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Academics » Library » Mission, Goals, Policies & Procedures
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Librarian: Ms. Combs
Hours: 7:30-4:00 Monday - Friday
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Mission and Goal Statements
The mission of the Bishop García
Diego Library is to provide quality materials and services which fulfill educational, informational, cultural, spiritual, and recreational needs of the school community in an atmosphere that is welcoming, respectful, and professional.
The general library goals of the Bishop García Diego Library shall be:
1. To serve all members of the school community.
2. To work cooperatively with faculty and administration in an effort to integrate the library into course curriculum.
3. To acquire and make available to all members of this community such books, periodicals, and other services as will address their needs to a) become well informed, b) locate answers to important questions, c) cultivate the imagination and creative expression, d) develop skills for career and vocational advancement, and e) promote reading as a leisure time activity.
4. To acquire the means to provide materials most in demand.
5. To maintain a program of service which locates information, guides reading, organizes and interprets materials for students and staff, and stimulates thinking and intellectual development in individuals.
6. To strive consistently to discover new methods and improvements for better service for the library's users.
7. To review regularly these goals of the Bishop García Diego Library and, if necessary, revise them in the light of new developments.
Policies and Procedures
I. Library Rules and Regulations
II. Materials Selection/Collection Development Policy
III. Circulation Policy and Procedure
IV. Computer and Internet Use Policy
V. Copyright Policy
VI. Flexible Scheduling Policy
I. Library Rules and Regulations
Use of Library
The library will serve all students and staff of Bishop Diego High School.
The use of the library may be denied for due cause. Such cause may be failure to return library materials or to pay penalties, destruction of library property, disturbance of other users, or any other illegal, disruptive, or objectionable conduct on library premises.
Students who wish to use the library during a traditionally supervised study period should plan to secure a library pass from one of their classroom teachers. Students who have been granted the privilege of unsupervised study should report to the library on time as they would any class.
Conduct
It is the library user's responsibility to maintain necessary and proper standards of behavior. If a user behaves inappropriately or breaks library rules, that person may be restricted from the library and from the use of library facilities. Those who are unwilling to leave or do not leave within a reasonable amount of time will be disciplined accordingly.
Library rules include:
• No food, gum, candy, or beverage in the library. This includes unopened containers.
• No reclining, sleeping, or feet on the couches.
• No sitting on tables or standing on chairs.
• No passing through. The library is not a throughway from point A to B.
• Talking is allowed but must be conducted quietly with respect for others.
• Library materials must be treated with respect as are other library users.
Reasonable changes may be made to the library rules without prior notification.
Services of the Library
The library provides materials and resources for information, entertainment, intellectual and spiritual development, and enrichment of the members of the school community. The library should endeavor to:
1. Select, organize, and make available necessary books and materials.
2. Provide guidance and assistance to users.
3. Sponsor and implement programs, displays, book lists, etc., which would appeal to users.
4. Cooperate with other community agencies and organizations.
5. Develop and provide services to users with special needs.
6. Maintain a balance in its services to various age groups and ability levels.
7. Cooperate with, but not perform the functions of, public or other institutional libraries.
8. Provide service during hours which best meet the needs of the community, including after school hours.
9. Regularly review library services being offered.
Reference Service Policy
The Bishop García Diego Library:
• will provide information to specific questions and guidance in locating materials for users
• will assist users in the use of the library and teach basic research methodology
• will provide bibliographic verification of items both in the library and not owned by the library
• may refer library users to other agencies and libraries in pursuit of needed information
• may use not only the library's resources in printed form, but consult appropriate digital resources as well as the regional resource library and other agencies by telephone in pursuit of "ready reference" information
Equipment and Computers
Computers are available to users on a first-come, first-serve basis. Library staff is available for general assistance in using the computer. Staff is not expected to train users in the use of application programs. Tutorial manuals will be provided when available.
Printing is available to users at no cost, however, free printing is a privilege that will be revoked if it is abused.
Computers offer Internet access, reference databases and other software to aid research. Users must agree to the computer and Internet use policy (See Computer and Internet Use Policy below).
A photocopy machine is available to patrons who wish to copy materials at the rate of $0.10 per page. Copy machine users are advised that there are restrictions on copyrighted materials (See Copyright Policy below). Violation of copyright is the responsibility of the copy machine user.
II. Materials Selection/Collection Development Policy
A. Responsibility for Selection
The Curriculum Committee is responsible for the policy of the Bishop García Diego High School Library. The responsibility for the selection of school library media center materials is delegated to the professionally trained employees of the school. Selection of these materials may involve many people: administrators, teachers, supervisors, school library media specialists. The responsibility for coordinating the selection of the school library media center materials and making recommendations for purchase rests with professionally trained school library personnel.
B. Objectives
The primary objective of the Bishop García Diego Library is to enrich and support the instructional program of the school. The school library media program makes available a wide range of materials on varying levels of difficulty with a diversity of appeal compatible with the different needs, interests, and viewpoints of students and staff.
