Monroe County Middle School Media Handbook

Monroe County Middle School Media Handbook

Banks Stephens Campus

MediaCenter Mission Statement: As the school’s information hub, the media center will facilitate success for the entire school community by providing high quality support services and nurturing a love for reading

Monroe County Middle School Media Handbook

Banks Stephens Campus

Danyel Vance, Media Specialist

Cheryl Nussbickel, Media Support Personnel

Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday, 7:30 am – 3:30 pm

Introduction

The Monroe County Middle School Media Center Program is an integral part of the school’s total instructional program.

First, we believe that our students need instruction in information literacy skills so that they can efficiently access, use, and communicate the ever-increasing information available in our world today.

Second, we believe that, because students who like to read will read, it is important to help students develop a love of reading.

Third, we believe that the media center collection should support the curriculum and instructional program of the school.

This handbook has been developed by the media specialist to assist faculty and students in becoming acquainted with the facilities and services in the media center.

About the Media Center

The Monroe County Middle School Media Center is a fully functional, fully accessible Media Center containing over 10,000 entries including books, videos, audiotapes, DVDs, and other audiovisual materials. The Media Center is fully automated through the services of Surpass. Patrons have access to WebSafariour Online Patron Access Catalog in the media center, throughout the school, and at home. Scanners, digital cameras, and a video camera are available to provide students with the resources needed for project development. Patrons also have access to the Microsoft Office Suite and the Internet through 27 computer workstations. A professional library is available for the faculty and staff.

Organization of Media Materials

Fiction books are arranged in alphabetical order according to the first three letters of the author’s last name. There is a letter “F” above these letters which denotes Fiction in the call number.

Non-Fiction books are arranged in numerical order. Each non-fiction book is identified by a number which is a Dewey Decimal classification number and the first three letters of the authors last name.

Reference books are arranged in the Dewey Decimal order. The call number is preceded by the letter “R”.

Biographies are designated by the letter “B” and the first three letters of the last name of the person the book is written about. Collective biographies are located in the “920” section.

What Can the MCMS Media Center Staff Do for You?

1. Conduct Media Center Tours – This introduction to the media center covers checkout procedures, media center rules, and available resources (print and non-print). Tours are conducted during all Language Arts classes at the beginning of each school year. Special tours for specific purposes can also be arranged.

1. Teach Information Literacy Skills – We believe that embedding information literacy skills in the curriculum is the most effective way of really teaching students. We will work with teachers to fit instruction of these skills into their classroom instruction.

1. Develop Bibliographies – We can provide lists of AV materials and books on various subjects. (Please give advance notice in order to compile these lists)

1. Pull Books on Certain Subjects – We can pull specific books for classroom use or to put on hold/reserve. (Please give advance notice notice)

1. Bookmark Websites for Student Research and Projects

1. Order Books and AV Materials to Support the Curriculum

1. Provide Read Aloud to Classes or Give “Book Talks”

1. Assist in Planning and/or Carrying out Units – We can help introductory activities, skills, mini lesson, project ideas, project rubrics, etc.

1. Assist in Incorporating Technology into Classroom Instruction

Circulation Procedures

Checkouts:

Students are permitted to check out up to three books at one time. Students may keep books for a period of two weeks. Books must be returned in order to check out a new book.

Damaged and Lost Books:

In the event a student loses or damages a book, it will be the student’s responsibility to pay the replacement cost of that book. Library books are available to students without cost, but remain the property of the State of Georgia and Monroe County Board of Education. Students and their parents are held accountable for library books that are lost or damaged and must reimburse the school system for these books. Report Cards and other school records may be held by the school until money owed to the school is paid.

Book Return:

All books should be returned to the circulation desk. Books should not be placed back onto the shelf before being checked in the library automation system.

Computer Use:

Students may use computers in the media center for research, word processing, class work, project creation, to search a book or to take an Accelerated Reader test.

Technology Checkout/ Reservation:

Chromebooks, laptops, Ipads, Ipods and any other electronic device, may be reserved and checked out in class sets. Teachers may reserve these items by completing the reserve form in the “Reservation” book on the circulation desk in the technology section. Teachers must specify the electronic device they wish to checkout as well as the amount needed.

Individual electronic devices are also available for checkout in the classroom and use in the media center.

Visiting the Media Center

Individual Students:

Individual Students must have permission from their Academic Teacher in order to come to the media center. Upon entering the media center, the student must complete the “sign in” sheet at the circulation desk. Upon departing the media center, the student should “sign out” in the sign out column of the sign in notebook. Students should be accompanied by an adult when in groups of four or more.

Class Visits:

Class visits may be scheduled by checking the calendar/ reservation book at the circulation desk in the media center. Teachers may schedule class time in the media center by checking the “Reservation” book located on the counter at the circulation desk. ELA teachers schedule classes every other week for the purpose of checkout books. Due to the lack of space, only one class at a time should be scheduled.

Before and After School Visits to the Media Center:

Before and After School Visits to the media center are permitted if the student has a purpose such as completing homework, using the computer for class assignments, checking books in and out or peer to peer tutoring. Students must arrange before and after school visits with their teacher and the media specialist in advance.

