UGM Library Media Center
Policy Manual
The mission of the UGM Library Media Center is to ensure that every student has the information needed to be successful. To accomplish this mission, the media specialist collaborates with the teachers to provide the information literacy skills needed for lifelong learning. The media specialist also provides access to the materials needed to practice those skills in all available formats, be it print, AV, or online. This access includes instruction in the use of all of these formats.
The following policies were instituted to make the library media center and its resources as accessible as possible to all the users in our learning community. Since the library media center is shared by students, teachers, staff and parents it is important that all users respect the rights of other users by honoring these policies. This includes contacting the library media staff well in advance of when materials, space or equipment is needed.
Use of the Library Media Center
Resources
When school is in session, physical access to the library media center is between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with extended hours from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. when the library media center staff are available. The library media center provides extensive online resources that are available 24/7 to anyone with internet access. This website provides 24 hour access to magazines and newspaper articles, The Encyclopedia Britannica, and hundreds of other databases through GALILEO, Wilson Biographies, NetTrekker, and the Media Catalog.
At times during the school year physical access to the library media center may be limited during the school day due to various school functions. Appropriate notice will be given to staff, faculty and students.
After Hours
The LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER may also be used after hours by teachers or other school groups for school related activities. The teacher or group sponsor must contact the library media center staff in advance to schedule in order to avoid any conflicts with another group. The teacher or sponsor is responsible for leaving the library media center in good order, returning all furniture and clearing away all leftovers and debris.
Students may use the library media center before and after school if:
· Library media center staff are present, usually from 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
· student has a pass
Flexible Schedule
The UGM Library Media Center maintains a flexible schedule.
To checkout books, teachers may opt to:
· schedule class(es) for checkout every two weeks
· send 1-5 students at a time to the media center with passes
· a combination of the two.
Teachers may also:
· schedule classes for research as needed
· give students a pass to use the library media center before or after school
· give 1-5 students a pass to read in the library media center (see Magazine Reading below)
Students in the Library Media Center
All students who come to the library media center without a teacher or other school personnel, (including before & after school) must:
· have a signed pass from a teacher
· have a purpose, such as to checkout, do research, to do quiet reading, or have an assignment from their teacher to work on while they are in the library media center
· a student may be sent to the media center to take a test if the teacher has scheduled it with the media center staff before hand. See Testing in the Media Center, below.
Students are not to be sent to the media center:
· from 8:25 a.m. until after the morning announcements end
· as a punishment
· with no purpose other than “free time”
Magazine Reading Area
This area houses the most recent magazines and the photo copier. There are only five seats available in this area so they are reserved for:
· teachers and staff
· students who come with a special pass that states they are allowed to stay in the media center to read
Students are not to sit there if they came to the media center with a pass to checkout or do research. These students are to return to the classroom once they have checked out.
Testing in the Media Center
Before sending student(s) to the media center to take a test, a teacher must call or e-mail the media center staff to see if there is space available to accommodate student(s) taking a test at that time. When contacting the media center, let them know the number of students being sent. Students sent to the media center to take a test without being scheduled may be sent back to the classroom if there is no space available in the media center at that time.
Schedules
The library media center staff maintains the schedules for: the media center and the media center conference room. Contact the library media center staff by e-mail, phone (ext. 108) or in person to schedule them. The schedules for the computer lab and the mobile computer labs are kept in the library media center. Teachers sign up on the computer lab schedules or may contact the media center staff with the dates they want.
The Library Media Center schedule is designed to handle as many classes as possible in a class period. We can accommodate up to three classes at one time, using various configurations of the options below.
· Checkout: 1 class is scheduled for 15 minutes at a time
· Research:
o Library computers - 1 class is scheduled for 30-60 minutes
o Mobile computer lab – 1 trailer class is scheduled for 30-60 minutes
(in-building classes use the mobile lab in the classroom)
o Print research – 1 class is scheduled for 30-60 minutes
o When scheduling a research class in the library media center, the teacher should let the media specialist know what the students will be researching so that she may prepare an instructional focused website for the class.
Library Media Center Conference room schedule gives preference to the school psychologist, followed by other school specialist personnel, such as the counselors, Special Ed, etc.
The Computer Lab and Mobile Labs Schedules are in the library media center, however the policy on the use of these labs is set by the school’s ITS. Any questions about the use of the computer labs should be referred to the IT specialist.
