Crum, Croom, Moore, West

Section III The School library Media Center: Facilities and Services

Circulation Policy
Harlem Middle Schools circulation policy applies to all students in grades six through
eight. All books are inventoried in the Follett Destiny system. Currently, students are allowed to
check out fiction and nonfiction text only. Students are allowed to have two books checked out
at one time and are held for two weeks at a time. Students visit the media center for book check
out on a two week rotation, but are encouraged to visit in between those times if they finish their
book(s) before then. If a student wants to renew a book, they may do so up to three times on a
specific book. This allows the book to be available for other students if it is being requested.
Students are able to request a book by placing it on hold. To do this, students log in to the
Destiny Quest system using their lunch number, and place the desired book on hold under their
profile. This will ensure that once the book is returned, it will be marked for check out for that
specific student. A fine of five cents per day is charged for overdue books and a three day grace
period is given before fines begin to occur. When books are lost or damaged, an appropriate fee
will be charged. Generally, this fee reflects the current price of the book or the replacement cost
of another book. The SLMS and Media Clerk work well with students who may owe a fee for
overdue or lost books. As a general rule, if students owe a very small fee, they will still be
allowed to checkout new books. If a book has been lost, students are not allowed to check out
books until that fine has been paid.

Reference books, magazines, and iPads are available for student use while in the media
center, but are only available for check out by teachers. Current policy states that students are
not allowed to checkout reference material or magazines because of the cost of those materials
and the constant request by classroom teachers conducting research and inquiry-based projects.
Teachers may also checkout materials that are available in the media center such as iPads,
document cameras, presenters, DVDs, professional learning material, and classroom sets of
novels. The check out policy for teachers is for the entire school year unless another teacher is
requesting a particular item. Fees are not assigned to teachers for late materials, but if an item is
lost or damaged it is up to the principal to assess a fee.
Parents and community members are allowed access to the school's media center. While
there is no written policy in place for checking out material, parents and community members are
allowed to read books (fiction, nonfiction, and reference) while visiting the media center.
Parents and community members are not allowed to use the other technology resources such as
iPads, document cameras, presenters, etc.
The HMS media center also lends books, such as class sets of a particular novel, to other
schools in the area. A spreadsheet is kept that allows the SLMS to know what school the
materials are going to and the contact information for the receiving SLMS. Once books are
returned they are highlighted or deleted from the spreadsheet.
To improve the media centers circulation policy, the SLMS and the library media
committee will discuss issues and concerns regarding parent/community check-out systems,
purchasing e-readers, and increasing the number of reference materials. This last improvement
will also benefit the students, as they would then be allowed to checkout reference materials

rather than only using them while in the media center. The purchase of e-readers or e-books will
allow the HMS Media Center to stay current with 21st century learning skills.
Scheduling
The HMS Media Center is open daily from 7:05 A.M. until 2:35 P.M. Because English
Language Arts classes are more closely tied to the media center, students visit the media center
during this period once every two weeks. Grade level teachers will alternate weeks to allow
classes to use the entire period in the media center if they wish. At the beginning of the school
year, during vertical team meetings, ELA teachers decide on the day of the week they want to
schedule their visits. The media center is booked on Mondays (7th grade), Wednesdays (6th
grade), and Fridays (8th grade). On Tuesdays and Thursdays the media center is open to all other
grades and/or subject areas as first come, first served. Even though the HMS Media Center is
booked for the ELA classes on the designated days, other students (small groups or individuals)
are allowed to utilize the media center for book returns, check-out, or to use the computers for
various reasons. The SLMS shares the media center calendar (See Appendix A) with all teachers
so they are able to see availability options. Teachers can send a request via email for a
reservation to be added to the calendar. Only the SLMS is able to add reservations to the
calendar due to reservations being deleted or changed by other individuals. If a verbal request is
made to the SLMS or clerk, the teacher must also submit an email or written request to be kept in
a file for reference and documentation for the SLMS observations (TKES). Students may visit
the media center individually or in small groups, but must have a pass from their teacher. There
is no policy that requires students to sign-in or out when visiting the media center. Generally, the
SLMS and/or the Media Clerk is always available for supervising or assisting students who visit
the media center.

