Structure of Staff Awareness and Challenges in the Resource Selection in School Libraries: Interview Survey of School Library Staff in Public Junior High Schools

Purpose: This research aimed at identifying the structure of awareness of the staff that selects resources for school libraries in junior high schools and at examining the current conditions and associated challenges of the work of selecting resources. Methods: A semi-structured interview survey was conducted with 20 school library staff members who are in charge of selecting resources for the libraries by mainly asking questions about the primary task of selecting resources. Each interview lasted for 60-90 minutes, and a qualitative data analysis method was used to analyze the interview data. Results: Staff awareness, which influences their selection task, could be categorized into the following five concepts: the library's function, rules for selection, the method of selection, balance required in the resource selection process, and risks associated with the selection. Subsequently, it became possible to identify how these concepts are formed. Furthermore, a cross-sectional analysis of the obtained data regarding the challenges of resource selection work helped deduce that there are two general problems that are seen as particularly important issues associated with the resource selection task: improvement of the staffs required skills and staff time available for the task.