A Preliminary Research Study on the Library Collections and Services of Public Primary and Middle Schools in Guangzhou, China

Primary and middle school libraries are able to play an important part in the development of librarianship in various countries. They help to develop reading and information skills and lay the foundation for a future information literate citizenry. While China has achieved much progress, its school libraries have not been studied from the perspective of school characteristics. This study used a survey approach to examine the collections and services of school libraries in the city of Guangzhou, China. Based on the responses to 133 questions, it was found that the collections and services varied significantly according to the types of schools, the locations, the boarding conditions, and the schools' running subjects with the first three factors contributing more significantly to the variations. It was found that, generally, primary schools and non-boarding schools have the weakest collections and services. This study, although based on a small sample, shows that Chinese school libraries are in need of much development. It is hoped that the findings will lead Chinese scholars, policy-makers, and administrators to put more effort and resources into school library development.