Because of the volume of publishing, as well as the limitations of budget and space, the library must have a selection policy with which to meet school community interests and needs. The materials selection/collection development policy is used by the library staff in the selection of materials and also serves to acquaint the school community with the principles of selection.
The materials selection/collection development policy, like all other policies, will be reviewed and/or revised as the need arises.
In keeping with the ideas expressed in the Library Bill of Rights (see attached form), the Bishop García Diego Curriculum Committee asserts that the responsibility of the school library media program is as follows:
• To provide school library media that will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration individual needs and the varied interests, abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and maturity levels of the students served.
• To provide school library media that stimulate the growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, ethical standards and spirituality.
• To provide a background of information enabling students to make intelligent judgements in their daily lives.
• To provide materials on opposing sides of controversial issues so that students may develop, under guidance, the practice of critical thinking and critical analysis of all media.
• To provide materials representative of the many religious, ethnic, and cultural groups in our nation and the contribution of these groups to our American heritage.
• To place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in selecting school library media of the highest quality in order to assure a comprehensive collection appropriate for the users of the school library media center.
C. Criteria for Selection
1. The following criteria are considered in the selection of materials:
• Purpose: Overall purpose and its direct relationship to instructional objectives and/or the curriculum
• Reliability: Accurate, authentic
• Quality: Writing and /or production of merit
• Treatment: Clear, comprehensible, skillful, convincing, well-organized, unbiased
• Construction: Durable, manageable, attractive
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Materials shall be selected for their strengths rather than rejected for their weaknesses
2. Reviews are a major source of information about new materials. The primary sources of reviews are The Book Report, School Library Journal, VOYA, Amazon.com, publishers? catalogs, and the American Library Association's Web site.
3. The lack of a review or an unfavorable review shall not be the sole reason for rejecting a title. Consideration is, therefore, given to requests from library users and books discussed on public media. Materials are judged on the basis of the work as a whole, not on a part taken out of context.
D. Procedures for Selecting and Maintaining the Collection
The school library media professional, in conjunction with teachers and administrators, will be responsible for the selection of materials. In coordinating this process, the school library media specialist will:
• Use reputable, unbiased, professionally prepared selection.
• Purchase duplicates of extensively used materials.
• Weed continuously from the collection worn, obsolete, and inoperable items (see Weeding below).
• Purchase replacements for worn, damaged, or missing materials basic to the collection.
• Evaluate carefully and purchase only to fill a specified need expensive sets of materials and items procured by subscription.
• Judge gift items based on standard selection criteria (see Gift and Donations below).
• Review sources such as The Book Report, VOYA, Amazon.com, Library Journal, etc. are to be consulted.
E. Gifts and Donations
The library accepts gifts of books and other materials with the understanding that they will be added to the collection only if appropriate and needed. If they are not needed because of duplication, condition, or dated information the media specialist can dispose of them as he/she sees fit. The same criteria for selection which is applied to purchased materials is applied to gifts. Memorial gifts of books or money are also accepted with suitable bookplates placed in the book. Specific memorial books can be ordered for the library on request of a user if the request meets the established selection criteria. It is desirable for gifts of or for specific titles to be offered after consultation with the library media specialist. Book selection will be made by the media specialist if no specific book is requested. The Bishop García Diego Library encourages and appreciates gifts and donations.
F. Weeding
An up-to-date, attractive and useful collection is maintained through a continual withdrawal and replacement process. Replacement of worn volumes is dependent upon current demand, usefulness, more recent acquisitions, and availability of newer editions. This ongoing process of weeding is the responsibility of the school library media specialist and is authorized by the Curriculum Committee. Withdrawn materials will be handled in a similar manner and under the same authority as donated materials.
G. Challenged Materials
Although materials are carefully selected, there can arise differences of opinion regarding suitable materials. Should a complaint be made, the following procedures should be followed:
• Inform the complainant of the selection procedures and make no commitment to a change in the status of the material.
• Invite the complainant to file his or her objection in writing and provide him or her with a copy of the form, ?Request for Reconsideration of School Library Media Materials.
• Inform him or her that the form will be used to submit a formal complaint to the materials review committee.
• The special committee will:
1. Re-examine the challenged material.
2. Survey appraisals of the material in professional reviewing sources.
3. Weigh merits against alleged faults to form opinions based on the material as a whole and not on passages isolated from context.
4. Discuss the material and prepare a written recommendation to the superintendent and school board.
• The final decision of the committee shall be delivered to the complainant and staff members in writing.
III. Circulation Policy and Procedure
A. Registration
All borrowers must be entered into the circulation system in order to borrow library materials.
If a school community member chooses to check out library materials, the following statement is being agreed upon:
I agree to be responsible for all items borrowed. I promise to comply with all library rules and policies both present and future.
B. Loan periods
• 3 weeks for books.
• Generally, reference books do not circulate. Upon request, some reference materials may be checked out overnight.
• Books may be renewed if there is not a waiting list for the title.
