Currently the school district does not have plans to resume library services in the Fall of 2020.

A. I know a lot of families are worried about this. Currently the students who have books checked out should keep them in a safe place at home; you do not need to return them until school reopens. No students will be fined for late books. When school opens again the books can be returned then, and if students are going to a Moorpark Middle School they can be returned to that library if that is easier.

All returned books will go through a "quarantine" of 72 hours before becoming available for check out.

In the meantime, please re-read and enjoy the books you do have.

Answer: Students may come in during their lunch period on Wednesdays and Thursdays to change their book, or have their teacher call me to see if I have an open time for them to come to the Library.

Answer: If the book is lost you will have to pay a fine to replace the book, or you may purchase a replacement book (Library bound preferably). Please check with the Librarian before purchasing a replacement.

Answer: Students in Kindergarten and 1st grade may check out 1 book at a time. 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students may check out 2 books at a time. Students working on a research report may check out additional books.

Kindergarten students do not take their books home until after winter break.

First-grade students are permitted to take their books home after Parent Teacher conference week in October.

Answer: Absolutely NOT! Please return your Library book to the Library and Mrs. Davidson will check to see if it can be fixed. She has special tape and glue that is designed for repairing Library books.

Improperly repaired books may need to be replaced by the student.

If a book gets wet at home, please try to dry it out, and keep it open, until it can be brought back to the library.

how to dry a wet book

Answer: Library books are checked out for 2 weeks and may also be renewed several times. Students who forget when their class comes should return their Library book as soon as possible.

Fines are only assessed when a Library book has not been returned for several weeks. Library fines are .5 cents per day and may be waived when the student returns the book if it is not a frequent occurrence.

If a book does not come back after a few weeks, it may be considered lost. A letter detailing the replacement cost of the book will be sent home.

Answer: Library books are specially printed and "bound" to allow for much harder use. Multiple checkouts, being transported in backpacks, and years of use, mean that they have to be really tough and strong. This means that they are usually very expensive - an average chapter book might cost around $20.00. In the long-term this does save us money, but if you do lose or damage the library book, you cannot just replace it with a regular hardcover book as it will not last very long.

"Bound" means the way they are put together.

Answer: Many students from 2^nd through 5^th grade have asked me this question. Often they have older siblings or parents who have read the books or have seen previews for the movie. Many popular books are not appropriate for elementary school students – they are written for the older Middle School and High School student, and much of the subject matter is too mature for our students. Your parents may decide if a book is appropriate for you to read, but that doesn't mean we should have all books in our Library. Plus where would we fit them all?

I also remind students that they do need to "save" some books to read when they are in Middle School.

Answer: Many parents often ask me if I accept donations for the Library. The answer is - Yes! but with a caveat.

Library books are specially bound to handle the extra wear and tear. Most books that people have at home are not equipped to survive multiple users.

I do occasionally accept either Hardcover books that I feel can survive a little while, or paperbacks of books that I know are very popular, even though they are not likely to last long. With limited hours, it is difficult for me to take the time to process books that I know will not do well in a Library.

We also accept book donations that we use in 2 different ways:

1. During our regular Book Fairs we set up a Bargain Book table where students can choose a book for $1.

2. At different times throughout the year I put out boxes of books for students to choose from for free.

If you have an assortment of books you would like to donate please feel free to contact me. This is a great way to breathe new life into all those Book Fair books your child has brought home over the years.