ROUTINES & Procedures
- Our library is open to the entire school community during regular school hours.
Students are welcome in the library anytime they have permission from their teacher to browse and check out books from our wide selection of titles. Independent browsing is vital to students’ inquiry and literacy skills. Mrs. Sullivan begins giving students the tools they need to do this independently beginning in Kindergarten and advancing those skills each year during their Library Specials lessons. Having a Library Aid at the circulation desk means that someone is always available to handle checkouts or questions. Learning students’ individual preferences and matching them up with titles is one of the many pleasures of working in a school library!
- Students may checkout as follows: K = 1 book at a time / Grades 1 - 2 = up to 2 titles / Grades 3-8 = up to 3 titles
- At checkout, students place a due date card in the pocket inside the back cover of each book.
- Books are due after: 1 week for K- Gr. 1 and 2 weeks for Grades 2-3 and 3 weeks for Grades 5-8.
- Students return books by removing the card & placing the book on the black return cart as they enter the library.
- To renew a check out, students bring the book to circulation and check it out again (cannot have other overdue books.) More than two renewals of a single title are at the discretion of the librarian.
- Overdues: Checking out is blocked when a student has any overdue book - no matter what grade level - until the overdue book is returned or renewed. There is no monetary fine unless the book is lost (not returned after weeks of overdue notices). Overdue notices are delivered to classroom teachers each week and help remind students who have overdues to return their books. An notice is sent home only after multiple reminders have been given at school.
- Lost title: A student who cannot find his or her overdue book may continue to checkout 1 book at a time ONLY after a parent/guardian sends a signed note to the librarian explaining that they are aware and helping their student search for the book. Eventually, if not found, a bill is sent home to cover the cost of replacing the book.
- Damaged books: Students are responsible to tell us about damage to a book in their care before placing it on the book return cart. We understand that accidents happen and replacement costs are requested only in cases of overt irresponsibility or repeat offenses for damage. We can sometimes repair it but please don't try that at home (we have special book tape etc...). Cases of irreparable damage are handled individually.
Parents & Shelving volunteers are a crucial part of keeping our library running smoothly! ALL volunteers are required to have a Youth Protection certificate on file in our office (renew every 3 years) before they can start volunteering here. This library belongs to everyone in our school community and expressing our appreciation for the time & dedication of our volunteers is something we endeavor to do well - and often. If you would like to be one of our shelving volunteers, please choose "Contact" from the drop down menu above and review the pdf document linked below. We’d love to have you in the OLS School library!
volunteer_orientation.pdf | |
File Size: | 2346 kb |
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servicesRegularly Scheduled & Collaborative lessons: Please click here for more information.
Reference & Reader's Advisory: One of the many joys of working in a library is helping students and teachers find appropriate and engaging titles to assist with research, information, or independent reading needs. Use of our online Destiny catalog is explicitly taught along with digital citizenship regarding online sources of information. Literacy Learning Support: During Library lessons, navigating the library is scaffolded to keep it age-appropriate. All grade levels are encouraged to browse and check out from the "Everybody" section (picture books with reading levels ranging from wordless to 6.0+.) This is also where “Early Reader” chapter books are located.
Author Day: Librarians from our local elementary schools collaborate every other school year to bring a notable author (or illustrator) for a visit at each school. We collaborate with specials and\or classroom teachers to incorporate the occasion into curriculum objectives, especially literacy learning. We also investigate primary sources of information about the author (digital and\or in print) and may even use Skype to "visit" with popular authors who are unable to come to Alabama. *To see these services aligned with media center objectives, click here. |