Library Services & Scheduling
HANDBOOK OF POLICIES & PROCEDURES
Reese Road Leadership Academy
PURPOSE STATEMENT
The Media Program at Reese Road Leadership Academy exists to support and enrich the curriculum of the school through the development of information literacy. Simply put, the program is here to support the instruction of the teachers and the academy achievement of our students. Reese Road’s Media Center provides support to the students and faculty of Reese Road by providing students with the opportunity and ability to find and use information found within the library and beyond – information located in other libraries or institutions and information found on the World Wide Web. The Media program is an integral part of the entire educational program at our school. The aim of the media staff at our school is to provide good customer service to the students, the parents, and others who use our library’s resources. We are dedicated to developing in students the ability to find and use information in a meaningful way. The media staff, working collaboratively with the teachers and administrators at our school, will strive to guide Reese Road’s students in their quest to becoming leaders and achievers, specifically in the area of accessing and using information. It is our belief that the Media Program at Reese Road Leadership Academy plays a vital role in our schools’ mission – preparing our students to become tomorrow’s leaders.
STAFF AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Mrs. Charley Whalen, Media Specialist
[email protected]
Mrs. Toni Smith, Media Paraprofessional
[email protected]
Intercom Access
Website
http://sites.muscogee.k12.ga.us/reeseroad/
The Media Center page of the school website includes links to:
CIRCULATION POLICY
Hours of Operation
The Media Center is open for teachers at 7:30 AM on most school day mornings. It is open for students to checkout and return books following the 8:00 AM Morning Show on WRRLA. The Media Center will close at 3:00 PM on most afternoons. Unless otherwise announced, circulation of library items will be available to patrons throughout the school year. Books will NOT be “recalled” prior to holidays, including winter or spring breaks.
Automated Circulation System
All materials in the Media Center are barcoded and checked out through Destiny, the automated circulation system used throughout the school district. The library has self-checkout and self-check-in procedures established for its patrons. If the media staff is not available, teachers will supervise students check-in and checkout. For this reason, teachers will need to be familiar with the basics of Destiny.
Loan Period
Patron Types
The Media Center recognizes four types of patrons for circulation purposes:
Student Patrons
Faculty Patrons
Parent Patrons
Community Patrons
OVERDUE AND LOST/DAMAGED BOOK POLICY
Note: Concerning overdue materials, additional information specific to each patron type is outlined in “Circulation Policy.”
BORROWING AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS
SCHEDULING OF THE MEDIA CENTER
In accordance with policy set forth by the Georgia Department of Education, Muscogee County School Board Policy (Board Policy, 2002) clearly states that each of its school be served by “a flexibly scheduled, cooperatively planned, unified media program.” Accordingly, the media program at Reese Road operates on a flexible schedule that changes weekly according to the needs of the teacher and student patrons. The media staff maintains a weekly schedule that displays the use and availability of the Media Center on a given day. Teachers will arrange with the media staff a time to come to the Media Center; the media staff will add to the weekly schedule according to teachers’ requests which are usually made curing collaborative planning sessions, both formal and informal. Additionally, the media specialist may initiate with the teacher the scheduling of a class in the Media Center.
Whole-Class Use
For Instruction:
Teachers will accompany their whole class to the Media Center for lessons or research or to check out materials. During collaborative planning sessions, the media specialist and teachers will schedule classes into the Media Center, or computer lab, for lessons or research. The media specialist and the teacher will collaboratively plan lessons based on the requirements of the curriculum. Scheduling the Media Center, or computer lab, for lessons or research requires a minimum 2-day notice so that the media specialist will have adequate time to plan and gather materials. Please fill out the collaboration form and submit it to Mrs. Whalen.
For Check-Outs:
Teachers may schedule a time for their whole class to come to the Media Center in order to check out books. Twenty-four hour notice is not required for whole-class check-out; however, in order to insure access, the teacher must call the Media Center before leaving the classroom if he/she has not arranged for a time to bring the whole class for check-out.
Student Use
Students are encouraged to visit the Media Center for checking out new books, reading for pleasure, conducting research, or working on a class project. During the school day, students must have permission from the teacher to visit the Media Center. Permission is usually in the form of the student’s reading log/folder.
Teachers of Grades 2 through 5 may send small groups of students to the Media Center to check out books or to conduct research. No more than 4 students from one class are allowed in the Media Center at one time. The media staff may make adjustments – more of less – to this policy, according to student behavior and teacher request. Small groups of Kindergarten and 1st grade students require a parapro or teacher to accompany them to the Media Center during the first 2 quarters of the school year.
