Development and Implementation of a New Cooperative Program for School and Public Libraries in Korea: Focused on Reading Mentoring Program

Purpose: This paper aims to propose a new cooperative program for School and Public Libraries in Korea. First, cooperation sought by both public and school libraries are reviewed. Second, a cooperative program was designed by taking specific circumstances of public libraries as well as school libraries. After its implementation, achievements, issues, and possible improvements of the program are discussed. Methods: Surveys and some additional interviews were conducted as the preliminary field study in 24 public libraries, 644 elementary, middle, and high school libraries in Busan between April and June in 2012. Based on the results of the research, the Reading Mentoring Program was designed, and was implemented with mentors during the period of between 2012 and 2014. Analysis was conducted using results of reports and interviews of elementary school students who participated in the program, brief surveys and interviews of school teachers, as well as records of activities and plans created by mentors who implemented the program, and surveys and interviews conducted to the mentors. Result The Reading Mentoring Program was implemented and managed for three years with undergraduate students in Library and Information Science acting as mentors. The results of the study on public and school libraries showed high demands for mentors with specialized knowledge in reading education. The analysis shows that the Program has had good effects on public and school libraries as well as mentors. Remaining issues are the need for analyzing mentees' needs, improvements on educational content for mentors, development of manuals for implementing the Mentoring Program, and the establishment of a cooperation system for managing the program.