LACK OF awareness of their role in education, limited funding and inadequate staffing are just some of the problems that school libraries face.

As well as providing valuable resources in increasingly project oriented curricula, school libraries are vital in promoting literacy.

A major international survey found that access to books and reading resources is one of the most significant predictors of reading success. It emerged that the availability of reading resources in schools is one of the factors most strongly associated with effective schools within countries. In Ireland (as well as in 10 other countries) more effective schools tend to have more books in libraries than less effective schools," state Michael Martin and Mark Morgan in their analysis of the survey carried out by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement.

On average, there were 3.4 books per student in Irish primary schools in 1990/91, the date of the survey. "Ireland tends to be rather low in relation to provision and while there are some indications of an improvement since the survey, this is an area which merits particular attention," writes Morgan.

Obviously, improving the number of books available per pupil is dependent on adequate funding being made available. School Libraries at primary and secondary level are funded differently.

Local authorities provide primary schools with their library service. Each authority has the autonomy to spend the money as it wishes long term loans of books are usually made to the schools. Department of Education funding has now reached £2 per primary pupil, a dramatic increase over the 1994 level of SIP and the 1995 level of £1. The money is paid directly to the local authority.

This increase was warmly welcomed by the Schools' Library Association (SLA). However, Valerie Coghlan of the SLA points out that the average fiction paperback costs £3.99, while non fiction books cost in the region of £5.99 to £19.99. Liz Turley, of the children and schools' section of Dublin pubic libraries, reiterates the inadequacy of the funding, especially when it comes to remedial books.

AT second level, a schools library service is not provided by local authorities. When new schools are built or a major extension is added to an existing school, a library room is normally provided by the Department of Education. Schools must buy books out of the grant for the running costs of the school there is no separate allocation for school libraries.

What this means is that, nationally, the picture is very mixed. Some schools have well equipped libraries and a very few have the services of either a full or part time professional librarian. In the State sector, the development of the school library is largely dependent on the commitment, enthusiasm and fund raising capabilities of students, parents and teachers.

Marilyn Taylor, part time librarian in St Louis High School, Rathmines, Dublin, is of the opinion that separate funding for libraries ought to be made available. "All school librarians would like to seem sort of scheme set up. Even if it was modest, it would establish the principal," she says.

In many schools, parents' associations have made significant contributions in terms of funding and staffing libraries. Mount Temple Comprehensive in Malahide Road, Dublin, is lucky in that it has a well stocked and adequately staffed school library. But, Elspeth Henderson, school principal, is unhappy that the onus to provide such a library is not shouldered by the Department of Education. She says that the State provides no realistic funding for school libraries. "This is obviously educationally undesirable," she adds.

Eleven parents staff the library on a voluntary basis and two parents work on a job sharing basis. One of the two job sharers, Valerie Richmond, explains that the parents' association, as well as staffing the library, decided, a few years ago, to raise the money to computerise it. There are three networked computers, a printer' and CD ROM in the library and all of the books are bar coded.

At primary level, St Ronan's National School in Clondalkin. Dublin, also has a model library which was made possible by the efforts of the parents and teachers, with the help of some funding from the National Lottery.

Mary Fitzpatrick, the teacher in the school responsible for the library, says that fund raising by the parents raffles and cake sales brings in about £450 a year for new books. The funding provided by, the State is inadequate and, in an, area where money is scarce, hind raising is difficult she says. As there is no special allocation of time, much depends on the goodwill of the principal and colleagues, explains Fitzpatrick.

There is no funding provided for staff and no professional librarian, grade within schools. Teachers may be awarded posts of responsibility, for the library but they are rarely given enough, if any, allocated time for library duties, according to the SLA.

VIVIEN BOND, one of the few professional librarians employed in a school Library says that in some cases schools may have the stock but teachers need practical advice on how to organise and run the library. Pre service training in library management is not mandatory at primary or secondary level. The only in service course for teachers is a short course, provided by the Church of Ireland College of Education.

Bond works part time in King's Hospital, a fee paying school in Palmerstown, Dublin, which has a library that would cause most schools to drool in envy. As well as 7,000 books in stock, the library has subscriptions to 22 magazines and takes in three daily newspapers. It has also been supported by the efforts of the parents' association.

Bond, who is honorary secretary of the SLA, says that Transition Year, with its projects, is placing heavy demands on school libraries. She believes that school libraries should be staffed by professional librarians or, at least, have access on a part time basis to a professional.

The Library Association of Ireland (now the SLA) in its publication, School Libraries guidelines for practice, states that "if the resources and facilities of the school library are to be fully developed and exploited it is essential that the services of professionally qualified librarians are available in every school" The association suggests that each school should develop its own library policy "reflecting both the distinctive character of the school and its educational objectives".

The School Library Association will hold its AGM on March 2nd this year. Anyone wishing to contact the association can write to the honorary secretary, SLA, The Library, King's Hospital, Palmerstown, Dublin 20