Administrative Procedures

• MEDIA CENTER HOURS OF OPERATION:  The Media Center will be open and staffed by media center personnel throughout each instructional day during school operating hours.
  
  

• MEDIA CENTER SCHEDULING:  To provide ample opportunity for students to utilize the media center’s materials and services, the media specialist(s) will maintain a flexible, accessible schedule to ensure access by classes, small groups, and individual students simultaneously each instructional day. 
  
  

• SUPERVISION OF STUDENTS:  Supervise student behavior in the media center to ensure appropriate use of the facilities.  When an entire class uses the media center, the teacher is responsible for the class. This policy may vary with individual schools.
  
  

• PLANNING AND SCHEDULING WITH TEACHERS:  The purpose of each classroom visit to the media center is planned cooperatively and scheduled in advance with the media specialist(s).  This enables the media staff to provide appropriate materials and instruction to support and enhance the assignment.  Media center use should not be a part of substitutes’ plans unless arranged in advance with the media specialist(s).
  
  

• FUNDRAISING:  The media specialist(s) may plan and operate fund raising activities approved by the school board. (Book fairs, candy sales, etc.)
  
  

• BOOKS AND MATERIALS:  Students and teachers are responsible for all books and materials checked out.  High school and middle school materials may be checked out by students for two weeks with option for renewal. Elementary school check out is one or two weeks with option for renewal depending on school preference. Teachers may check out materials for an extended period.
  
  

• FINES:  No schools assess fines for overdue books. 
  
  

• REFERENCE BOOKS:  The procedure for checking out reference material varies with the needs of the school.
  
  

• AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS AND MATERIALS:  All school-owned print and non-print media and equipment, except basic textbooks, are organized and made available for use through the media center to individuals and classrooms.  This refers to all school–owned media and equipment.  Exceptions are media and equipment purchased with federal program funds, individual department funds which are designated for use only by students for whom the funds were appropriated, and those materials and pieces of equipment useful only in one specific instructional content area (i.e., sewing machines, computers, carpentry tools, etc.)
  
  

• DAMAGED/LOST BOOKS:  If books are damaged so that they are no longer usable or lost, students should pay the replacement cost of the book(s).  For slightly damaged books, a reasonable fee may be charged for repair or rebinding.
  
  

• AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT:  Equipment should be reserved in advance and returned at the end of the school day unless long-term checkout or arrangements have been made to keep it for an extended period.  Media specialists will train teachers and students to use the equipment.  The principal must approve the use of equipment off campus.
  
  

• TECHNOLOGY BASED RESOURCES:  Technology which includes curriculum related software, online card catalog, online databases, and circulation system is available in the media center.  Media specialist(s) will assist in the instruction and use of these technologies.
  
  

• INTERNET USE:  The media specialist will provide internet safety instruction for students.  Teachers or media specialist(s) will monitor student access to the Internet.  Students and staff will be expected to abide by  the Lowndes County Acceptable Use Policy.

• SYSTEM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:  Disseminate system media policies and procedures to school personnel.
  
  

• COPYRIGHT:  Ensure the availability of current copyright information to school personnel and students, posting of copyright information notices in appropriate places (copy machines, computers, and scanners), and provide copyright clearance information for materials used in instruction.  Seek outside consultation for clarity on copyright matters when necessary.
  
  

• SCHOOL MEDIA/TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE:  Appoints and serves as permanent member of the school media/technology committee composed of administrative, instructional and media personnel, community members, parents, and students which meet to discuss matters related to the development of a needs-based media plan. This committee will identify long-range goals, short-range goals, budget priorities, and service priorities.
  
  

• EVALUATION OF MEDIA CENTER AND PERSONNEL:  State guidelines require an annual evaluation of media services by the administrator trained in GaLEADS.
  
  

• PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION: The school library media program supports and strengthens the curriculum, bridges the digital divide, and puts state standards into action. The school library media specialist encourages reading for learning, reading for pleasure, and reading for life.  The school library media specialist is a teacher, an instructional partner, an informational specialist, and a school library media program administrator.  School library media specialists directly affect student achievement by collaborating and planning with teachers, teaching information literacy, designing assessment procedures, and providing supplemental curriculum material (Georgia Department of Education, 2017).

      GaDOE Library Media Services (2023).