Circulation
Students may checkout
· 1 book per student, unless requested by teacher for specific assignment
· Only books in the regular collection, no reference books or other forms of media
· 2 weeks at a time and renew for an additional 2 weeks, unless there is a hold
· Pay a $.10 per day overdue fine, to a maximum $2.00 per book
· Pay for any lost or damaged books
· May not checkout if there are any overdue books or fines owed
Teachers/Staff may checkout
· Materials from all collections, regular, reference and professional
· 2 weeks at a time, with renewals as needed
· No overdue fines are charged, but please be considerate of others
Teachers are responsible for all materials checked out in their names, and may have to pay for books or other items lost or damaged beyond repair. Exceptions may be made in situations with extenuating circumstances, which will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
AV-Materials Circulation
Students may not check out any AV materials (videos, CDs, DVDs, etc.)
Teachers/Staff may checkout:
· Any AV materials
· 2 weeks at a time, provided no one else needs it
· If more than one teacher needs the material, the media center staff will contact all parties involved to work out a schedule whereby all may use it
Circulation of Materials To and From Other Media Centers
All Henry County Public School media centers have a reciprocal arrangement to borrow and loan materials from each other called Inter Library Loan.
o This service is available to teachers and staff only.
o The materials should be for instructional use or professional development.
o The library media center staff will make the request and have the materials sent to UGM.
o The teacher or staff person will be notified when the materials arrive and they will be checked out to them for two weeks. If the materials are needed for a longer period, let the library media center staff know so that they can check with the lending library media center to request an extention.
o Inter Library Loan is a courtesy extended between the Library Media Centers; no library media center is required to loan their materials as the needs of their school come first.
Equipment Circulation
All AV equipment is checked out from the media center, with the exception of the TVs in offices/classrooms/trailers and the VCRs in all the trailers.* The library media center strives to meet the equipment needs of all. To help us do that we ask the teachers and staff to follow these basic rules:
· Return all equipment as soon as you are finished with it; do not let equipment sit unused in your classroom, car, etc.
· Contact the media center staff in advance to reserve equipment and enable us to have it available when you need it
· Notify the media center staff if equipment isn’t working so we can have it repaired in a timely matter
*Problems with an office/classroom/trailer TV or a trailer VCR should be submitted in a work order to the appropriate Assistant Principal..
Students may not check out any equipment (cameras, players, boomboxes, etc.)
Teachers/Staff may checkout equipment for professional use, both in school and off campus for school related activities. Equipment is not to be checked out for personal use (family vacations, etc.)
Overhead Projectors on carts
· Are provided to all teachers who request them.
· May be checked out for the school year
· Carts and overheads are kept together.
· 1 overhead on a cart is kept for short-term checkout
Boomboxes
· Are for instructional use, only. We do not have enough to provide one for each teacher so we ask that you not check out one just to provide background music in the classroom
· If used for instructional purposes on a daily basis, may be checked out for the year. Let the media center staff know and they will adjust the date when you check it out
· Some are kept for short term checkout only
Cart or Crates on wheels
· One empty cart is available for short-term checkout
· Several crates-on-wheels are available for short term checkout
TV/VCRs on carts
· Are available for short term checkout
· Only adult staff may transport a TV on a cart. Students are never to transport a TV on a cart.
Digital Cameras
· Available for short term checkout
· Teachers/staff must provide their own floppy disk for the digital camera. The media center sells floppy disks for 50 cents each.
Camcorder
· Available for short term checkout
· Teachers/staff must provide their own VHS video tape. The media center provides a Super 8 tape to film and will transfer to a VHS video tape
Tripods
· Available for short term use, when checked out with a camera or camcorder
· DVD & VHS Players
· Available for use for short term checkout
· Teachers in the building are asked to first attempt to book a channel on the CCTV to show a video or DVD. If a channel is not available, we will then check out a DVD or VHS player.
Projectors
· LCD Projectors are available on a cart to project from the computer
· In the classroom, these projectors are only to be used with the computer or to show special format media, like IMAX, but not for regular DVDs or videos. This policy is due to the high cost of the replacement bulbs ($350) for these projectors
· In the gym, commons area or media center, these projectors may be used to show VHS or DVD, and from a computer
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) System
o Classrooms in the building should use the CCTV system to view videos and DVDs.
o The CCTV is available on a first scheduled, first served basis. To schedule a channel the teacher or staff person must contact the library media center staff to let them know what day(s) and time(s) the video is to be shown.
Use of Equipment in the Media Center
Laminator
The library media center houses the laminator and purchases the lamination film out of the media center budget.
o Only library media center staff may laminate.
· Items brought to the library media center by 9:00 a.m. will be laminated that day.
o These items must be left on the shelf above the laminator or the table next to the laminator. The library media center is not responsible for laminating items that are left in other places in the library media center.
o All items to be laminated should have a teacher’s name on the back or attached to the items with a sticky note or paper clip.
· The only items that will be laminated are:
o Instructional materials, not student work.
o Durable items that will be reused (items to be used once and thrown away or for a very short time, will not be laminated.)