INSTRUCTION
ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND, SECONDARY
Instructional Services – Library Media Centers
Circulation/Access

The Board of Education recognizes that the school library media program serves as a point of access to information and ideas and as a learning laboratory for students as they acquire critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed in a pluralistic and information-dependent society. Educational levels and programs of the school indicate appropriate resources and services of a school library media program. The board supports the principles of the Library Bill of Rights (ALA) and The Students’ Right to Read (Note, 1982) and recognizes that they apply equally to all Iibraries, including school library media centers.
Students and educators served by the school library media program shall have access to resources and services free of constraints resulting from personal, partisan, or doctrinal ideologies. School library media professionals shall resist efforts by individuals or groups to define what is appropriate for all students or teachers to read, view, or hear.
The library media center is open and staffed for student and faculty use during regular school hours and before and after school. Furthermore, no barriers exist between students and access to and use of resources including: imposition of age or grade-level restrictions; limitations on the use of interlibrary loan or access to electronic information; permission from parents; guardians or teachers; restricted shelves or closed collections and/or labeling. Policies, procedures, and rules related to the use of resources and services support open access to information.
The board shall adopt policies and/or regulations that will allow student access to a broad range of ideas. The board will endeavor to accommodate learning, teaching styles, and interests of all students.
The board recognizes that systems for circulating materials will provide for the optimal use and will encourage students to borrow materials for use throughout the school, at home, and in the library media center. The circulation systems and reporting mechanisms shall protect the privacy of users.

Library Media Centers – Circulation/Access (continued) P6163.1.2

It shall be a goal of the board to supply the library media centers with equipment for student and teacher use and to support all the formats of media that the school has acquired. This equipment shall be available for school personnel to checkout to classrooms and for overnight use. It is a goal of the board that all equipment shall be in good working condition and will be checked on a regular basis through ongoing maintenance and repair services. Finally, efforts shall be made to represent recent advances in media equipment technology.

References
Legal: MSIP Standard 10.1

Policy adopted: December 8, 1998