Perception of Value and Utilisation of School Libraries in Government-Aided Schools in Kabale District, Uganda

This study investigates the perception of value and the extent of utilisation of school libraries in government-aided secondary schools in Kabale District, Uganda. Recognising the transformative potential of libraries in supporting education, especially within learner-centred curricular reforms, the research explores how students, teachers, and school administrators perceive the library’s role and how these perceptions influence usage patterns. Employing a convergent parallel mixed methods design, data were collected through questionnaires from 345 students and interviews with key informants, including teachers, librarians, and school administrators across five selected schools. Findings reveal a generally positive perception of school libraries, with students acknowledging their significant contribution to academic performance, self-study habits, and access to curriculum-aligned resources. Notably, 71% of students reported daily library visits, though this figure was skewed toward urban schools. In contrast, rural schools faced infrastructural challenges such as inadequate space, outdated materials, and limited access to electronic resources, which impeded effective utilisation. Traditional print resources such as textbooks and past examination papers were the most commonly accessed materials, while the use of digital resources remained low due to limited ICT infrastructure. Perception of the library’s value was found to have a weak but statistically significant positive correlation (r = .236, p < .01) with effective utilisation, indicating that while perception matters, structural and institutional factors play a critical role in determining actual usage. The study recommends infrastructural improvements, equitable resource distribution, digital integration, structured library periods, professional development for staff, and a national school library policy to enhance library value and utilisation. Ultimately, school libraries must be repositioned as central to the success of Uganda's competency-based curriculum through improved investment and strategic alignment with educational objectives.