The purpose of this article is to report on a small study that investigated the availability of library and information resources in rural schools of Limpopo Province, South Africa. For the school curriculum to be successfully implemented, adequate library facilities, collections, staff and funds are required to support it. Data was collected by means of questionnaires directed to all teacher-librarians and principals in the high schools of the Lebopo Circuit, Capricorn District. The study found that most schools do not have functional school libraries. Converted classrooms serving as libraries are unorganised making it difficult to retrieve and access information. Some schools use staffrooms and storerooms to house library materials but learners cannot use these materials because of limited space. Unqualified teacher-librarians lack library skills and cannot guide learners to use resources. A few schools are without electricity making it impossible to operate electronic equipment. The authors recommend that schools should be provided with library-based resources managed by professionally qualified teacher-librarians to meet the needs of learners and the aims of the school curriculum.

Although school libraries are important resource centres that support curriculum delivery and important pedagogical matters, it is disturbing that, in South Africa, only a minority (7.2%) of schools have well-stocked functional school libraries. A legislated school library policy is crucial for a country to roll out effective school library and information services (LIS). This is particularly true in South African schools, which are characterised by enormous disparities in the provision of resources because of the legacy of apartheid. Grounded in the literature review, the fact that the national Department of Basic Education (DBE) does not have a legislated and approved school library policy is a stumbling block to developing and sustaining an active and dynamic school library service for all public schools in South Africa. The purpose of this article is to help relevant stakeholders understand the importance of a legislated school library policy in championing the establishment and development of an active, vibrant and dynamic functional school library service to support the progressive, constructivist and resource based curriculum in the country. The study recommends that the National Guidelines for School Library and Information Services (SA DBE 2012) be amended to a legislated school library policy to resuscitate indeterminate and non-functional libraries in the majority of schools.Â

Well-designed and well-planned library school programmes and services are essential to improve the development of reading and information literacy skills, particularly of the learners, which are crucial for the acquisition of life-long learning and independent study and accessing skills. However, because of inadequate and inefficient school library services in most South African schools, teachers and learners are deprived of opportunities to benefit and practically learn library programmes essential for the acquisition of knowledge, skills, competencies, values and orientations. They are also denied fundamental library services due to them. Based on one part of the research project which investigated the resource provision in public high schools in Limpopo province, South Africa, the purpose of this article is to investigate the programmes and services offered by the different library facilities in public high schools in Limpopo province. Although the study took a largely quantitative research design, it was mixed with qualitative data collection methods. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from the principals or teacher-librarians, while an interview schedule was used to collect qualitative data from the education officials through face-to-face interviews. The findings established that owing to lack of functional libraries in most schools, there are very few schools offering library services and programmes. The study recommends that the national Department of Basic Education (DBE) should ensure that school a library policy with clearly defined library programmes and services is formulated, approved and implemented as a matter of urgency.

Education, which is addressed by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 of the United Nations (UN), is a driving force of nations world-wide. Quality education remains a powerful tool that can be used internationally to entrench socio-economic development. SDGs are particularly significant in enabling poor and developing African countries to work towards achieving these goals by the 2030 target date. In South Africa, the goals of the National Development Plan (NDP) should also be achieved by the same date as SDGs. To achieve the SDGs and chapters of the NDP, equitable access to information is critical. Universities have a fundamental role to play in producing knowledgeable and professional PhD graduates of a high standard, who will work productively to boost weak and slow-performing economies in their respective countries. Academic libraries are mandated to support students in completing their studies. They also need to support researchers in producing impact-based research that is crucial in solving the persistent socio-economic challenges that citizens face daily. Based on the literature review, this study was aimed at highlighting the expanding roles and services that academic libraries can embark on in South Africa in achieving SDG 4 and Chapter 9 of the NDP. The key recommendation is that universities need to provide academic libraries with an increased budget to enable them to expand their roles and services to ensure that SDG 4 and Chapter 9 of the NDP are achieved.