Faculty Use
The Media Center is often used for faculty meetings, large group/class presentations, professional development, and social gatherings, such as receptions and parties. Staff members wishing to use the Media Center for such events should notify the media staff in order to avoid conflict with other activities in the Media Center. Since these events often require special arrangements (equipment, rearrangement of furniture, etc.), the media staff request notice of at least 48 hours be given.
The Media Program at Reese Road Leadership Academy exists to support and enrich the curriculum of the school through the development of information literacy. Simply put, the program is here to support the instruction of the teachers and the academy achievement of our students. Reese Road’s Media Center provides support to the students and faculty of Reese Road by providing students with the opportunity and ability to find and use information found within the library and beyond – information located in other libraries or institutions and information found on the World Wide Web. The Media program is an integral part of the entire educational program at our school. The aim of the media staff at our school is to provide good customer service to the students, the parents, and others who use our library’s resources. We are dedicated to developing in students the ability to find and use information in a meaningful way. The media staff, working collaboratively with the teachers and administrators at our school, will strive to guide Reese Road’s students in their quest to becoming leaders and achievers, specifically in the area of accessing and using information. It is our belief that the Media Program at Reese Road Leadership Academy plays a vital role in our schools’ mission – preparing our students to become tomorrow’s leaders.
STAFF AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Mrs. Charley Whalen, Media Specialist
[email protected]
Mrs. Toni Smith, Media Paraprofessional
[email protected]
Intercom Access
- 504 Media Center Office
- 415 Studio
Website
http://sites.muscogee.k12.ga.us/reeseroad/
The Media Center page of the school website includes links to:
- Destiny
- Reading Wonders
- GALILEO
- EnVision Math
- Renaissance Learning
- AR Bookfinder
- TumbleBooks
- Other useful websites
CIRCULATION POLICY
Hours of Operation
The Media Center is open for teachers at 7:30 AM on most school day mornings. It is open for students to checkout and return books following the 8:00 AM Morning Show on WRRLA. The Media Center will close at 3:00 PM on most afternoons. Unless otherwise announced, circulation of library items will be available to patrons throughout the school year. Books will NOT be “recalled” prior to holidays, including winter or spring breaks.
Automated Circulation System
All materials in the Media Center are barcoded and checked out through Destiny, the automated circulation system used throughout the school district. The library has self-checkout and self-check-in procedures established for its patrons. If the media staff is not available, teachers will supervise students check-in and checkout. For this reason, teachers will need to be familiar with the basics of Destiny.
Loan Period
- The loan period for all library materials is 2 weeks, unless specified otherwise.
- Reference materials are available to teachers for checkout for a loan period to be arranged by the media specialist
- When necessary, some reference materials may be checked out to students for an overnight loan period with the approval of the media staff.
- Audiovisual equipment may be checked out to teachers for a loan period to be arranged by the media staff.
Patron Types
The Media Center recognizes four types of patrons for circulation purposes:
- Students
- Faculty
- Parent
- Community
Student Patrons
- Students may check out books from the Media Center AFTER ORIENTATION has been conducted with their classes.
- Students in Kindergarten may check out 1 book at a time. Until a time to be determined by the media staff and classroom teacher, Kindergarten students will be required to keep their library books in the classroom.
- Students in Grades 1 through 5 may check out 2 books at a time.
- Students will check out books with their library barcode, which is affixed to their reading log/folder or a notecard.
- In order to renew a book, the student patron is required to bring the book back into the Media Center.
- Students are not charged fines for overdue books; however, they will not be allowed to check out additional books until the overdue books are returned and/or their account is clear.
- Students will be informed of overdue books through reports given to their classroom teachers.
- Parents of students with books that are more than 30 days overdue are mailed notices concerning the overdue items. The notice informs the parent that the student’s check-out privileges are curtailed until the matter is resolved.
- In accordance with Muscogee County School Board Policy (2002), student patrons, or their parents, are expected to pay for lost books and/or books damaged beyond repair. The fee for restitution should be reasonable (Muscogee County, 2002) and should be based on the replacement cost of the book. Minor damage to books beyond normal “wear and tear” will be repaired at a nominal cost to the student.
- The media staff may assess penalties for lost/damaged books on an individual basis. The media staff will use discretion and give consideration to the individual case in such matters. Restitution may include monetary payment in full or in part, volunteer hours in the Media Center given by parent and/or student, or a combination of these methods.
