Library Policies

At all Norman Public Schools, we do not limit the number of books a students can check out. Instead, I ask them to check out the number that they can responsibly take care of. Most of the time, students do a great job of understanding their limits! Once students get to a high number of checkouts, I start asking them to bring some books back before getting more, though I try to always let them take at least one. It is our belief that students should never be denied access to materials or information.

Student choice is prioritized above all else. While the teachers and I may help students select books that they can reasonably read, I do not limit students to books that are at their reading level. Students are welcome to choose books below, at, or above their reading level so long as they are interested in the material. Once again, students are great at figuring out what their limits are and will usually adjust their reading choices to what suits them best!

The default checkout period is two weeks, but checkouts can be renewed by the librarian or in the student's online portal. Regardless, we do not charge fines for overdue books! However, students are expected to return books once they are done reading them. This helps prevent lost books. Books that are lost or damaged beyond repair may have to be paid for, so we try to avoid that by returning books when we are done with them.

Some of our books have been very well loved, so students are asked to report damaged or broken books and materials to the librarian. They are specifically asked to not attempt to fix things like torn pages or broken spines at home. Parents, please don't try to fix broken books! I have special repair supplies and can fix most wear-and-tear damage to prolong a book's life.