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Media Center Policies & Procedures

Circulation Policies

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7th-12th grade students can check out a maximum of three items at any one time.
6th grade students are allowed a maximum of 2 items at any one time.  Students who have reached this limit must return one of the items they have checked out before being able to check out an additional item.

 

Students may borrow Media Center materials for 21 calendar days with an optional seven day renewal, unless an item is in high demand.​

Returns and Overdue Materials

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Students are responsible for timely return of Media Center materials. Overdue notices are sent by email. Overdue fines accrue at the rate of $.10 per day.

Printing and Copying

 

Students may use the copy machine and printers in the Media Center at a nominal cost - $.10 per copy copies. 

Lost Materials

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If materials are lost, payment is required. If payment for lost items is not received, grades will be held. 

General Media Center Policies

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To maintain the Media Center as a clean area conducive to studying, reading for pleasure, research and personal inquiry, we ask students to:

  • NO eating or drinking anything other than unflavored water in the Media Center.

  • be respectful of others while using the Media Center.

  • follow the guidelines set by the HCDE Acceptable Use Policy apply to all computers in the Media Center.

  • use email for academic purposes only.

  • NO playing games or accessing any "blocked sites" on any computers in the Media Center.

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Media Center Hours

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The Media Center is open Monday-Friday from 7:15am-2:30pm. On early dismissal days, the Media Center will only be open during school hours.  Before school, students who are using the library must be there for book check-out or computer use only. There is limited supervision during this time, so students should have an explicit purpose for their visit during this time.

 

During the school day, students must have a pass from their teacher and sign in upon entering on the sign-in computer.  Students accompanied by their teacher are not required to sign in.  

During Directed Studies, any student wishing to use the library must have a pre-written pass from Ms. Kirchmyer which states his/her name and the reason for the visit - you must be visiting the library to use library resources.  Students who need a "meeting spot" to study for a particular class should communicate directly with teachers for that. With over 1400 students, the library can get filled up quickly.

 

Selection Policy and Procedure

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In the process of selecting new materials for the SMMHS media center, special attention will be given to stay consistent with the stated mission and goals of our school and library.  These goals are in line with those of the AASL which state that  the "AASL works to ensure that all members of the school library field ...prepare students for life-long learning, informed decision-making, a love of reading, and the use of information technologies."  These will be the driving motivations behind the selection of materials in this library.  Additionally, the guidelines set for all libraries through the AASL as well those listed in the CCSS will be followed.  



 

Guiding Principles

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Aside from curricular needs, the following considerations will be given to potential "picks" for our library (these include print, non-print, and online sources):

  • selections which are of high interest to our students, teachers, and/or administration 

  • selections which are of high quality in content, currency, and/or contribute to artistic, scientific, literary, or social value

  • those materials which are at the appropriate reading and maturity level for students at SMMHS

  • selections which support the emotional and social development of students in grades 6-12

  • attention will also be given to selections which are culturally diverse in nature in an effort to meet the many needs of our changing population as we seek to teach our students to become global citizens

 



 

Selection Procedures 
The following sources will be consulted as tools for selection:
  • Student and staff recommendations
  • Collection analysis tools through BTSB and Titlewave
  • Highly reputed magazines and journals: School Library Journal, The Horn Book, Booklist, VOYA, Library Media Connection, Kirkus Reviews.  
  • Sources which list books of distinction: YALSA, Scholastic, Flamingnet, and TASL. 
  • Subject area favorites:  The National Science Teacher's Association, Notable Social Studies Trade Books (published by the National Council for the Social Studies)  
  • The Charleston Advisor - providing critical reviews of web products for information professionals
  • RUSA - The MARS list of Best Free Reference Web Sites
  • The Scout Report - a publication which evaluates quality websites

  • American Library Association. (July 25, 2012). AASL governing documents. American Association of School Librarians. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/about/governing-docs.

  • American Library Association. (2007). Standards for the 21st-century learner. American Association of School Librarians. Retrieved from 

      http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_LearningStandards.pdf.

  • National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). The standards. Common Core State Standards Initiative. Retrieved from               http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards.

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