Faculty Patrons
- Members of Reese Road’s faculty may check out 20 books at a time from the Media Center. The loan period for faculty members is 2 weeks, unless specified otherwise. The two-week loan period applies to library books available for student check-out.
- In addition to books, teachers may check out equipment, reference materials, professional literature, and audiovisual items (e.g., DVDs) as needed. Loan periods for these materials may extend beyond 2 weeks, as arranged by the teacher and the media staff.
- Faculty members will be notified of overdue books and materials with notices placed in teacher boxes.
- Faculty members may renew books and materials through notes or email. They are not required to bring the items to the Media Center for renewal.
- Faculty may also fill out the media request form and submit it to Mrs. Whalen.
Parent Patrons
- Parents of students who attend Reese Road may check out 2 books at a time from the Media Center. The loan period for parents is 2 weeks, unless specified otherwise.
- Parents will be notified of overdue books with notes sent home by their students.
Community Patrons
- Members of the community may check out 2 books at a time from the Reese Road Media Center. The loan period for community patrons is 2 weeks, unless specified otherwise.
- Community patrons will be notified of overdue materials through the mail, email, or by phone.
OVERDUE AND LOST/DAMAGED BOOK POLICY
- Patrons are not charged fines for overdue books.
- Student, parent, and community patrons are charged for lost or damaged books. Replacement cost is the usual fine for lost books or books damaged beyond repair. For books that are repairable, patrons are fined a charge determined by the media specialist and commiserate with the damage.
- Teacher patrons are not charged fines for lost or overdue books unless specified otherwise. Teachers are expected to return library books available for student check-out within 2 weeks and to return other materials in a timely fashion.
Note: Concerning overdue materials, additional information specific to each patron type is outlined in “Circulation Policy.”
BORROWING AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS
- Teacher patrons may check out DVDs, VHS tapes, and CDs for a period of 1 week.
- Teachers are encouraged to preview all audiovisual materials before using them in the classroom.
- Broadcasting videos (rented or otherwise) for non-instructional purposes through closed circuit TV throughout the school building and will be done only under the principal’s direction.
SCHEDULING OF THE MEDIA CENTER
In accordance with policy set forth by the Georgia Department of Education, Muscogee County School Board Policy (Board Policy, 2002) clearly states that each of its school be served by “a flexibly scheduled, cooperatively planned, unified media program.” Accordingly, the media program at Reese Road operates on a flexible schedule that changes weekly according to the needs of the teacher and student patrons. The media staff maintains a weekly schedule that displays the use and availability of the Media Center on a given day. Teachers will arrange with the media staff a time to come to the Media Center; the media staff will add to the weekly schedule according to teachers’ requests which are usually made curing collaborative planning sessions, both formal and informal. Additionally, the media specialist may initiate with the teacher the scheduling of a class in the Media Center.
Whole-Class Use
For Instruction:
Teachers will accompany their whole class to the Media Center for lessons or research or to check out materials. During collaborative planning sessions, the media specialist and teachers will schedule classes into the Media Center, or computer lab, for lessons or research. The media specialist and the teacher will collaboratively plan lessons based on the requirements of the curriculum. Scheduling the Media Center, or computer lab, for lessons or research requires a minimum 2-day notice so that the media specialist will have adequate time to plan and gather materials. Please fill out the collaboration form and submit it to Mrs. Whalen.
For Check-Outs:
Teachers may schedule a time for their whole class to come to the Media Center in order to check out books. Twenty-four hour notice is not required for whole-class check-out; however, in order to insure access, the teacher must call the Media Center before leaving the classroom if he/she has not arranged for a time to bring the whole class for check-out.
Student Use
Students are encouraged to visit the Media Center for checking out new books, reading for pleasure, conducting research, or working on a class project. During the school day, students must have permission from the teacher to visit the Media Center. Permission is usually in the form of the student’s reading log/folder.
Teachers of Grades 2 through 5 may send small groups of students to the Media Center to check out books or to conduct research. No more than 4 students from one class are allowed in the Media Center at one time. The media staff may make adjustments – more of less – to this policy, according to student behavior and teacher request. Small groups of Kindergarten and 1st grade students require a parapro or teacher to accompany them to the Media Center during the first 2 quarters of the school year.
Faculty Use
The Media Center is often used for faculty meetings, large group/class presentations, professional development, and social gatherings, such as receptions and parties. Staff members wishing to use the Media Center for such events should notify the media staff in order to avoid conflict with other activities in the Media Center. Since these events often require special arrangements (equipment, rearrangement of furniture, etc.), the media staff request notice of at least 48 hours be given.