Operation and Borrowing Procedures

Hours of Operation

School Year Opening and Closing Procedures

Borrowing Procedures

Resource Sharing

Hours of Operation

Elementary School

Middle School

High School

• Most high school students attend school between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
• The school library should open a half hour before the start of the school day and remain open a half hour past the school day.
• School librarians should make arrangements to remain open to students for a longer period of time for certain days of the week.
• The school librarian should then post and advertise the extended hours.
• Evening and weekend hours are at the discretion of the school librarian. 

School Year Opening and Closing Procedures

Opening

The school library staff should make every effort to have the school library circulation system ready for teacher and student use prior to the opening of the school year. The following duties will take place prior to students arrival:

• Check in new materials and enter into circulation system
• Attend in-service with county librarians and supervisor
  
• Receive allocation of annual funds at inservice
  
• Sign out AV and computer equipment to teachers for the year
• Order classroom sets of newspapers
  
• Present Copyright and Fair-use information to Faculty
• Brochure for new teachers
• Elementary—Print out student barcodes
• Ask staff for ordering requests 

Closing

The school library will remain open until the announced closing date. In May, the county will provide directions for closing the school library. Consideration should be given, however, to meeting individual needs up to the closing of school.

• School library specialists are responsible for the return of all materials and collection of lost book fees.
• Inventory requires additional time, so plan accordingly.
• At the end of the school year be sure to send debt notices to students with overdue library materials.
• Forward a list of outstanding and paid debts to the school secretary for summer use.

Library Media Specialist Calendar  

Borrowing Procedures

For most resources, elementary school libraries allow students to check out items for 14 to 21 days at a time. Middle and high school libraries allow students to check out items for 21 days at a time.

Circulation Rules

PreK-1

Grades 2-5

Secondary

Use of Books, Materials, and Equipment by Students

• The student shall be held responsible for the careful use and protection of the books, materials, and equipment loaned or assigned to him. Upon the request of the principal, the student shall return these items in good condition, allowing for normal usage.
• Failure of the student to comply with this procedure shall require the principal to assess the loss or damage for the student to pay to the school. The student will not be held liable for the loss or damages if the principal has determined that the property has been damaged or destroyed due to fire, theft or vandalism by another person.
• Through means of communication considered most appropriate and effective, such principal shall annually inform all students and their parents of regulations governing the use and proper care of books, materials, and equipment.

Fees

• The fee for lost or damaged print and non-print media materials, as well as other instructional materials, shall be assessed at the current replacement cost.
• The fee for lost equipment shall be assessed at the fair market value of the item as determined by the Purchasing Department.
• The fee for damaged equipment shall be assessed at the actual cost of repairing the item.
•  Items not returned within two weeks after the due date will be considered lost and the student will be assessed accordingly.

Carroll County 

All borrowing procedures are under the discretion of the CCPS librarian. Circulating materials can be limited by:

• Borrower (students, teachers, etc.)
• Length of loan period by reference type (i.e. reference, magazines, etc.)
• Reserving/renewing  materials based on supply and demand
• Number of materials loaned based on students level (i.e.- K-3, one book)
• Non-print materials reserved by students
• Long term loan period (i.e.- holiday breaks, summer)
• Lost or damaged materials fine

The length of a loan period should be set according to the school’s needs. A regular loan period should be set and established. All school library loan procedures should appear in the school student handbook.

School librarians will notify students of overdue materials. If this is unsuccessful, parents will be notified. If both student and parent communication are unsuccessful, administrators should be notified.

Fines for overdue materials are only charged to the high school grades. A fee of .10 per day for regular circulation materials and .25 per day for overnight loans is suggested. School librarians must determine a maximum fine that should not exceed the replacement cost of the item. Students borrowing privileges are restricted until the overdue materials are returned. 

Teachers are responsible for all materials and may loan out materials for an extended amount of time. Periodic reminders of borrowed materials may be helpful to teachers (via email) and will help inventory processing at the end of the year. 

Library Handbook, section V16-17, 28-30

Resource Sharing

Frederick County

Interlibrary loan 

Carroll County

Short term borrowing of materials from one county school library to another may be arranged by the librarian. Requests can be made through Destiny.

Carroll County Public Library offers an Educator’s Loan Program to all CCPS teachers called The Learning Advantage Partnership. This allows educators to borrow materials for an extended period of time. It is up to the school librarian to establish a relationship amongst their public library branch and to enroll their teachers in this program. 

Library Handbook, section V16-17, 28-30