How many books may students borrow?
Kindergarten and 1st grade students may borrow one book at a time. Second graders may borrow two books, and third grade students may borrow up to three books. "One book per series," please. Readers are encouraged to try different genres, series, topics, and authors.
How long may students keep the book(s) borrowed?
Books should be returned weekly. If a student needs more time to read a book, it can be renewed for an additional week. Students are encouraged to return popular titles as soon as they have finished reading them.
The library system operates best when books are returned on time. It is school policy that children may choose a new book when a book is returned.
What happens if a book is lost?
If the book has been lost for less than four weeks, we ask you to keep looking for it. We will also look in the library and classroom. Students will receive a verbal, friendly reminder in library class to remind them to keep looking for the missing item. There are no overdue fines. Once an item is two weeks overdue, a printed reminder will be sent home.
After four weeks have passed since the book was due, the book is officially considered lost. At that point, your family must choose to either return the missing item or pay the replacement cost. Please provide the library with either the cash (correct change only, please! We cannot give change) or a check, (Made out to Fair Haven Board of Education with a note in the memo "Sickles library book"), to cover the replacement cost.
It is also important to know that the library cannot accept new or used copies of missing items in place of paying the replacement cost. Many of our books are purchased with special library bindings to make them more durable for heavy use. For this reason, our policy only permits library staff to accept cash or check payments for the replacement of lost items.
Refunds can only be given within the current school year (September-June). If a missing book is located after this time, it then becomes the property of your family.
Where should students keep their books?
We recommend students keep their library books in their backpacks. This way it will be at school on their day for Library Media class.
What happens if a book is damaged?
During library classes, students learn to protect their books from the four most common ways library books end up damaged:
· Pets—especially dogs
· Babies and Toddlers—who are too young to know how to take care of books properly
· Food—keep library books away from the kitchen table, please!
· Liquids—cups spill, juice boxes explode, rain and puddles develop, all of these are harmful for library books
Students are instructed to keep library books in a safe place to avoid these problems. Yet, despite their best intentions, occasionally a library book is accidentally damaged.
If this happens to a book checked out to your child, please reassure your child that he or she will not “get in trouble” in the library. Explain that he/she will have to tell the library staff about what happened and that your family will have to pay to replace the damaged item(s). The library staff stresses this with all students while teaching lessons about good book care, but many students feel very guilty and upset if their library books accidentally become damaged despite many reassurances.
Send the damaged item back to school with a note explaining what happened. The library staff will then take a look at the damaged item and see if we can repair the problem, and if we cannot, your family will need to pay the replacement cost. Each damaged book will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Once again, if you must pay replacement costs you may pay by by check (made out to Fair Haven Board of Education with "Sickles Library" in the memo). Money paid for damaged items cannot be refunded. Please do not purchase a replacement book yourself. We get our books with library ready processing from an approved vendor.