Nalis helps school libraries stay online for students

When covid19 swept into Trinidad and Tobago like a scene from a sci-fi novel, the National Library and Information System Authority (Nalis) realised it was facing a new chapter that required rethinking, refocusing and re-engineering its library services. Public libraries had to close along with other businesses in TT, but Nalis Educational Library Services Division (ELSD) had to find ways for school libraries to function in a whole new environment.

ELSD is the administrative arm responsible for facilitating library and information services to both primary and secondary schools across TT, and school libraries are mandated to support the school’s curriculum, contribute to the learning process and assist with the holistic development of students.

That all proved to be a tall order during a pandemic. Suddenly, Nalis school libraries had to serve students in cyberspace.

“Traditional library and information services were re-examined with a view to virtualise services to accommodate the educational and social needs of students in the online environment,” said Primatie Persad, director of ELSD.

“We recognised the urgent need to boost online presence, services and resources on the Nalis and school library websites, and social media platforms. We also recognised the critical need to provide specialised services to students who do not have access to information communication technology infrastructure,” said Persad.

Students without electronic devices could submit research queries in their school's dropbox and pick up their answers packaged for them in that same dropbox three to five days later.

ELSD school library supervisors engaged in continuous dialogue and consultation with school library staff, schools’ administration and teachers regarding how the services would be transformed in the “new normal.”

“It was envisioned that these collaborative efforts would reduce learning loss and give our students the best possible chance to succeed in this challenging period,” said Persad.

All health and safety protocols regarding covid19, as outlined by the Ministry of Health, had to be followed in the restructuring process.

School libraries facilitated research queries and packaged information resources in various formats. They targeted digital literacy skills and the library and information literacy curriculum. This required scanning, emailing and printing available resources for students who did not have access to electronic devices.

In schools, user education services were traditionally conducted physically, but now school libraries also adopted a virtual approach to orienting students and teachers on the effective and efficient use of their services and resources.

“Although the ability to request information electronically existed before the pandemic this service was now augmented to allow for submission and responses to research queries via telephone, school library websites and social media pages,” said Persad.

“Electronic information packages for subject areas and research projects were curated and made available upon request to teachers for dissemination during their online classes. They were emailed to students, stored on the library’s computers and uploaded to various social media platforms.

E-content was also created and shared to the ELSD Facebook page and various other school library social media platforms to support the schools’ curricula and the holistic development of students.

Links to free online curriculum support resources for CSEC and CAPE continue to be curated and forwarded to the Ministry of Education (MOE), Curriculum Planning and Development Division (CPDD) for review and uploading to their integrated learning management system (ILMS) and the Nalis blog.

The MOE Infant Activity Pack newspaper pull out on Sundays targeted primary school students; Infants 1 and 2.

Efforts to enhance students’ digital literacy skills and bridge the digital divide included ELSD’s launch of the Navigating Online Learning Services; a free online educational initiative. This series provided interactive tutorials, which addressed topics such as succeeding in the online learning environment, accessing and evaluating credible resources on the Internet, cybersafety, avoiding plagiarism, crediting sources and building bibliographies.

Recognising that reading is the foundation for all learning, ELSD hosted a series of virtual author visits along with the Oral and Written Virtual Presentation Competition 2021 during the pandemic.

The Telecommunications Authority of TT (TATT) and MOE collaborated to create and deliver video tutorials on digital literacy.

“In their continuing effort to improve students’ digital competencies and enrich their information literacy skills, school library staff deliver the Library and Information Literacy Curriculum using various online platforms including Zoom, Edmodo, Google Classrooms and Microsoft Teams,” said Persad.

More than two years into the pandemic, there is no looking back. Going forward, school library services will need to continue blending traditional library services and online learning.

As Nalis brainstorms about new ways to serve students, there is no doubt the pandemic has changed the direction of school libraries both now and in the future.