the library at their school, and those without? Design/methodology/approach Researchers gathered both quantitative and qualitative data from two different schools in the Masaka District, one school with a library, the Kitengesa Comprehensive Secondary School, and one without, Masaka High School. Researchers also gathered important library‐use information from a third school, Sseke Secondary School, to supplement the quantitative data gathered from the other two schools. Grade and class rank information was collected for 85 students, 6 focus groups were conducted, 85 questionnaires were distributed and collected from students, 5 school administrators and 3 library staff were interviewed, and approximately 10 hours of observation was done. Findings Findings indicate that there are several areas where the presence of a school library has an impact, including students' reading habits, use of materials for non‐school‐related activities, and academic performance. The school libraries visited are both successful examples of how important the rural school library can be to the development of a reading culture. Implications of the findings are discussed in detail. Research limitations/implications Future research efforts might include a multi‐school, longitudinal study on the impact of rural libraries specifically on student achievement. Many studies have been conducted on this topic in the West, but no significant studies so far in Sub‐Saharan Africa, where hard evidence is needed in order to demonstrate the importance of the rural school library to student learning. Originality/value The study itself is unique in that the data hail from a two‐year study conducted at local schools/libraries in rural Uganda, using a broad methodology which included reviewing qualitative and quantitative data. It will provide information that can be used by others to support the need for the establishment of rural school libraries in underdeveloped regions, and provision of reading materials, which are otherwise scarce, for students and teachers.