Media Center Policies...
Circulation Hours:
Check out hours are from 8 AM to 2 PM Monday through Friday.
Loan Policy:
Kindergarten - 1 book per week
1st grade - 1 book for two weeks
2nd through 5th grade - 2 books for two weeks
Neither reference books nor periodicals circulate among students.
Loan Period:
Except Kindergarten (see above), the check-out period is two weeks.
Overdues:
We do not charge overdue fees, but will deny check-out privileges if you have any overdue books.
Lost & Damaged Policy:
We charge the book replacement cost for damaged or lost hardback books and $5.00 for lost paperback books.
What is Research?
Do you have a report to write or questions that you would like to answer? Looking for specific answers or information about a topic or subject is called research. It requires that you find, evaluate, and use information.
Research, just like writing, is a process that requires a number of steps.
The information here should help you get started. Sometimes you may have to repeat some of the steps in the research process. You can learn about anything you want by doing some research!!
1. Getting Started - Decide the topic you want to research. Make a list of things you would like to know about your topic. Then make a list of the sources where you can find the answers to these questions. (encyclopedia, almanacs, books, magazines, Internet, etc.)
2. Getting it Down - Go to the sources you listed in step one and start looking for the answers to your questions. Write down the answers. Organize your information in a logical manner. Decide how to present what you have found - report, slide show, etc. Start your first draft. Turn the information you have found into information that can be shared. Remember to write a bibliography.
3. Checking it out - Revise and improve your first draft. Check spelling, grammar, etc.
4. Getting it right/celebrate - Get your final draft ready. Then show off what you have learned. Enjoy your product.
Using the Internet...
The Internet can help you find information. However,it is different from using a media center. Media Center materials are chosen very carefully, and media centers are organized so that you can find materials as easily as possible. Using the Internet is very different from using materials in a school media center, or any other library. Information on the Internet is not organized the way that a school media center is. Information on the Internet can be posted by anyone. No one reviews the information for quality or accuracy. You have to question some of the information that you find on the Internet. Comparing the information that you find on the Internet to information in other sources such as encyclopedias,other books, magazines, or newspapers can help you determine the accuracy of the information. If your parents let you search the web on your own, remember the following:
- Internet sites can be posted by anyone.
- Information on a web site is not checked for accuracy by anyone but the author.
- When you use the Internet, it is like visiting a new town, you don't know who lives there. You should never provide information about yourself or your family over the Internet without asking your parents first.
- Using reliable guides to the Internet can help you find the information that you need. Evaluate and look at each web site carefully: - Does the web site clearly state who the author or sponsor of the site is?
- Is the purpose of the site clear and does the information posted reflect the purpose?
- Does the author tell you what makes them an expert?
- Does the web site list when it was last "updated"? Is the information current?
- Do any Internet guides or reference books recommend this site?
- Compare the information that you find on the Internet to information from other resources such as encyclopedias or books on the subject. You should always use a number of different sources of information when you are doing research.
The address of the web site can give you some clues about the site. If a web address contains one of the abbreviations listed below it usually means: .com - commercial; this is the web site of a company .edu - educational; the author is using part of a college or university site . org - an organization . gov - a government site When k12 is included in the address, the site is associated with a k-12 school.
Evaluate the information that is posted on any web site very carefully.
