Theresa Spell » Mission and Policies

Mission and Policies

Mission and Policies

The Peter Muschal Elementary School Library's Mission is:

To create a friendly community space where students and staff meet to learn, explore and have fun.
To collaborate with teachers to enrich the school curriculum by providing quality books and learning materials.
To create a school library book collection that informs, educates, entertains.
To teach the skills that students need to utilize technology to access and locate information.
To promote life-long reading and learning for both pleasure and information.
 
Policies:
 
Students in preschool through 5th grade visit the library once a week for Library Media class and "book exchange".  
Preschool, kindergarten and 1st graders may borrow one book each week. 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th graders may borrow two books at a time.  If a student is working on a class project, he/she may borrow an extra book.
 
Overdue Materials:  

We appreciate your effort to return books on time. It is our policy that children may only choose a new book if ALL checked out books have been returned. To renew a book, just ask!  Graphic Novels, however are not able to be renewed.
 
Lost or Damaged Materials:  
 
Have a special place to keep library books safe and separate. Handle with care. Please do NOT attempt any repairs!  If a book happens to get damaged, a note would be most appreciated. Keep books clean and dry. Water bottles in backpacks are the #1 destroyer of library books.  A notice will be sent home with the fine for lost or destroyed books so that the book can be replaced. If you have any questions about this policy, please email me.  [email protected]
 

Library Materials Selection Policy for Students:  Preschool, Kindergarten and 1st grade students are restricted to certain areas of the library because too much choice is often overwhelming for young children.  Please note that our library books are not leveled.  Leveled books are for the classroom. The library is for reaching for the stars!  Therefore, students are likely to make some poor book borrowing decisions until they learn what types of books work for them and their own unique reading situations.  I strongly believe that getting books that are too hard or too easy are part of the process. Younger readers don’t know what feels right without also checking out what feels wrong.  Unless a book is strictly for independent reading, there is no reason why an early reader can't checkout a chapter book.  Maybe someone at home will read it to the student or maybe not.  Let the student learn from this experience!  *If your child does come home with a library book that they decide is too hard, too easy or just isn't a good fit, they are welcome to exchange the book back during "homeroom" the following day rather than waiting until their next library class period.* ​​

"Every book is not for every childbut for every child there is a book."