THE ROLE OF THE PRINCIPAL IN THE PROVISION OF EFFECTIVE LIBRARY SERVICES IN SELECTED INDIANA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

The purpose of this study was to determine the role of elementary principals in regard to factors involved in the provision of effective school library services. The data for the study were obtained in two ways. An instrument was designed for an initial survey to ascertain a number of excellent school library programs in elementary schools where the principal had been assigned to the building long enough to have been able to make some changes in the library program. A follow-up was done with 10 elementary principals who had excellent library programs in their buildings to determine what role they had had in the improvement of their library programs. The responses were analyzed, described and discussed for both the initial survey and the follow-up.;Among the conclusions drawn from the study are: (1) The role of some principals as change agents can be demonstrated by an examination of the library programs in their buildings. (2) A majority of elementary principals value effective library services for their students. (3) The library policies, facilities, and services administered by principals with exemplary libraries are consistent with effective services as defined by state guidelines and North Central Association standards. (4) Principals do perceive that they have the power to effect necessary change in the library programs.;The findings of the study include: (1) a majority of the principals in both the initial survey and the follow-up study believe that the school library program should be an integral part of the curriculum in the school. (2) Nine of the 10 principals in the follow-up study felt they had been responsible for improving their libraries. (3) Of the 20 characteristics of excellent librarians examined in the follow-up study, positive changes were found in 58.5 percent of the cases, no changes (which indicated that the characteristic already existed in the library when the principal was first assigned to the building) were found in 40 percent of the cases, and negative changes were found in 1.5 percent of the cases.