PHILOSOPHY

The primary goals of the Centerville Media Center program are to promote a love of reading, to supplement the curriculum, to support classroom activities, and to reinforce the Gwinnett County AKS objectives through technology, literacy and collaboration. The Media Staff at Centerville believes in a TEAM approach. Working as a team the teacher and Media Staff can combine their knowledge to provide students with the skills they will need to be able to access information and materials. The teacher knows the content that needs to be learned. The Media Staff knows how to access needed resources and the information access skills related to targeted objectives. The Media Center seeks to not only supplement the curriculum, but also strives to provide quality literature to encourage reading for pleasure and to foster a love of reading in all students. Students are encouraged to browse and discuss selections with classmates in their search for the best book to read. Our motto in the Centerville Media Center is “Read and Share”. Students are encouraged to read often, visit regularly and to tell others about the good books they have read. A request center has been set up in the Everybody section for students. Students are encouraged to write down titles of books they would like for the Media Center to purchase for the collection. We feel that student input is very important in creating/maintaining a successful Media Center program.

HOURS OF OPERATION

The Media Center will be open each day for students between the hours of 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. If a student needs to access the Media Center other than the regularly scheduled hours, we ask that the classroom teacher or parent notify the Media Specialist to make special arrangements.

CIRCULATION OF MATERIALS

K-1: Kindergarten and first grade students are allowed to check out one book at a time. 1st grade students will be “upgraded” to two books at time as soon as the class finishes their “Super Searcher” lessons.

2nd -5th: Students in second-fifth grades may check out two books at a time.

Renewing Materials: All students may keep library books for up to two weeks. Students may renew books for two additional weeks if the books have not been requested by another student or teacher. In order to renew a book a student must bring the book to the Media Center.

Reference materials: Reference materials may be checked out by students that have been assigned a research project. Reference materials may be checked out at 3:00 p.m. and must be returned to the library by 9:00 a.m. the next morning. When classes are working on research projects, teachers are welcome to check out reference materials to use in their classrooms. Teachers are asked to return them as soon as they are finished, and not to send them home with students.

Overdue/ Lost Materials: A list of overdue materials will be printed and distributed every two-three weeks. Overdue notices are sent home with students in their Friday folders. Students with overdue books will not be allowed to check out books until the overdue item is paid for or returned. Please note that after a student receives 2-3 overdue notices the media specialist attempts to contact a parent/guardian. As noted in by the GCPS Media policy, the charge for hardback books will be $15.00, and the charge for paperback books will be $5.00. Hardship cases will be handled on a case by case basis.

Damaged Materials: Students that return books that have been damaged while in their possession will be placed on restricted checkout. If a book is damaged, and cannot be repaired to its prior condition a small fine of $5.00 may be assessed. When books are damaged to a point that they cannot be placed back on the shelf the student will be charged as if the book has been lost.