• Current issues of periodicals do not circulate.
• Non-current periodicals may be checked out for one week.
The librarian may establish the loan period for special collections, materials which are temporarily in great demand, such as for student projects, or materials added to the collection which are in a new format.
There is no limit on the number of items a patron can borrow at one time, with one exception -- two items on a subject is the limit for a known school assignment.
C. Fines and charges
Fines for overdue materials are $0.10 per day. A first notice is sent after the material is due. If the material is not returned within a designated period, a second notice will be sent indicating the amount owed. If an item has not been returned after 60 days from the day it was due, the user will be charged the replacement cost of the book plus processing and shipping fees. If the borrower fails to pay these fines, he/she will be forbidden to take final exams. Users who have been sent an overdue notice may be denied borrowing privileges until those overdue materials are returned or paid for if lost and/or damaged.
Faculty, staff and volunteers are exempt from overdue fees, however, they are responsible for the cost of lost or damaged items.
D. Damaged materials
If materials are damaged so as to be judged by the library as being unsuitable for the collection, the user must pay the replacement cost. A notice of these charges will be sent to the borrower; a sample of the notice follows:
Dear ____________________________
At the time a library user borrows materials from the school library collection, the user assumes the responsibility for the care and timely return of the materials. Recently, materials checked out to you were returned to the library damaged beyond the point of being usable in the Library's collection. The titles and costs of these materials are listed below:
---------------------------------- $---------
Your assistance in clearing this matter promptly will be appreciated and will be necessary in order to retain your borrowing privileges.
Thank you in advance for your prompt response to this matter.
Sincerely,
IV. Computer and Internet Use Policy
The Bishop García Diego Library is providing access to the Internet as a means to enhance the information and learning opportunities for the library users. The School Board has established the Internet use policy to ensure appropriate and effective use of this resource.
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V. Copyright Policy
A comprehensive copyright policy statement can be found in the joint American Library Association - National Education Association publication, The Copyright Primer for Librarians and Educators, second edition, by Janis H. Bruwelheide. Portions of this book are presented here.
Copyright law is of special concern to educators and librarians. Communication of ideas, concepts, and information is dealt with daily and is embodied in copyrighted works. For this reason, a basic understanding of copyright principles is necessary. Sometimes there is no clear indication of "fair use" and it is necessary to contact the holder of the copyright directly to request permission to use materials in educational settings.
Educational entities and employees can be held liable for copyright violations, so it is in the best interest of all to understand copyright, have adopted policies in place, and train employees on policy and their responsibility to uphold it. Presenting a good model for other individuals to follow is also a responsibility.
Fair Use
Without this privilege to use copyrighted materials, copyright would not serve its constitutional purpose to promote the progress of Science and Useful Arts. Fair use thus limits the copyright owner's monopoly by reserving to others the right to make reasonable uses of copyrighted materials without the specific consent of the author. The doctrine is of extreme importance to teachers, librarians, researchers, and scholars as well as to the public generally.
The parameters of fair use have been developed by the courts. In drafting the Copyright Revision Act, Congress codified fair use for the first time, but made it clear that it had no intention of broadening or narrowing the doctrine. Fair use is now Section 107 of Title 17 of the U.S. Code:
(Sec.) 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use notwithstanding the provisions of section 106 and 106A, the fair use of copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction, in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include:
1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
2. the nature of the copyrighted work;
3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
VI. Flexible Scheduling Policy
Schools must adopt the educational philosophy that the library media program is fully integrated into the educational program. This integration strengthens the teaching/learning process so that students can develop the vital skills necessary to locate, analyze, evaluate, interpret, and communicate information and ideas. When the library media program is fully integrated into the instructional program of the school, students, teachers, and library media specialists become partners in learning. The library program is an extension of the classroom. Information skills are taught and learned within the context of the classroom curriculum. The wide range of resources, technologies, and services needed to meet students' learning and information needs are readily available in a cost-effective manner.
The integrated library media program philosophy requires that an open schedule must be maintained. Classes cannot be scheduled in the library media center to provide teacher release or preparation time. Students and teachers must be able to come to the center throughout the day to use information sources, to read for pleasure, and to meet and work with other students and teachers.
Planning between the library media specialist and the classroom teacher, which encourages both scheduled and informal visits, is the catalyst that makes this integrated library program work. The teacher brings to the planning process knowledge of subject content and student needs. The library media specialist contributes a broad knowledge of resources and technology, an understanding of teaching methods, and a wide range of strategies that may be employed to help students learn information skills.
Cooperative planning by the teacher and library media specialist results in the development of assignments that encourage open inquiry, and appropriate use of available materials.
The responsibility for scheduled library media programs must be shared by the entire school community. The library program is an integral part of the school?s educational program and ensures that flexible scheduling for the library media center is maintained at all levels.
VI. Revision of Library Policies
The preceding statements of Bishop García Diego Library's policies shall be subject to review and needed revision at least every five years by the Curriculum Committee. Individual policies will be reviewed or added as needed.
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