Services
Students who are served for speech therapy meet with the speech therapist on Tuesday
and Friday mornings, from 7:35-8:15 in one of the conference rooms in the media center.
Reading remediation classes are also held in the media center every day each week during
Achievement Period: AP is from 7:35-8:15. The reading class is designed to improve reading
fluency and comprehension and more importantly to increase student confidence. The SLMS
serves the sixth grade reading classes. STEM research is available on Fridays during AP time for
seventh and eighth grade students. During general operating school hours (7:05-2:35), the media
center is available for students to return/renew/check-out books or use the computers. Students
have access to several online databases such as World Book Online, Destiny Quest, GALILEO,
TweenTribune, and ipl2 For Teens. In order for students to use any computer at school, their
parent/legal guardian must give written permission. This agreement (See Appendix B and C for
Network Responsibility Agreement) must be signed by the student and the parent/legal guardian
and returned to the HMS media center before the student is able to use the computer. Another
service to students is provided by Columbia County. The county has made available to every
student an Office 365 account. Students are able to use Office 365 on any device where there is
internet access to create word documents, powerpoint presentations, and have access to email.
The SLMS is available to assist students when problems occur while using Office 365, and to
register new students that enroll throughout the school year. One of the new most recent services
available to students is the BYOD initiative (See Appendix D). In recent years, the idea of
students using personal devices to enhance their learning has been a topic of conversation. The
2015-2016 school year kicked off with the initiative being in full effect. Printing is also
available for students at no charge, but color printing is not available at this time.

The HMS media center also provides a variety of services to the faculty. Monthly faculty
meetings are held in the media center for teachers and administrators to collaborate, solve
problems, make School Improvement (SIP) decisions, focus on professional development, and
set future goals. The HMS Media Center provides an online testing platform, called Data
Director, to the content area teachers. The SLMS is the Data Director Administrator for the
school and also provides training for the teachers. This system allows teachers to create a test
online, where each question is tied to a specific standard, and the results are returned to the
teacher in a day's time. The SLMS is the webmaster for the school's website and will also lend
support when needed to individual teachers for their classroom webpages. There are several
machines and materials available for teacher use but are not housed in the media center due to
space. A binding machine for books, a laminator, die-cuts, poster/butcher paper, hole press, and
a large paper cutter are available to use. The media center does not provide printing for teachers.
There are two grade level printers on each hallway and teachers are able to have their own
printers in their classroom if they choose. Personal printers are not maintained by the SLMS or
TSS and all ink must be purchased by the teacher. There is also no limit (within reason) as to
how many pages are allowed to be printed. The SLMS encourages collaboration with teachers
to plan lessons and activities to take place in the media center as well as the classroom.
In addition to these services, the media center is also used for various other reasons: guest
speakers, receptions, testing facilities, parent workshops, and PTSO meetings are a few
examples. Also, Tuesday evenings are scheduled for middle and high school gifted certification
classes for Columbia County teachers.
The HMS Media Center provides a plethora of services to the students and faculty at the
school. One group of stakeholders that would greatly benefit from services provided by the

media center are the parents. The media center would like to implement a program that would
allow parents and/or guardians to have one on one training with the SLMS. Areas of training
would include Microsoft Office(Word, Excel, Publisher), Office 365, Parent Portal, and various
Web 2.0 tools.

References
American Association of School Librarians. (2009). Empowering Learners: Guidelines for
School Library Programs. Chicago, IL.

Appendix A

Appendix B
FORM 1A PROCEDURE IFBGA (1)
NETWORK RESPONSIBILITY AGREEMENT
FOR STUDENTS OF COLUMBIA COUNTY SCHOOLS

I understand and will abide by the terms and conditions for use of the Columbia County School
System Technology Network. I further understand that any violation of the regulations is unethical and
may constitute a criminal offense. Should I commit any violation, I understand that my access privileges
may be revoked, disciplinary action may be taken and/or appropriate legal action pursued.
Student Name:(PLEASE PRINT)___________________________________________________
Current Grade Level:____________________________________________________________
Student Signature:_______________________________________________________________
Date:_________________________________________________________________________
Faculty Sponsor (or teacher):______________________________________________________
School:_______________________________________________________________________
PARENT OR GUARDIAN NETWORK RESPONSIBILITY AGREEMENT
FOR STUDENTS IN COLUMBIA COUNTY SCHOOLS
(If user is under the age of 18, a parent or guardian must also read and sign this agreement.)
As the parent or guardian of this student, I have read the terms and conditions for the use of the
Columbia County School System Technology Network. I understand that these privileges are designed for
educational purposes. I will not hold Columbia County Schools responsible for material acquired or
problems related to the use of the material acquired on the network.
I hereby (grant______) (do not grant ________) permission for my child to utilize the Columbia
County School System Technology Network and certify that the information contained on this form is
correct. Further, I accept full responsibility for supervision if and when my childs use is not in a school
setting.
Parent or Guardian Name (please print): ___________________________________________
Signature:______________________________________________Date_____/_______/______
Unless a parent objects in writing to the principal of the school where the child is enrolled, the Columbia
County School System and individual schools may periodically acknowledge student work activities,
and/or achievements on their web sites. Such information about your child will be limited to photographs,
students first name, student work, and/or grade level. All students attending CCSS, upon entering
Kindergarten, 6th grade, and 9th grade, (and their parents/legal guardians) should sign the Network
Responsibility Agreement for Students of Columbia County Schools. All transfer students or new students
to CCSS should sign a Network Responsibility Agreement upon entering the Columbia County School
System. (Signed agreement form is to be placed in the students permanent record.)

