Student+Policies+&+Procedures

Last Update 4/24/13
 * RICHVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY **
 * Student Policies and Procedures **



**HOURS OF OPERATION**
Library hours for students are 7:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.

** STUDENT CIRCULATION ** Students may come to the library at any time during open hours to check out and/or read quietly by permission of their teacher. When students come on an individual basis, they must bring a signed planner with them, place it in the basket at the circulation desk as soon as they arrive, and get it signed by library personnel when they have finished checking out and are ready to go back to class.

Student library account numbers are the same 6-digit PowerSchool student ID number that is also used for lunch accounts. Please be advised that funds in lunch accounts may not be transferred to library accounts for payment of overdue fines or for lost/damaged items. This number is used strictly for identification purposes only.

Students may check out any combination of two items at a time and keep them for two weeks with one renewal. Further renewals will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the library staff and may or may not be allowed based on whether the book has any pending holds, how far the student has read, and the reason for the renewal.

Students are allowed to place holds on a particular book that they would like to read. They may do this at the lookup stations. Instructions on how to place holds on items are at each station. When items become available, a notice will be sent to the student’s advisory teacher. If the item is not picked up within 3 days of notification, the item will be given to the next person who has it on hold or it will be returned to the shelf.

To encourage items to be returned on time, date due stickers are provided. They should be placed in the back of the book in the designated place and should cover over the previous sticker so that only the current due date is showing. In addition to due date stickers, students may also write their due dates in their student planners and/or check their accounts online. It is the student's responsibility to remember to return books on time.

** LISTENING LIBRARY & AUDIOBOOK KITS ** A listening library is provided for student use, and students are encouraged to check out the audiobooks contained in the collection. Audiobooks are in two formats: CD’s and playaways. Playaways are audiobooks in digital format. Playaways use AAA batteries. Batteries will be supplied by the library. When returning all audiobooks, students should never drop them in the return bookdrop; instead, they should give it directly to the library staff to check that all pieces have been returned and are in good working condition. The regular rate of 10¢ per day per item overdue fine applies to audiobook kits.

** STUDENT PERIODICALS ** A large selection of student-oriented periodicals is available for a __two-day__ checkout period. Titles include the following, but are not limited to: Time, Sports Illustrated, Hot Rod, Four-Wheeler, Dirt Rider, J-14, M, Skateboarding, Field & Stream, National Wildlife, Tennessee Conservationist, National Geographic, and more. Specific titles may change from year to year. The regular rate of 10¢ per day per item overdue fine also applies to periodicals. If the plastic periodical covers are lost or damaged, they must be paid for at the replacement cost.

** OVERDUE FINES ** An overdue fine of 10 ¢ per item per day is assessed for overdue items. Fines are not assessed on weekends, days that students are not in school, book fairs, or on the rare occasion that the library must be closed and is unavailable to students. When students pay their fines, they sign a collection log. If students and/or parents prefer a receipt for proof of payment in addition to signing the collection log, please contact the library staff to request one.

We recognize that there are times when students are absent due to illness or other reasons and may be unable to return their items on time. For this reason, we provide a two-day grace period on overdue items, so if items are returned within that time frame, overdue fines are not incurred. //Students should contact library staff if they are absent longer than the 2 day grace period so fines can be adjusted//. If the item is not returned until after the grace period has passed, overdue fines begin accruing starting with the first day the item was overdue. In addition, students will not be allowed to check out additional items until all overdue books are returned or overdue fines paid. Report cards, but not progress reports, may be withheld from those students who are not clear with the library. If a student moves from the school, his/her records may also be withheld until they are cleared with the library. Being cleared with the library simply means that the student has no overdue items and/or has made payment for fines or lost/damaged items.

Overdue notices will be sent electronically to students’ school email accounts through the school district's student email accounts. User names and passwords are set by the school district and may be obtained through school personnel. Students may log into their accounts at the lookup stations to see which items they have checked out and when they are due. This information is also available online from home. Access the district’s webpage at [|http://www.cmcss.net]. Click on **//Our Schools//** at the top and “mouse” over **//Middle Schools//** down to **//Richview//**. This will get you to the school’s webpage. The library webpage is linked to the schools’ webpage. Simply click on **//Library Media Center//** on the left, then click on **//Richview Library Catalog//** in the left navigation bar. This opens the library’s online public access catalog. At the top is a login link. The User ID is the student’s 6-digit PowerSchool student ID number (also used for lunch accounts and library accounts), and the password is the student’s last name in all lower case letters.