Equipment Scheduling

Each classroom is equipped with and LCD projector and Smart Board. Teachers must return equipment that is checked out through the media center daily unless otherwise discussed with the media specialist. Equipment that can be checked out is bar coded, and must be checked out by the media center staff.

Equipment Available for checkout for Classroom use:

1 Cassette Player 3 DVD Players 25 Nooks

1 Overhead Projector 10 Chromebooks 4 TV’s with VCR/ DVD Player

4 Flip Video Cameras 10 VR Googles 3 Digital Camcorders

1 Digital Camera 15 Ipods 6 VCR/ DVD Players

Other materials available for checkout for classroom use:

Staff members may check out media and books for the length of time needed. Sets of Encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs, atlases, reference books and general collection books on a requested subject may be checked out for the classroom use. The class sets, Video/ DVD, and A-V collections are located in the audiovisual room of the media center.

Equipment Available for use in the Media Center:

A scantron machine is available in the media center for teacher use in grading multiple choice assessments. An Ellison machine as well as multiple die cuts, and a laminating machine are available in the media center for teachers. Two printers are also located in the media center that may be used by teachers.

Bulletin Board Paper is available in the teacher planning room on each hall.

DVD/ Video Use

A “DVD/ Video Use Request” form must be completed any time a dvd/ video is used. This form is available upon request from the media specialist or can be found in the “forms section” on the media center homepage. To fulfill copyright requirements, dvd/video use must be directly related to instruction and must be documented in lesson plans. All dvds/ videos must be previewed before use. A substitute should not show a video before the teacher has previewed it.

United Streaming

To set up a new account:

• Go to
• Enter the following passcode into the “New User” section 5669-2AA3
• Create your own username and password by completing the template
• Log in with your username and password

Copyright Basics

The system level individual responsible for providing information and dealing with copyright clearance is the Coordinator of Media Services. The school level individual responsible for copyright is the principal. The Media Centers of the Monroe County School System comply fully with PL 94-553 concerning responsibilities, obligations and limitations of copyright. The MCBOE School Board will not provide legal support in such a case where the person has been notified that the potential infringement existed and the individual still has per sued utilizing the materials in such a manner as to result in infringement. The Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators mandates adherence to copyright law and reporting violations as duties of all Georgia educators. Fair Use is an affirmative defense for copyright violation – it is not actual law. It legitimately provides for education use of copyrighted materials, but caution should always be used in its application. Websites like or provide helpful copyright information. You can find a simple chart at Other copyright information is available from your Media Specialist. Asking for permission from copyright holders if you have a real need to do something that probably breaks the copyright law is another alternative. They can approve any use of their materials and they will often approve educator requests. Your Media Specialist will assist in contacting copyright holders.

Copyright Specifics

Videos and DVDs

To satisfy copyright provisions, videos must be “legally obtained” and “legally used”. Our county interprets “legally obtatined” as purchased by a school with a school purchase order, rented, or purchased by a teacher or staff member. Videos obtained in these ways may be shown in the school even if the disclaimer states that it is for home viewing only. “Legally used” is interpreted as meeting the following conditions: A Video must be shown face-to-face teaching situations. The teacher may not start the video and leave the room. The teacher many not show the video for entertainment or reward. The viewing must be restricted to educators and students. If visitors are present, the video may not be shown. The teacher must show that the video is an integral part of the lesson and document video use in the lesson plans. Videos should be previewed before being used in the classroom.

For frequently asked questions on Using Videos in the Classroom, go to

*MCMS has a Movie License

Off-Air Programming

There are two types of off-air recording: designated educational programming and commercial television programming. Unedited commercial television off-air recordings (with the copyright notice included) may be used for a period of ten days. During that time a teacher may repeat the viewings as many times as necessary. A teacher may keep the off-air tape for a period of forty-five calendar days for preview; however, it may not be shown after the ten schools have past. At the end of the 45 days, the tape must be erased. A teacher may not use the off-air broadcasts year after year. Only the ten-day period is legal. Educational programming (with copyright notice included) may be used for the period of time specified by the owner of the copyright, usually one year. There is no fair use of any tape recorded from a premium channel unless it is designated as educational and guidelines for use are given.

Print Media

A single copy (for class preparation/ research) may be made of:

• Chapter in a Book
• Article in a periodical or newspaper
• Short story, essay, poem
• Chart, diagram, graph, drawing, cartoon, picture

Multiple Copies (1 copy per student in course – classroom use)

• Brevity – Poem- Not more than two pages

Prose – Less than 2500 words or 10% of work if over 2500 words

• 1 chart, graph, etc. per book or periodical
• Spontaneity – There wasn’t time to obtain permission from copyright holder
• Cumulative effect – For only one Course – Not year after year unless permission is obtained. Note more than seven instances of multiple copies in a course per term. This cannot be used as a substitute for Cumulative work.
• Copies may not be made of consumable materials unless the materials have been ordered and does is needed before they arrive.

Computer Software

Software cannot be loaded on to multiple computers without appropriate licensing. All computer software requests must be make in tech trekker.

Technology Handbook

The Monroe County School System Technology Handbook is located online. You may access it by going to the MCMS webpage, click on Employees, Current Employees, Handbooks andManuals andthen Technology Handbook.