Library Access from Study Halls
TO: Study Hall Teachers
FROM: Marybeth Gallant, Library Teacher
DATE: January 25, 2012
RE: Study hall students and library access
Please follow these guidelines for sending students to the library from study hall. Share this information with your students so they understand these guidelines as well, as some of them may not have had study hall before, so this may be new to them. Thanks in advance for your cooperation! J
See the grid (other attachment) to determine how many students you can send for a given period.
Please save the electronic signup sheet (being sent via separate email) to your Documents folder to use each time you send students from your study to the library. Paste it into your email (rather than attaching to email). As the subject of your email, please put the date, block, and your name (ie, 9/1 A block Marshquist).
Students who come to the library from study must remain in the library for the whole block. Students are not allowed to return to study if they finish their work, get bored, miss their friends, or decide they don’t want to be here, etc. Once they have signed up for the library, the library becomes their study for the rest of that block.
The library’s primary role is to support classes using the library for research. The number of students coming from study must allow me to accommodate teachers bringing classes for research as well as VHS students using the library as their classroom. Please do not request to send additional students beyond the usual number.
Please screen students who request to come to the library. You will get to know the students in your study who enjoy the library (or other library patrons!) and come regularly, but you are the gatekeeper and need to find a fair way for all the students in your study to have access, and not just the same students each time. Try to devise a tracking system that works for you to ensure that all students have a chance to come on a rotating basis.
Please inform students that the library eats second lunch and they must do so as well. If you were assigned a first period lunch, you will need to send your study hall students to the library at the beginning of the lunch block, NOT at third lunch.
Do not send students to the library “just to print.” Tell students they should come after school.
Use only the official library lists (electronic copy attached). Please fill out the heading completely (study teacher name, location of study, date, block) as well as using FULL NAMES of students you are sending. Send the list BEFORE you release students to the library. Please do not recycle old lists without editing them; in the past this has caused a great deal of confusion.
Please tell students that once their names are on the list, they must report DIRECTLY to the library, not run errands around the building. It causes problems if people whose names are on the list do not report here right away. Also, if they need to “run errands” they should not be on the library list!
If you anticipate being absent, please include a blank “library list” with your lesson plans for the sub. On these occasions a student should bring the hard copy library list down to me.
Second Semester (Spring 2012)
Library Study Numbers
Ø Due to the varying number of studies each period, the number of students who can access the library during study varies as well. Please adhere to the suggested numbers. If changes need to be made, you will be notified. Please remember that I don’t create the schedule or the studies, but need to maintain an academic environment in which all students can benefit from their time here.
Ø Please have a way of ensuring that students have an equal chance of getting to the library (not the same students each time). If they miss the list from your study during one rotation, maybe they can be assured a spot the next time.
Ø To help you understand the numbers, if it says 15 there is only one study, 10 there are two or three studies, 8 there are four studies, 6 there are five studies, and 5 there are six studies. This allows students access from study while still leaving space for VHS students and classes for research without frequent restrictions to the number (which does have to happen on occasion).
Ø Thanks for your cooperation!