If a student has overdue items on a consistent basis, or if a student loses and/or damages items more than twice during any one school year, a suspension or reduction of checkout privileges may be put into effect for a period of time as a further incentive to remember to return items on time or to care for items properly. Only in the most extreme cases will checkout privileges be permanently suspended.

** LOST OR DAMAGED ITEMS ** If a student loses a library-owned item or damages the item beyond repair, they must pay the replacement cost with a $1.00 reorder/shipping charge added to the amount. Receipts will be issued to students who have paid for an item and the library will keep a copy. If a student later finds a book for which he/she previously paid, payment will be refunded to a **//parent//** through the school’s bookkeeping office.

** STUDENT RESEARCH ** Most students engage in research activities under the supervision of the classroom teacher in the computer lab. Students may also visit the library computer lab to do independent research, but they must bring a note from their teacher detailing the nature of the research and then get permission from library staff to do the research.

** BOOK FAIRS AND OTHER LIBRARY FUNDRAISERS ** Two book fairs are held each year for additional fundraising for the library, usually once during the fall and once in the spring. Students may view and shop the fair during the advisory period or other times, but will only be permitted with a teacher pass. Other library fundraisers and/or promotions may be held on an occasional basis, and all sales earn additional funds for the library.

** LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER WEBPAGE ** The library media specialist provides and maintains a library webpage. Library policies can be found on this page, along with links to electronic resources. Access to the school library’s catalog is available as well. In addition, a webpage with specific content area links is provided. Check often as it is updated on an on-going basis when the library media specialist comes across quality websites for use by both students and teachers.

** ELECTRONIC RESEARCH SUBSCRIPTIONS ** Students have access to several quality electronic resources. Subscriptions to Visual Thesaurus, Power Media Plus are provided through CMCSS district funds. Biography Resource Center is provided through Richview Library funds. Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL) is free to all citizens in the state of Tennessee and is funded through state grants and taxpayer funds. Schools are provided school subscriptions free of charge to Opposing Viewpoints and World Book Online through TEL. These subscriptions are available for use at school and are accessible from home as well. Links to these resources are provided on the library’s webpage. The library staff will provide user names and passwords to all students and teachers.

Each morning the Channel One News program is broadcasted to classrooms during the Advisory period. This is a student-oriented news program that is made available to public schools at no cost.
 * CHANNEL ONE NEWS PROGRAM **

** STUDENT LIBRARY ASSISTANTS ** Students may work an internship with the library as part of the related arts time period. This is a position of trust and responsibility. It can be a good opportunity for students to gain knowledge of effective research practices, use higher order thinking skills, participate in peer tutoring, learn to be service-oriented, and develop many skills that will prove beneficial to them for the rest of their lives. Students need not have straight-A grades, but a minimum of a C average should be maintained. They should be extremely dependable, willing to work, have good organizational skills, and love reading. They learn the mechanics of running the circulation desk, checking in and checking out books, and processing new items. As part of the internship, students may be asked to read new books in an effort to assist the library staff in reviewing and promoting them. A rubric is used to assess the student’s performance in shelving and general areas.

** EMERGENCY PROCEDURES ** In the event that students are in the library when a drill or emergency evacuation must occur, students will remain with the library staff and will not return to their own classrooms. For fire drills, students will line up at the 7th grade doorway and walk quietly out the doors to the parent pickup area. If an emergency evacuation should be needed, students will line up at the 7th grade door, proceed to the parent pickup area, and then walk to Clarksville High School or other designated area. For tornado and/or severe storms, staff will take students (whether in the library individually, as a class, or in the computer lab) to the 6th grade hallway and assume the correct position. For an Intruder drill, all students and staff will go to the Server Room. During any of these events, whether as a drill or the “real deal,” students must not talk so that they will be able to follow instructions given.