REVISED 5/22/06
Appendix C
FORM 1B PROCEDURE IFBGA (1)
NETWORK RESPONSIBILITY AGREEMENT FOR STAFF*
OF COLUMBIA COUNTY SCHOOLS

I understand and will abide by the terms and conditions for use of the Columbia County
School System Technology Network. I further understand that any violation of the regulations is
unethical and may constitute a criminal offense. Should I commit any violation, I understand that
my access privileges may be revoked, disciplinary action may be taken and/or appropriate legal
action pursued.
CCBOE Staff Member Name:_____________________________________________________
Position & Location:_____________________________________________________________
Staff Member Signature:__________________________________________________________
Date:_________________________________________________________________________
(TEACHERS AND STAFF, WHILE SUPERVISING STUDENTS, ARE EXPECTED TO
MONITOR ALL STUDENTS INTERNET ACTIVITIES)
All CCBOE staff members are required to sign a Network Responsibility Agreement for Staff of
the Columbia County Schools.
CCBOE staff members who transfer to another school or department should sign a new form at
that particular school/department.
(CCBOE STAFF SIGNED AGREEMENT FORM IS TO BE PLACED IN THE EMPLOYEES
PERSONNEL FILE MAINTAINED AT THE SCHOOL/DEPARTMENT.)
(*This form may also be used for substitute teachers, student teachers, interns, lab students, etc.)
REVISED 5/22/06

Appendix D

Dear Students, Parents and Guardians:

As new technologies continue to change the world in which we live, they also provide many
new and positive educational benefits for classroom instruction. Therefore, we have decided to
implement Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) at our school. In this initiative, students are
encouraged to bring their own technology devices to school to assist their learning experiences.
This document is a contract which we will adhere to as we establish this new program within our
school. Please note that students who cannot bring in outside technology will be able to access
and utilize the schools equipment. No student will be left out of classroom instruction.
Definition of Technology
For purposes of BYOT, technology means wireless electronic equipment that includes, but is
not limited to, existing mobile communication systems and smart technologies, portable internet
devices, handheld entertainment systems, or portable information technology systems that can be
used for word processing, wireless Internet access, image capture/recording, sound recording,
and information transmitting/receiving/storing, etc.
Internet
Once made available, only the Internet gateway provided by the school may be accessed by
students while on campus. Personal Internet connective devices such as cell phones and cell
network adapters may not be used to access outside Internet sources. However, because access to
the school system network is not yet available, personal digital plans may be used by students at
the express permission of their parents, but only under the supervision and permission of school
officials.
Security and Damages
The responsibility of keeping devices secure rests with each individual owner. The school system
is not liable for any device stolen or damaged on campus. If a device is stolen or damaged, the
school administration will handle the situation in the same manner as with other personal items
impacted in similar situations. It is recommended that skins (decals) and other personal touches
be used to physically identify and differentiate student devices from one another. Additionally,
protective cases for technology are encouraged.
BYOT Student/Parent/Guardian Agreement
The use of technology to enhance learning is not a necessity but a privilege. Accordingly,
students do not have the right to use personally owned laptops, cell phones, or other electronic
communication devices while at school. When abused, privileges may be taken away. When
respected, they may benefit the learning environment as a whole.
Students participating in BYOT with the express consent of their parents or guardians must
adhere to the Student Code of Conduct, as well as all Board policies. Furthermore, each student
must agree to the following conditions:
The student must

Take full responsibility for his or her technology device. The school is not
responsible for the security of student-owned technology.

 Silence technology while on school campuses and while riding school

buses.
Use technology for instructional purposes as expressly permitted by school
officials and not for cheating on assignments or tests.
Only access files or Internet sites which are relevant to classroom course
curriculum and as directed by school officials.
Comply with school officials requests to shut down or close the screen on
computers or devices.
Acknowledge that, once available, the school's network filters will be
applied to one's connection to the internet and will not attempt to bypass them.
Understand that knowingly infecting the school system network with a
virus, trojan, or program designed to damage, alter, destroy, or provide access to
unauthorized data or information is unacceptable use of technology and will result
in disciplinary action.
Realize that processing or accessing information on school property related
to hacking, altering, or bypassing network security policies will result in
disciplinary action.
Acknowledge that the school district has the right to collect and examine
any device that is suspected of causing problems or of being the source of an
attack or virus infection.
Realize that printing from and charging personal technology devices are not
possible at school.
By signing below, I understand and will abide by the above policy and guidelines. I further
understand that any violation is unethical and may result in the loss of BYOT privileges, as well
as other disciplinary action.
Student Signature:_____________________________________________________________

Date:___________________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature:_____________________________________________________

Date:___________________________________________________________________